A Columbian reader asks how to find her grandmother's parents. The grandmother was born in 1879 in Georgia and died in 1912. She is buried in Girard Cemetery, Phenix City, Alabama.

Our reader writes, "That is all the information I have. I have had a query posted on the Georgia Unknown County site for two years and have had no responses from it. I don't know how to check any further."

The standard "rule of thumb" is to begin with what is known and work backwards. In this case, it means to start with the grandmother's death and cemetery.

Grandma died on November 4, 1912, and she is buried in Girard Cemetery in Phenix City, Alabama. It helps to get background information on the location where an event occurred. The U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), online at http://geonames.usgs.gov/gnisform.html tells us that Phenix City is the county seat for Russell County.

"Cemetery Junction," online at http://www.daddezio.com/cemetery/junction/index.html, lists cemeteries, addresses, and known websites for cemeteries. There is a listing for Girard Cemetery, but apparently no one has put the cemetery records online. A letter can be sent to the address, Girard Cemetery, Phenix City, AL 36867, requesting a copy of the burial record. Other family members may be buried in the same plot.

The Russell County, Alabama site on the USGenWeb gives addresses for the Russell County Courthouse and the Russell County Library. Small-town libraries often maintain vertical files of historical and family information. A letter of inquiry to the library is advisable. (USGenWeb is online at http://www.usgenweb.com).

The Family History Library Catalog, online at http://www.familysearch.com, shows that there are Alabama death indexes and death certificates on microfilm. A death certificate should give the names of Grandma's parents. Volunteers at the nearest Family History Center will assist in locating the information needed to order a copy of the index for the year 1912. The index will provide the volume and page for the death certificate, and the microfilm that has the grandmother's death certificate can be ordered.

© 2000–2010

Connie Lenzen, CG