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Other places to look for clues for a woman’s surname are:
The Husband’s Records – Remember, in order to marry, the couple
first had to meet and court. Check for records in every area the husband is
known to have lived. If unsuccessful, you may need to investigate in neighboring
cities and counties. (Who said this would be easy?) It’s often said,
a county line is just a line on a map. Nothing kept a couple from traveling
to the closest community, even in the next county, to conduct business.
Naturalizations - Most women became U.S. citizens in their own right for the
first time in 1921. Declarations of intent to become a citizen became more
common for women and include biographical detail including the date and place
of birth.
Land Records - Land records often show the passing of land from one generation
to the next. If a deed mentions the woman’s husband buying land for a
dollar (or similar amount), the sellers may be her parents. If the woman, alone
or with a husband, is selling a parcel of land, the deed may mention that it
is an inheritance from a parent. She and her husband may be a party to a deed
where she and her siblings are listed “et al” as inheritors of
land. Or, in subsequent generations, her children may have to prove that land
passed to them without benefit of deed and consequently may list generations
of family to prove their right to the land.
City Directories - It may be possible to locate other members of the woman’s
family living nearby.
Local Newspapers - often contain family news. The smaller the community and
its newspaper, the more likely the family made the news. The paper may mention
trips to visit family, a wedding, births, a party, even a death and an obituary.
Don’t overlook the obituary of someone you think may be related to her
- that obit may contain more information and mention her by name. Articles
about “old-timers” in the community are not uncommon.
Common Names - look for surnames being used as middle names for her children.
Or she may have chosen a parent’s unusual given name for a child.
Children’s Death Records - may list the mother’s maiden name. Birth
and death records after 1910 for Missouri are available from the Bureau of
Vital Records in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Cemetery Records - A tombstone may list a woman with her maiden name or may
include her maiden name as a middle name or initial. Nearby plots may contain
her family members. Some cemeteries maintain records on the buyer of a plot
as well as other information about the family members buried there.
Funeral Home Records - Funeral homes often provided obituary information and
many of those records remain, especially for the 20th century.
Probate Records - may list bequests to the woman’s siblings or their descendents. And be sure to check the probates of others you think may be related.
Books which speak to this subject include:
“A Genealogist’s Guide to Discovering Your Female Ancestors: Special Strategies
for Uncovering Hard-to-Find Information About Your Female Lineages” by
Sharon Debartolo Carmack ©1998 (out-of-print, available used on Amazon.com)
“The Hidden Half of the Family: A Sourcebook for Women’s Genealogy” by
Christina K. Schaefer ©1999. Includes a state-by-state listing of the
resources you might consult.
Source material for this article came from:
Kimberly Powell’s articles at genealogy.about.com/od/surnames/tp/maiden_names.htm
Finding Female Ancestors by Donna Przecha at www.genealogy.com/genealogy
Anisah Haynes’ article at www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/6354/
To submit a question to Dear Genie, please email it to tommyingram@grandecom.net or place it in the submission box at the monthly AGS meeting. Please be as specific as possible about the geographical area, time period and problem you are having. Although not able to do your genealogical research, Genie will try to provide some new and interesting resources and directions for your research.
This page updated Wednesday, 18th July, 2007 @ 08:05pm
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