skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

Genealogy Assistance

11 years ago

I need to find out if a certain person was born in Minnesota. I see Ancestry has a Minnesota Birth Index 1935-2002. Can a subscriber here help me?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

mtnester
11 years ago
Hi, I'd be glad to try to help you. Other databases, such as the SSDI (Social Security Death Index) may also be useful.

You can try emailing me through GardenWeb, and give me the full name, dates of birth and death, and names of parents, if known. The more specific the details, the better.

Sue
mtnester
11 years ago
p.s.Just checked "My Page," and I noticed that my GardenWeb email address has not been updated since I changed to Gmail. The first part of my addy is the same, but substitute "gmail" for "aol." If that doesn't work, please let me know in this thread, and I'll post the full email address.

Sue
Related Discussions
Genealogy question- if you were just starting your search ....?
Q
Comments (11)
There are many different genealogy software programs, but Family Tree Maker is by far the most widely used. I've been using it forever and I love it. If you get it, and then ever decide that you want to use a different program, or send your info to a relative who uses a different software, all you'd have to do is export your database in GEDCOM (an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication) format. There are very easy steps to follow to do this -- basically it's about three or four mouse clicks! One "word of caution" about Family Tree Maker -- they come out with an "upgraded" version virtually every year. You do NOT need to buy every upgrade. Just pay attention to what they say is "new and improved" in the newer version and only buy the upgrades that you think are worth it. Ancestry.com does offer each new version at a nice discount to folks who already own it and/or folks who subscribe to Ancestry.com. You can create "scrapbooks" within Family Tree Maker -- by adding photos. You can print out family history books that contain stories that you enter into the software. You can print out descendant trees, ancestor trees, pedigrees, etc. You can save them into .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) format so that you can send them to relatives who don't have the software, so they can at least see what you've got. And, you can upload a GEDCOM of your Family Tree Maker database to Ancestry.com, to have the tree online. You can keep it totally private, so no one but you or your invited guests can see it; or you can make it public, so anyone can see it. Even when it's public, no one can see any info on folks who are, or may be, still living. They'd see "Living Smith" instead of "John Smith," etc. When you have your tree online, Ancestry is always searching in the background, to find possible matches - to historical records as well as other folk's online trees. You'd be surprised at how many genealogical sites are now part of Ancestry.com. Genealogy.com used to be a totally separate entity - and they owned Family Tree Maker, too. Now, they're both part of Ancestry.com. RootsWeb is also part of Ancestry.com. And I'm fairly certain that Ancestry.com is now owned by the LDS.
...See More
Anyone have experience with Allstate Roadside Assistance?
Q
Comments (10)
I have AAA for myself and wife. I keep it because my wife is out at night with her car many times in winter. (In her retirement, she has joined sevaral social "things" like learning in retirement, and two genealogy societies. Well, guess what, last winter for trhe first time in my life I called AAA for help. I ruined a tire on a snow covered road and the temperatrue was 10 F. I struck a snow covered object. I think it was a cast iron drain grate that had been dislodged by a snow plow. Instead of struggling with it myself and I was recovering from a severe cold with possible cardiovascular complications, I decided I'd give AAA a try. The tow truck arrived within 40 minutes. The operator cold not budge the lug nuts with normal force. I signed a release saying I would not hold AAA liable if he broke a stud by applying abnormal force. No go. The nut woudl not budge. Just two weeks before, the "Firestone shop had mounted a new set of tires and over tightened the lug nuts. The AAA operator winched my Jeep onto the back of the truck and we took it to the offending Firestone shop and dropped it there. I called my wife and she picked me up. I was geting cold before she arrived with the wind blowing. All this service came at no charge to me. I feel that I got money's worth that night. However to be fair, there has been several years that I've had AAA and never used it. But it sure was a life saver on that cold winter night.
...See More
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
Q
Comments (13)
It's not hard (usually) to find a volunteer willing to take photos of gravestones at cemeteries surprisingly, though I don't do that myself. That seems to be the most popular volunteer activity. Having done extensive genealogy workups on a couple of Wikipedia subjects whose published backgrounds just didn't sound credible, I decided to volunteer in the areas I would have personally found very useful during that time. The local sources---which I've offered at Random Acts of Kindness---are old phonebooks going back to 1940, city directories from 1880 to 1944, probates, divorces, etc. (on microfilm) from the County Courthouse going back to maybe 1910, and San Francisco Bay Area newspapers going back to the 1880ties for obituaries. Fortunately for these activities, I live in the city of the county seat, so between our public library, the courthouse, the nearby LDS/Mormon Family History Center, and the commercial on-line genealogy sites such as ancestry.com & newspaper archives.com available to me, I can do---& do do---a fair bit of "ancestor sleuthing". Not everyone would be in that position. So if you sign up as a volunteer, consider all the areas of assistance that might geographically be available to you. It can be a more interesting, not to mention challenging, project.
...See More
Genealogy people, pls. help me read this gravestone
Q
Comments (106)
This has all been interesting. One thing to note is that when a woman married she was considered a "bride" during the first year of marriage. Sophie could have died during that time and been designated as such on the headstone. The designation would have indicated that yes, they were legally married but they did not share a long life together where they were known in the community as a 'couple' and they were probably childless. This archaic designation is sometimes still used today with introductions, such as "This is my cousin Jake and his new bride Mary" or "My brother has returned from his honeymoon with his new bride". Knowing local history can sometimes yield clues. Often times there was a sweeping pestilence that wiped out huge numbers suddenly and headstone markers where put up fast or further engraved years afterwards when some of the defining information had been lost or was unknown. One of the most interesting bits of history I learned was the time period designated Year Without A Summer. Large numbers of people died in the Northeast. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer Here is a link that might be useful: Year Without A Summer
...See More
Nita__AZ
11 years ago
When someone goes to your page and sends you a message they have no idea what your address is until you reply to their message.

