MY FIRST CIVIL WAR PENSION FILE ~ William Lunsford & his widow Nancy–Lawrence Co., Ohio–What now?

In the 13+ years I’ve been researching, I’ve never ordered or even seen a Civil War Pension File.  Well, I’ve seen images of some of them on various websites, but never seen one in it’s entirety.  And, certainly not for one of my ancestors.  So, this was an exciting moment for me.

I know that they can be full of family connections, history and other important information.
 
In this case it was the Civil War pension file for my 3rd great granduncle, William Lunsford, born 16 Mar 1816 in Mason, Warren, Ohio.  He married Nancy Massie in Sep 1836 in Ohio.  They had 12 known children.  William served in the Civil War from 1861-1864 in Company H, 9th West Virginia Infantry.  William Lunsford died at the National Home for Disabled Soldiers  in Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio on 20 May 1887.  Cause of death – Softening of the brain.

I had located a Pension Index cards several years ago for both William, who applied before his death, and Nancy, who applied after his death.

You can locate indexes to the Civil War Pension files at several websites.  However, the records themselves are not yet scanned and available.

General Index to Pension Files 1861-1934: NARA TO288

United States Civil War Widows and Other Dependents Pension Files, 1861-1934

                                                         Here are the two pension index cards I located:

Because I belong to a Facebook page called The Lawrence Register, I have met many descendants of my ancestors.  It’s an extremely active group.  I’ve been back to Lawrence County, Ohio and met some of those Facebook friends in person.
 
One “cousin” I met was Randy.  We believed we might be related via our Lunsford line.  However, during the many years we have communicated we have pondered an additional marriage for William Lunsford, prior to Nancy Massie.  A recent DNA test by Randy has proven that we have no actual blood connection.  This is the beauty of DNA testing.  It can really assist you in your research, but that’s a discussion for another post.
 
P.S.  Randy and I have decided to remain virtual cousins anyway.

I was more anxious than ever to get the pension file for William Lunsford and discover what it would say about marriages, children etc.

One of my contacts from another Facebook group Detroit Genealogy, has been so busy pulling documents from the National Archives that she has moved from Detroit to Maryland.  She is now closer than ever to the archives.  Her name is Deidre Erin Denton and she can be found at Twisted Twigs on Gnarled Branches Genealogy.  By ordering your pension file from Deidre you save money and time.

The website for ordering pension files directly from the National Archives is Veteran Service Records

I ordered the file through Deidre’s service and was not disappointed.  In fact, I was so happy that I’ve ordered a second file for another ancestor.

This file for William contains 174 pages!!!

What will it tell me?  I can’t wait to find out.
 
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT POST ABOUT THE PENSION FILE AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM IT

DISLCAIMER – I make no money nor benefit in any way from the work that Deidre Denton does regarding pulling files at the National Archives.  I make no guarantee about her work. The opinons expressed here are strictly my own.

Do you have any pension files for your ancestors?
 
OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

THE CIVIL WAR - HOW OUR COUNTRY DEALT WITH THE AFTERMATH

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - Civil War Soldier Headstones

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

EVERNOTE ~ How it keeps my genealogy organized

I don’t know about you, but I use Evernote every single day.  Not just for my genealogy items, but for travel, gardening, recipes, receipts and more.  But we are here to talk about one way that I use it to keep track of genealogy items I need to return to.

This morning I was clearing my PC desktop of a few items that I had saved there for easy access.  I don’t like my desktop to be cluttered, so I try very hard to keep items to a minimum. That is true of both my PC desktop and my real desktop.
 
Here is a view of what my PC desktop looked like this morning.



At least half of those items need to be moved.  I’ve circled all that need to go.  My desktop will look much better by this afternoon.



Of course it’s never just one, two, three.  Because the first item I went to was the little icon that is only identified as Img_0555.



I opened it up and it turned out to be a document about a possible ancestor who served during the Revolutionary War.
 


TIP:  Don’t do what I did when I saved this image.  I did not note where it came from.  As a result I began by going online and trying to find this image and other information about Joseph Thorp from Livingston County, Connecticut.

I found quite a bit of information in a book I located on Google books, but I don’t want to work on that particular project this morning.  This book is viewable in part, on Google books, but is still in copyright as it was published in 1932.  Therefore, I cannot download a copy.

