I need help / suggestions

[stop the bleeding]

I just started to research my family and as you all know from experience that the rabbit hole gets pretty deep really quick.

I was lucky because I ran across some research on a family name of Chenoweth that has me and my immediate family listed in one of the lines. However this list really only touches on my mother's side of the family. My problem(s) are with locating my birth father's family. He is adopted and I never knew him while growing up and he has since passed on in 2003. I went to a site called www.familysearch.org I believe that was listed on this forum by another poster/thread. This site was able to find him and his place of birth which matches what is on my birth certificate. This site also listed his parents just name only no other info like DOB or DOD or current/past living places. I know where my father is buried and have yet to make the trip cause I just found out yesterday that he passed on. I have been trying like crazy to find newspapers online that would have his obituary posted and I have tried to find an obituary for his adopted father, I believe I have tracked someone who matches the description with the correct approx year of birth. Both of these people I have been able to identify where and when they died. However when I scan the major newspaper(s) that serve those areas I can not get any returns for names/variations of the names ran in the archives/obits.

Any suggestions??

Also I am going to call the offices that hold Adoption Records for Idaho when everyone returns from Columbus break. Any suggestions for dealing with obtaining information on adoptive subjects for/by their immediate family?

Lastly there seem to be a number of websites out there that offer ways to link and track family histories. ie: www.ancestory.com, www.familysearch.org these all seem to want money - which is not a problem I just don't want a gazillion different accounts - any suggestions on what would be useful both free and paid subscription.

thank you in advance this is crazy stuff:crazy:

[CBHagman]

1. Just a couple of quick comments.

First of all, I believe Family Tree magazine has dealt with the problem of locating data on adopted children. They have an advice column, which frequently covers topics such as that.

Secondly, with Family Search, it's always an excellent idea to get additional documentation to back up anything written there. There are duplications, mistakes in transcription, and the like.

Thirdly, I agree with you about the annoyingly ubiquitous links to Ancestry.com. What's especially frustrating is that even if you use the service for free at a library, every data collection isn't necessarily available, as I found with immigrant records when I looked at Ancestry.com on the National Archives computers.

Also, if you haven't done so already, try to get your father's death certificate. Privacy laws and speed/efficiency in providing documents vary from state to state, so check out the rules at the vital records office in the state where your father died. You might have to provide proof of relationship (in my case, I had to send a photocopy of my driver's license).

Do check to see whether there is a genealogical society in the area where your father died. Sometimes you can get a volunteer to go to a local library and check back issues of the newspaper for obituaries. You might also connect with local people who could shed light on your situation.

Best of luck! :hi:

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness....

is your very best friend.

Depending on where your father died, you may be able to find a volunteer to go to a local library, archive, or city hall to look up an obit or death record. It depends on the county, and what the volunteers in that area have signed up to do.

http://www.raogk.com/ (Main link)
http://www.raogk.com/listing.htm (Volunteer list)

I use these guys all the time, and I have been working on a book on the history of my Smith family. I could never have gotten the 600 pages I have without these great folks. They are AWESOME.

Good luck!
fsc

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Could you post more info on what you found at familysearch?

Run the search again if need be, but look at the source of the info. If it's from an ancestral file or pedigree resource file, then it was posted by a family researcher, probably Mormon, probably related to his adoptive parents in some way. The 'ancestral files' can be loaded with errors. The 'pedigree resource files' can too, but they were submitted more recently and tend to be a bit better. There is a small fee for receiving the full file on CD but if it's the best lead that you have, it may be worth it.

If it's only in the Social Security Death Index, then you should order a copy of your father's original application for his SSN (use this search engine -- it has an automatic request form generator-- http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/ ). That will allow you to confirm both his parent's names and may provide you with other valuable hints. Same for his adoptive father if he's in the SSDI.

I would advise against signing up for ancestry yet -- you don't know enough to make it worth the money.

Use these free bbs to see if anyone else is looking for the same people:
http://boards.ancestry.com/

http://genforum.genealogy.com/