Talking to Paper (in this generation)
Updated: Nov 16, 2020
So BS or health inhibitors can be valid reasons why you don’t trust living sources… There is always “Talking to paper” is my way of saying use vital statistics from the externally sourced documentation.
Great ideas for living data verification include:
Divorce decrees (local archives have up to date ones as soon as they clear)
Birth certificates (your own long versions)
Newspaper clippings
Adoption papers
Legal land titles (local registry-FOIP/location pending)
Phone book
Dare I say social media… LinkedIn, Facebook etc.
Your local religious leader your family members affiliated with
Other people at arm’s length
Clubs or organizations that knew said person
Business ownership notices or history
Obits of other family members
Open/closed court documents (family settlements or child payment arrangements where you are the benefiting party or custodial agreement)
On line sources like Facebook, and Linkedin etc.
Aiming for multiple data verification records per person validates the accuracy and future problem prevention.
Religious leaders may know the last 2 generations even if you don’t.
Ever look at the history of a local family run business? It tells the father and son's name or more.
When creating a family tree, persons not being dead yet are traditionally kept private due to ID fraud potential and because you may not have permission to share the data of the living for up to 50 years after their death pending on the country. The score for freedom of information and privacy acts-protecting you and your immediate family.