ENTER EVERNOTE!

This is when I find Evernote invaluable.

I created a note titled “Book About the Revolutionary War Records of Fairfield, CT.” 

In it, I have put notes and links so that I can return to this information and take the time to record it.

Click here to see the note I created

I currently have 2393 notes in Evernote.  I am a premium subscriber because I want to support the company.  I rarely use the upload limit available to me, but for $5 a month I like knowing I have that option.

What other types of things have I saved to Evernote that might be valuable to us as researchers?  Here are some examples from my own notes in Evernote.


Examples of Old German Handwriting and Type and a page from a yearbook that was sent to me by a cousin.


How about a newspaper article I found about my 1st cousin 4x removed marriage in 1855?  Or a list of members of the 105th infantry from the Civil War listing one of my Gillen ancestors?

I also use Evernote to keep track of all correspondence to and from cousin connections.  I found it very difficult to keep track of which contact was connected to which surname or family.  Now that they are all collected in Evernote and tagged with the surname connections, it’s very easy.  I can either forward the email to Evernote or copy and paste the text of the email or message into a note.
  
Tagging is the key to everything in using Evernote.


There are SO many other ways I use Evernote on a daily basis.  How do you use it?
 
There are many YouTube videos and books about using Evernote.  There is even a Facebook group that I belong to where we share our tips with one another. The group is Evernote Genealogists.

I look forward to hearing from you about how or if you use Evernote.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

Evernote - A Very Useful and Free Tool to Help You Organize Genealogy and Everything Else

Facebook - How It Can Be Very Useful in Your Research

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

OCTOBER IS FAMILY HISTORY MONTH–What do you know about your ancestors?

                                                                   

What a great month to begin or continue your own family history.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR ANCESTORS?

• Who were they?
• Where did they come from?
• What did they do for a living?
• How many children did each family have?
• How many times did they move?
• Did they come from another country?
• What were the historical events that shaped their lives?
• What were some of the happy moments?
• What were the saddest moments?
• Did any of them go to college?
• Did any of them leave you photos or letters or other heirlooms?

Have you asked yourself these questions?
Do you know where to look to find the answers?
Do you know where to begin?

Learning about your family can be exciting, heart warming, sometimes frustrating or sad, many times revealing.
There are SO many resources out there for family researchers that I couldn’t possibly list them all here.

TIP: My suggestion to new genealogists (and a reminder to those more experienced researchers) is to interview your living family members NOW.  We really cannot wait on this because we know that age isn’t the determining factor as to whether we lose a family member now or in the coming years.  They are all important and they all have memories to share.

Here are some steps to take to begin your research
.
1.  Google “How to begin genealogy research.”  I did this and had 881,000 results!  WOW!  Some of those ought to give you a good start.

2.  Talk to other family members who are either currently or have in the past, done research on your family.  Find out what they already know, what they’ve already done.  TIP:  Don’t take their word for anything unless they have well documented sources for the information (and I’m not talking about other online trees).  Use their information as a lead for your own research.

3.  Read some of the incredibly well written blogs that you can find online.  Many of the bloggers (and there are over 3,000 of us) offer tips and research strategies on a regular basis.  Most bloggers will give you a list of other bloggers they follow.  One blog will lead to another.  PLEASE SEE THE TAB AT THE TOP OF MY PAGE FOR THE BLOGS I FOLLOW.

4.  Join a local genealogical society and start attending meetings.  Whether it’s a very small group or a large one, you will find other like minded people who love nothing better than to talk about family research.  You’ll hear lots of ideas.  Take the best ones or the ones that fit you best and work from those.
 
Here’s are two posts I wrote about societies and why they will assist you in your research - SEMINARS, WEBINARS, SOCIETIES - Will they help your research?

HISTORICAL & FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETIES - Great Resources for Your Research

5.  Read some books.  I learned an incredible amount from the books I bought and read when I began this journey over 12 years ago.  You can either buy paper copies, download books to your e-reader, check them out from your local library or borrow them from other genealogists.  NOTE:  Our local society the San Diego Genealogical Society, has monthly meetings.  At each of those meetings there are used books for sale.
 
Please see the tab at the top of my blog for Books I Own.  Maybe some of them would be helpful to you?