mtnester, why don't you send her a message since she has email through her page.

Hope this helps you gals get together.
mtnester
11 years ago
Nita, thanks for the suggestion. I had a feeling that, although I could see the entire email address (the wrong one), nobody else could.

OK, then, I'll contact kfca37 through her page.

Sue
Lindsey_CA
11 years ago
The Minnesota Historical Society has a free search for birth certificates from 1900-1934, and for death certificates from 1908-2001.

If you find one that you want/need, you can order it right then and there. For the birth certificates, you enter your payment information (it's a very secure web site) and you will immediately be able to download an electronic copy. For the death certificates, you enter the information online and then a few weeks later you receive a hard copy via snail mail.

Here is a link that might be useful: Minnesota Historical Society Birth Certificate Index
monica_pa Grieves
11 years ago
I tried to contact the OP yesterday. Email did not bounce, but there has been no answer from her.
Lindsey_CA
11 years ago
One or two comments about an earlier comment: "Other databases, such as the SSDI (Social Security Death Index) may also be useful."

Generally speaking, someone can be found in the Social Security Death Index only if a claim was made for the SS Death Benefit, or if survivor's benefits are paid out. Just because someone isn't listed doesn't mean they aren't deceased, or that they didn't have an SSN.

Also, the SSDI shows the state where the SSN was issued to the decedent, but that doesn't always coincide with the location of birth. These days, of course, even a newborn baby has to have an SSN so that the baby can be claimed as a dependent on tax forms. But for a long time, folks didn't get an SSN until they were ready to get a job; and they could have been living in a state other than where they were born.

I've assisted kfca37 with genealogy research before. She lives near a large LDS Family History Center and may have gone there for her research.
mtnester
11 years ago
Lindsey, thanks for the link to the MN Death Index. I browsed and found details on some distant relatives there. With regard to the SSDI, I meant that it might supply a birth or death date, if the OP knew only an approximate date. I agree with your other points.

I'm glad the OP has so many different options for finding the info she needs. I hope she'll post an update on her progress.

Sue
mtnester
11 years ago
Oops! I meant MN Birth Certificate Index.
monica_pa Grieves
11 years ago
Back before the Internet, with state and Ancestry resources, I remember driving about an hour to the neatest LDS FHM, ordering microfiche when info was from a nearby state, and waiting a week or more for it's delivery before I had to drive down again to read through it.
Ancestry was a Godsend...I joined it immediately, and have saved a lot of time and gas.

I assume that the LDS centers now have internet access.

Related Stories

ORGANIZING Help for Whittling Down the Photo Pile

By Jennifer Phelps: Organize. Design. Reinvent!

Consider these 6 points your personal pare-down assistant, making organizing your photo collection easier

DECORATING GUIDES Edit Keepsakes With Confidence — What to Let Go and What to Keep

By Laura Gaskill

If mementos are weighing you down more than bringing you joy, here's how to lighten your load with no regrets

LIFE How to Handle Inherited Things You Don’t Really Want

By Jennifer Ott Design

Whether you’ve inherited a large collection of items or a single bulky piece of furniture, it’s OK to let it go if you don’t need or want it

MOST POPULAR Blast Decluttering Roadblocks Once and for All

By Laura Gaskill

Change your thinking to get the streamlined, organized home of your dreams

LIFE Edit Your Photo Collection and Display It Best — a Designer's Advice

By Apartment 46 for the Home

Learn why formal shots may make better album fodder, unexpected display spaces are sometimes spot-on and much more

ARCHITECTURE What the Heck Is 'Good' Design Anyway?

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

We yearn for it and strive for it, but good home design isn't always easy to grasp. These 8 prescriptions from an architect can help

LIFE Simple Pleasures: Cultivate Everyday Joie de Vivre

By Laura Gaskill

You can’t be on holiday all the time, of course, but you can enjoy that same carefree feeling right at home, right now

DECLUTTERING 9 Exit Strategies for Your Clutter

By Alison Hodgson

How to efficiently — and regularly — rid your home of the things you don’t want

LIFE 10 Steps for Saying Goodbye to Sentimental Objects

By Laura Gaskill

Are keepsakes cluttering your space and your life? Consider this approach for letting go and moving on

Sponsored

More Discussions

Can we start a Chain Reaction Game - Part 4

87

I don’t usually ask, but

9

Hot hot peppers........

8

Little bitty avocados

14

what is Cloudflare? I can't get into the KTGP

1