I have two examples. Recently sent to Florida for a death certificate on a gentleman that died in 1998. You would think that recent it would have good information. The man had been married three times. The death certificate had no parents information whatsoever. Remember too that if there was no parents information on the death certificate an obit is probably not going to have anything either because usually the undertaker fills out both.

Another example that helped me solve a mystery. I had a George Althouse that died in 1942. He was born in Quarryville in 1864 according to his obit. I was not able to find him on the census with his parents so I sent for a death certificate. The death certificate said his father was Brinton Althouse. I found his parents marriage in 1839 so went back to the census. His parents were in Quarryville area in 1850, 1860 with children. Get to the 1870 census which would be the year George should be listed with his parents and nothing. So I went to the Orphan’s court records and found that Brinton Althouse died in the 1860’s, but no George on the list of children. The 1870 census still did not show Brinton widow or any of the children that I could locate. All I can figure is the children was farmed out to various people. On a later census George was living with his brother, so the information on the death certificate appears to be correct. Why George was not listed with the other children on the orphan’s court record we can only suspect that maybe the widow was pregnant with George or he was just missed. So are the mysteries sometimes of a Family History Sleuth.

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Editor's Note: Shaking Your Family Tree is written by Bobbi McMullen.