6.  Join Facebook Groups.  There are a LOT of Facebook groups devoted to genealogy.  Whether it’s research tips, organizing tips, technology tips, location specific groups or whatever you might be looking for, you can probably find it on Facebook.  Here is a list (Click here) with over 5,500 links to Facebook groups from all over the world.  Thanks to Katherine R. Willson who created and updates this list.  
Here’s a post I wrote about how useful Facebook can be FACEBOOK - How it can be very useful in your research

I hope some of these suggestions have given you an idea where to begin your research.  Or maybe given you some new ideas to think about and explore.

I know I haven’t even begun to cover everything.

I’d love to hear about your successes and any other ideas you may have.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

UPDATE ON WILLIAM H. THORPE DEATH INFO

Yesterday I shared with you my search for the death date and/or burial location of my great grandaunt’s husband, William H. Thorpe.  Please refer to that post here, if you haven’t read it THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY - Why don't I have a death date or record for William H. Thorpe?

It was certainly an adventure and a great way to spend the afternoon.

I shared my blog post on several Facebook genealogy groups I belong to.  I share posts that might be relevant to a location or topic.  One of those groups is Detroit Genealogy.  This group has been helpful to me in the past as far as offering research advice and doing lookups.

Don’t you know that before I had a chance to go hunting for William’s death certificate on SeekingMichigan.org, (Update Oct 2019 - the new website for locating Michigan death records is michiganology.org)  one the the members of the group located it for me.  Thank you Deidre Erin Denton.  This certificate gives further evidence of other information I had located.



Then this morning, Deidre surprised me again by posting a death notice from the Detroit Free Press for William.  Further evidence and again, my thanks to Deidre.

This is why I encourage other researchers to join Facebook and get involved with the genealogy groups from all over the country and the world.  This is not the first time I have received wonderful help from a group I belong to.

The other two things I have done to complete this record for William H. Thorpe.

• I requested a photograph of his headstone on FindAGrave.
• I sent an email to Elmwood Cemetery asking for a copy of his burial record and/or the exact plot where he is buried.  I’ve been to Elmwood Cemetery and they have always been very helpful.

I’d certainly call this a successful research session.

Here’s hoping your next hunt turns up some great finds.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

TUESDAY’S TIP–The “Other” message box in Facebook

Had I not checked my “Other” message box in Facebook yesterday, I would have missed out on an INCREDIBLE cousin connection.  In fact, the message had been posted on March 29th and I didn’t find it until April 5th.
  
I have been guilty of not checking the “other” message box for as long as a year or two.  Why?  Because I simply forgot about it.  A reminder in one of the groups I belong to has had me checking it more often. 

This latest message was from a cousin on my Dad’s side of the family and in two days I have chatted with him and exchanged phone numbers and emails.  He has shared photos and newspaper articles with me, along with dates and a letter from another cousin dating back to 1938. 

I’ll tell you right here and now.  I will NEVER forget that “other” box again. 
 
You can find the “Other” messages by clicking on “Messages” in the left hand column of your home page.  Yours may be in a different location on your list.  I have moved my messages so they are right under News Feed. 

Click on the word “Messages” and that will bring up all your messages.  Up near the top, click on “Other.”  This is where messages go if you are not currently friends with someone. 

(CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT)

That’s it.  That’s all there is to it.  Maybe there won’t be any messages there for a day, a week, a month or longer.  But, you can bet I will be checking on a regular basis.

I wish you lots of cousin connections.

Here is another post I wrote about Facebook that may be of interest.
FACEBOOK - HOW IT CAN BE VERY USEFUL IN YOUR RESEARCH
HAPPY HUNTING,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

MYSTERY MONDAY - WHO'S YOUR DADDY? Brick Walls Post #2 - Robert L. Bowden 1863-1906

BOWDEN is my maternal grandmother’s maiden name.  I have not yet been able to locate the parents or any siblings of her father Robert Lee Bowden.  This mystery has been going on for well over ten years.  Here is what I have and what I’ve done so far.  I welcome your input.

