In a message dated 12/24/00 10:01:34 AM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > I was wondering if any of you have had any success at all with getting > records from the Kanawha County Clerk's Office. I've asked on numerous > occsions for copies of birth and death certificates but have never had > them > send me anything. I'm wondering if I send them the actual volume and > page > number if they'll send me something. Before, I would just send them the > person's name and the date of the event along with any other info I knew > about the individual. > I can tell you from an experience I had that some of the folks that work there are less than anxious to help with geneology related services if they are busy. I went there in person this past spring and spent several hours looking up things. They would not allow me to make the copies myself so I had to wait until someone could do the copies for me. They said I would only receive help if no one was in line for help unrelated to geneology and would just have to wait. So I did. After quite awhile one of the ladies said she didn't think they'd be able to get around to me today because they were so busy. Mind you I wasn't just waiting my turn, if someone else walked up after I was there they still got precedence over me. So, I asked then how I might get copies and she said I'd have to write for them. Then I got angry and told her I had come there all the way from Alabama and she was telling me I'd have to turn around and write anyway. They ended up making the copies but I have to tell you they really made me feel like a giant thorn in their backsides. I did all the looking up, pulled out the volumes to the proper pages and all they had to do was copy them and they didn't even want to mess with that. It wouldn't surprise me if they ignored written requests depending on who opened them. Surely they don't all act that way. I would call and ask in addition to writing or try the archives who I'm told has copies of all the records the clerk has depending on the time frame your looking for. Plus I've heard they are much friendlier. Good Luck, Lisa