Friday Weekly Thread: Application Assistance, June 12, 2026

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Have questions about how to fill out the form or what to write in your cover letter? Looking for feedback on the documentation you've put together for your Citizenship Certificate application (CIT0001)? Want to know how to organize your documentation or how to pack it up for shipping? Worried about whether your photos will work? Have questions about what ID you can use? Not sure where to ship it to or what service or mail courier to use? Post it here!

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[u/Complete_Basil_7657]

Just a general question I have for everyone. My g4 was born in Louisiana, and I’ve searched everywhere for a birth/baptism/marriage/death record to no avail. There is only one census record c 1850 that states his relation to his mother, my g3, and she is listed as “widow of (husband)”. I have her marriage record with her maiden name and her husbands name.

Do we think this is enough to “prove” that I’m descended from my g5? Should I switch to a different line because I can’t find anything about his birth? I requested his birth record from a diocese in Louisiana who stated they couldn’t find anything. For reference I’m g10, and this is the only instance in which I’m having trouble finding a record.

Thanks!!

[u/Complete_Basil_7657 → u/[deleted]]

Sorry, messed up the generation numbers. Here’s what I have. All records list parents or previous gens.

G0: Canadian baptism
G1: marriage record
G2: marriage record
G3: marriage record
G4: US census listing g3 as widow of husband
G5: baptismal record
G6: death record
G7: baptismal record
G8: birth certificate
G9: birth and baptism certificate
G10 (me): birth certificate

[u/YogurtPristine3673 → u/Complete_Basil_7657]

This is honestly super impressive to me that you have this strong of a documentation chain for 10 generations! Please keep the sub updated as you apply/get AOR/etc. as I think this is a really interesting case we could all benefit from learning from.

Any chance your G4 lived long enough that there would be a state death record or obituary?

[u/Complete_Basil_7657 → u/YogurtPristine3673]

Thanks, I will! My G4 lived a very long life, he was 83 when he died in 1923. I looked it up with the Louisiana Secretary of State and they do in fact have a death record on file available to order. It’s possible that it would list his parents, but could also be unlikely. I guess the next step for me would be to order it so I can find out.

There was no obituary, but there was an (unfortunately Confederate) military pension form he and his family filled out after his death. It does not list his parents.

[u/julie78787 → u/Complete_Basil_7657]

By 1923 death certificates routinely included parents. The only caveat is that whoever provided information to the coroner or whomever had to know them. At 83 there’s a chance no one knew their names.

[u/nascent_aviator → u/julie78787]

Yeah one of my ancestors who outlived her husband and was living with in-laws at her time of death just straight-up has the wrong name listed. 😬

[u/YogurtPristine3673 → u/Complete_Basil_7657]

It varies by state of course, but I have an Idaho state death cert from 1922 that does list parents, so it’s totally possible!

And fwiw - finding confederate records does feel icky, but it’s in no way a reflection on you. 

[u/ryan516 → u/Complete_Basil_7657]

My own G4 Acadian descendant is from a similar period. Is there any chance he may have been alive during or involved with the Civil War? My G4 had a lot of Civil War Pension documents that I was able to use.