When you are unable to find a birth, marriage or death record, you may find substitute information in the following records. Click on the blue links for more information.
Birth Information Substitutes[edit | edit source]
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- DEATH RECORDS almost always include birth information (either a date and place or an age)
- SOCIAL SECURITY death index and the social security application will list a birth date and the place where the person applied for their first card.
- CENSUS RECORDS will list an age (and maybe a date) as well as a state of birth
- CEMETERY RECORDS may list both birth date and place where headstones usually list either birth date, birth year, or age
- CHURCH RECORDS oftentimes have birth dates and places or baptism dates and places
- MILITARY RECORDS such as draft cards, service records, and pensions records may include birth information
- BIBLE RECORDS usually include exact dates of birth and may include birth places
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Marriage Information Substitutes[edit | edit source]
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- NEWSPAPERS ANNOUNCEMENTS such as wedding announcements or golden anniversaries will include marriage information
- CHURCH RECORDS will list maiden name of spouse as well as date and place of marriage
- OBITUARIES may include the name of a surviving spouse and later obituaries may also include date and place of marriage
- MILITARY RECORDS especially pensions for widows may include name of spouse as well as date and place of marriage
- DEATH RECORDS may include the name of spouse and whether married, widowed, or divorced
- CENSUS RECORDS after 1850 may list the first names of spouse and censuses in the twentieth century include information such as number of years married
- BIBLE RECORDS may include dates of marriage as well as the maiden name of spouses
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Death Information Substitutes[edit | edit source]
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- SOCIAL SECURITY death index will include a date of death as well as the last place the decedent received benefits
- CEMETERY RECORDS will list death date and place and a headstone will list a death date
- OBITUARIES include date and place of death
- FUNERAL HOME RECORDS will include the date and place of death
- CHURCH RECORDS may list a date and place of death or a date and place of burial
- MILITARY RECORDS such as pensions may include the date and place an veteran or his widow died
- PROBATE RECORDS which show the settlement of a decedent’s property will indicate a date of death as well as a final residence
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