Guide to Obtaining U.S. Vital Records

Vital records are one of the best sources for family tree information.  These records are issued by state and local governments when a major life events happens (birth, marriage, death, etc.).  In addition to describing the event, these records typically reveal other information too - like who the person's parents or next of kin, when and where they were born, etc.   All these little pieces of information will help you piece together the larger picture ... that is, your family tree.

Due to privacy reasons, however, these records generally aren't readily available to the public.  Your best source of vital records is to ask members in your own family for copies.  I've been working the last couple of years to borrow every vital record (and photograph) I can get my hands on so I can scan them into my computer.  Of course, I always take good care of the originals and give them back to the owner.

I've often been asked why I want the original, and not a copy. The simple answer is that originals scan better (especially if there is color ink on them).  Scan a copy produces a another degraded copy, whereas, scanning the original results in the best copy possible.  The other advantage is that after scanning the original in, I can print good (and often color) copies for my notebook and then put the original document into a fireproof box for safe-keeping. 

Once you've obtained all the vital records you can from family members, you'll have to get the rest from county offices.  That is, you'll have to make a formal request (by application) for a certified copy of the vital record you want from the office that issued it. And there is usually a fee involved (typically $12-25 per record).   For this reason, most people don't order copies of a lot of vital records.  Doesn't take long before the fees start adding up.

You will be able to find some vital records on the internet. I've found several death certificates on FamilySearch.org for free. I consider those finds little treasures in my family tree chest.   Some states also offer some records online for free.

For more information on how to obtain vital records in the U.S., click here.

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Welcome Bloggers!

Like many of you, I have a passion for genealogical research. My interest in the subject grew over many years.  While I love history and have always been interested in the colorful characters in my family .... it wasn't until I fell into the family historian role that my interest really started growing. 

The last couple of years I have watched my grandparents deteriorate and know time with them is short.  My grandma (despite being 87) has a mind like a steel trap and remembers every little detail about our family history.  In all the years I've listened to the stories, the facts have never deviated once.  She can tell you the exact time, day and date that something happened.   It truly does amaze me - especially, since I can't tell you what I did last week!

I know that once my grandma is gone, every fact and story she knows will be gone too - unless I capture it first.  So I have been working feverishly to capture every detail, fact and story I can about our family before she goes. I've also been working to scan every photograph, slide, and negative our family has into my computer so that I can add them to stories and share them with other family members.   Of course, part of capturing my grandma's knowledge is having her help me identify people in the photos.

Though time consuming, the whole experience has been a joyful one for both of us. I'm constantly entertained by exciting stories of the colorful characters in my own family and my grandma gets to share those precious memories with somebody who is interested.

My interest in genealogical research has also been helped by several clients who are researching their own families.  I fix computers by trade, and from time to time, I get called out to help my clients with software problems they're having (which often involves genealogy software).   One day, one of my clients called me over "to help with his computer"  and when I arrived, I discovered he wanted help with his genealogical research.  He actually paid me to do his research for him!   That was it!  I was eternally hooked on genealogical research from that moment on!

As a result of doing research for that one client, I have learned a lot about using sites like FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com as well as how to search the internet at large for specific information. My goal is to share what I've learned here in hopes of helping others research their family history.

If you love history and enjoy hearing stories, searching your family history is a worthwhile goal.  In addition to hours of entertainment, searching your family history can also be helpful in understanding your family's medical history.  So what are you waiting for?  Why not start today!

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