A BRIEF BIO OF ROBERT LEE BOWDEN

Born 8 Feb 1863 in White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier, West Virginia.  Married Florence HUNTER on 10 Mar 1887 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio.  Two children born to this couple: Florence Lee Nora Bowden (my grandmother) born 31 Jan 1888 in Ashland, Boyd, Kentucky and Edna “Denny” Mabel Bowden born 1 Jan 1890 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio.  This couple divorced on 17 Jul 1899.  The divorce was filed in Kenton County, Kentucky.  Robert worked for the railroad in every record I have about him.  He possibly remarried to a lady named Bertie Kearney in 1900.  Robert died on 8 Oct 1906 in McKees Rocks, Allegheny, Pennsylvania at age 43.

Robert’s signature from his 1887 marriage record

Here is what I know about Robert’s life so far:

(Click on any image to enlarge it)




I know that Robert and Florence divorced in 1899.  I have that record and a record of her trying to get him to pay child support.

Here are a few records from the divorce, filed in Kenton County Circuit Court, Kentucky and granted on 17 Jul 1899.


My grandmother, Florence, who is Robert’s older daughter, left me a lot of genealogical information on our family.  She had his death date listed as Oct 1906.  Since I have found her information to rarely be incorrect, and this was her own father, I looked for death records based on that date.

Here is the page from her journal with him listed as the second person.  I have redacted this list for anyone who may still be living.
 

My brother, John and I believe we have found a record of a second marriage for Robert L. Bowden, shortly after the divorce from Florence was final.

MARRIAGE RECORD - R. L. BOWDEN TO B. C. KEARNEY ON 31 MAR 1900 IN HUNTINGTON, CABELL, WEST VIRGINIA

We do find Robert living with a woman named Bertie and her son, who’s last name is Kearney in the 1900 census.  He is a railroad brakeman, which is consistent with what we know about Robert’s occupation.  The record states they have been married only 4 months, which is consistent with the marriage record and Robert is said to have been born in February, which is also what we have on record.  The only thing different is the year of his birth being listed as 1865 instead of 1863.  But, we all know those years vary from record to record, especially in the census.  The other variant is the state of birth being Kentucky, when my grandmother stated it was West Virginia.  I have checked both the Kentucky and West Virginia birth records and not found anything....yet.

Here is that 1900 census record.

 




























My big AH HA! moment came when the Pennsylvania death records 1906-1944 were released last year on Ancestry.  One night I just decided to check these records for Robert.  Why?  I don’t really know, as I had no record of him ever being in Pennsylvania.   
NOTE:  You never know where you will find the record you need.

There it was!!!!  A death record for Robert L. Bowden on 8 Oct 1906 in McKees Rocks, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.  A railroad man who died suddenly of heart disease.  Of course no parents names are listed.



Thanks to the assistance of a researcher on the Allegheny County, PA Facebook group, I also found out there was a newspaper article about his death.  Can you believe it?

And, I saw that the death certificate was signed by a Coroner, so I sent for the Coroner’s record, which gave me no new information.  All the Coroner did was look over the body to rule out signs of foul play.  See my post about my analysis of the Coroner’s report here http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com/2014/06/coroners-case-file-robert-l-bowden.html

WHAT I STILL NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MY GREAT GRANDFATHER ROBERT LEE BOWDEN

• A birth record to verify when and where he was born (although due to the Civil War, this may not be available)
• Who his parents were?
• Who his siblings, if any, were?
• Any court records I may have missed regarding the guardianship of his daughters
• Information from the cemetery that could contain details I don’t have.  I have left two messages and will try calling again.

Please note:  There is a Robert L. Bowden of about the correct age in the 1870 census.  He is the son of Elias & Sarah Bowden and living in Hardy Township, Isle of Wight, Virginia.  I have followed this lead and this IS NOT my Robert.

Do you see anything I have missed?

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

MYSTERY MONDAY - Who's Your Daddy? Post #1 - John C. Gould

FACEBOOK - How it can be very useful in your research 

If you think you might be related, even remotely, to anyone mentioned in this blog, please contact me!

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HOW TO FIND PROBATE RECORDS ONLINE

ONE OF THE BEST SOURCES THAT WE CAN ACCESS AS GENEALOGISTS, ARE THE PROBATE RECORDS OF OUR ANCESTORS

HERE IS THE PROBATE INDEX CARD FOR THE ELIZABETH BURGESS ESTATE.  YOU CAN SEE THE FILE NUMBER IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER AND THAT IT NAMES HER GRANDDAUGHTER, SUSAN MILNE AND THE PARTICULAR COURT WHERE THE RECORD WAS FILED, ALONG WITH THE YEAR - 1884.

Here is just a sample of what they can tell us:

• They can contain some solid family connections
• Solve brick walls
• Give us clues as to the financial status of our ancestor
• Tell us if a particular child was “out of favor”
• Give us dates, names & places
• Indicate who were trusted friends based on the executor or witnesses

So, when was the last time you located a probate record for your ancestor?

Have you ever located one?

During my recent research, I was on the Facebook page for Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

They had two recent articles/posts regarding finding probate records.  One article was posted on October 31 and the next on November 1.  While these particular posts are about Michigan, this information can be used with probate records for any state for which Family Search has records available.  Here is the link:  United_States_Probate_Records

One thing about having a lot of records online is that some of us may not be as well versed in “browsing” through records as we used to be.  Prior to the internet, microfilm and microfiche had to be used to find records.  This involved a LOT of scrolling through record after record.  It’s much easier, in my opinion, to scroll through online records, than to use the microfilm readers.
 
How many of you don’t look at records on familysearch when you see “browse records” rather than the little camera icon?

I have to admit, I was guilty of that, until recently.

Here are the links I referred to from the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

Probate Records on Family Search - Part 1



Probate Records on Family Search - Part 2



WHAT’S NEXT?
I located a probate number for my 3rd great grandmother, Elizabeth BURGESS, while searching under the name MILNE.  Why?  Because her granddaughter, Susan married into my MILNE family.  The record shown at the top of this post is the one I located.

I was SO excited.  I went from the index to the actual records and began my search.  I couldn’t wait to find out who she might mention in her probate record.

BUT, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT….
One of the years that IS NOT in this group of scanned images is 1884.  Yup, no record.  I was very disappointed.  However, I didn’t let that stop me from trying to obtain this record.  I live in California.  No trip to Detroit is in my near future. 
How was I going to obtain a copy of this probate record?

HERE'S HOW
I have friends and family in Detroit.  I contacted a Facebook friend from the group Detroit Genealogy and she has offered to go to the courthouse and get this record for me.  She hopes to have it by the end of the week.  Once I get it, you can bet I’ll be writing about it.
 
TIP:  It’s because of situations like this that I so highly recommend that every genealogist use social media as a source for contacts.  I can’t tell you the wealth of information I have gained and the records I have obtained because of Facebook contacts. 
Please see this post I wrote about the value of Facebook for your genealogy research.

FACEBOOK - HOW IT CAN BE VERY USEFUL IN YOUR RESEARCH

OTHER POSTS THAT YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY
EVERNOTE - A VERY USEFUL AND FREE TOOL
SEMINARS, WEBINARS, SOCIETIES - WILL THEY HELP YOUR RESEARCH?

Happy Hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

PHOTO DUPLICATION REQUESTS ON FAMILY SEARCH – PLUS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LEGACY AND EVERNOTE

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SERVICE WAS DISCONTINUED BY FAMILY SEARCH - EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 5, 2014.  YOU CAN READ ABOUT IT IN THIS POST 

 http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com/2014/11/photo-duplication-service-to-be.html

You know what they say “you learn or should learn something new every day.”  Well, count this day a success as I’ve learned about a really wonderful source for getting copies of records that you cannot get online.

I belong to several Facebook groups for genealogy.  I’ve written about the incredible advantages to belonging to these groups/pages on Facebook and this is another great example.  Here is a link to my post - Facebook - How it can be very useful in your research

Not too long ago Deidre Erin Denton, mentioned, on the Detroit Genealogy Facebook page, that she had just received 5 records she had requested via Family Search.  I thought to myself “I didn’t know you could do that.”  Apparently, you can request up to 5 records per month.  And the best thing – it’s FREE! Thanks for the info Deidre.

Today, on the same Detroit Genealogy page I was bemoaning the fact that we don’t have images for the Michigan Death Certificates 1921-1952.  I’m thankful to have the indexed transcriptions, don’t get me wrong.  But, you know how it is.  You want to see the actual document.  

Another nice member of the group (thank you Nancy) reminded me that you can request photo duplications of the certificates or any other record not available online or in a book. 
I decided today was the day and I have completed submission of requests for 5 death certificates I’ve been wanting.  I’ll walk you through the process, which is very easy.  This process can be used for records from anywhere, any state etc.  Here is a link to the page on Family Search that explains the criteria - Photoduplication Services on familysearch.org  

You can read for yourself to see if the record you may be wanting will qualify.

I knew that the records I wanted were from the Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952.  I also knew that those images were not yet online and, to my knowledge, not in any book.
Let’s walk through the process.

NOTE:  I have received several comments via Facebook and this blog, regarding the death certificates for Michigan.  Some people say that the 75 year rule for privacy will only allow them to release images of deaths prior to 1939.  Others say they have received later years.  Please be aware of this when you are ordering Michigan Death Certificates and probably any other vital records from other states.  
Also, be aware that the Seeking Michigan site is scheduled to release the images for the Michigan Death Certificates 1921-1952, some time this year.  Will they release images for all of them or only up to 1938?  I don't know the answer to that at this time.

Once you are on the Photoduplication Services page click on the green icon that says Photo Duplication Request Form.

(Click on any image to enlarge it)



What you will see next is the actual form for you to fill out.  You don’t even have to print it, you can just fill it out right online and submit it from there.  I always appreciate that.



When you find a record on Family Search you see the indexed transcription.  Sometimes there is a little camera indicating there is also an image for that record.  In the case of the Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952, there is no little camera.  However, I had already copied the indexed information from the records I was looking for, into my Legacy database.  

It’s in that indexed information that you will find the Microfilm number and other information you need in order to complete this form.  

Here is what I have from the index for my grand aunt, Ellen Pickard.  I have indicated in RED the items that I need from this text to fill out the request form.
NOTE:  The numbers I am using (ie. GS, Digital Folder etc.) may not be the same ones you have on whatever record you are trying to request.  I would just fill in whatever you can.

Michigan, Death Certificates, 1921-1952

Name: Ellen Pickard
Event Type:Death
Event Date: 31 Mar 1927
Event Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 39
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 01 Apr 1887
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
Birth Year (Estimated): 1888
Father's Name: Wm Lindsay
Mother's Name:    
GS Film number: 001972982
Digital Folder Number: 005362579
Image Number: 02341

Here is a copy of the completed form, highlighting certain areas.  I’ve left my personal information out, but, please remember to fill it in when you submit your form.



TIP: I didn’t see an item number or call number in the indexed text, so I submitted the Digital Folder No. instead.  In the space where they ask for Title of record or book and name of parents.  I learned, after my first couple of submissions, that you can put more in that box than just what fits in the space.  I wanted you to see what I submitted so I made a box below the entry area for demonstration purposes.  I didn’t have a page or item number so in that box, I submitted the image number. 

Now, just click on submit request and you’re done. 
  
They say it can take 4-6 weeks.  I’ll be waiting………………

HOW DID I KEEP TRACK OF THE RECORDS I REQUESTED?

In my Legacy 8 database for each individual I made a note of the date & what I had done.  To learn more about Legacy 8, please click on the Legacy icon on the top right of this blog page.

Here is a screenshot of Ellen Lindsay’s Individual Information.



I will click on the plus sign (+) for death notes.  You can see that I copied and pasted the index information from Family Search for the Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952 for Ellen Pickard.  And, you can see my note about submitting the photo duplication request.



NOW I WILL MAKE A NOTE IN EVERNOTE FOR ALL THE REQUESTS I SUBMITTED.

This will allow me to keep track of every request I submit and I can even set a reminder in Evernote to tell me when I might start expecting to see the records in my email.  I can also find this note easily (in case I forget where I’ve filed it) because Evernote has such incredible search capabilities. For more information about the use of Evernote for your genealogy research please see my post Evernote - A Very Useful and Free Tool to Help You Organize Your Genealogy and Everything Else



Now the waiting begins.  I will let you know when I receive the records.  Will they send me all 5 of them?  Did I give them all the correct information?

READ THIS POST TO FIND OUT THE ANSWERS
FOLLOW UP TO PHOTO DUPLICATION REQUESTS

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION