Last night, I located some indexed records on Ancestry.com, so today I went to work on obtaining copies of the actual records. I have basic death record info for two of Grandpa Cook’s uncles and one of his aunts, plus my stepdad Tom, and I’m hoping to get the actual death certificates for all of them. But certified copies of death certificates cost $16.50 each! Now, I *know* I got uncertified copies a few years ago for cheap, just for research purposes, so I e-mailed the Department of Health to see if they still do that. We’ll see what they say.
I also located Grandpa’s Uncle Russ in the WWII Army Enlistment Records index, so I decided to go to the National Archives and Records Administration to get a copy of his military record. I filled out the SF-180 and am planning to stick it in the mail tomorrow, so hopefully something will come of that. I could potentially get shut down because I’m only his great-grandniece, and not next-of-kin.
I’m still researching, even though I should be working out. I’ll let you know what I find.
Update, 9pm: In looking through the notes I’d made in my genealogy program, I discovered that I’d found the marriage date of Thomas COOK and Rachel HILL. So, even though I’m not entirely sure I’m related to them, I’m going to try to work backwards. I’ve requested a lookup in the Clermont County Marriages book at the Clermont County Public Library, and hopefully this will give me some sort of lead to help connect and correlate my Thomases.
Update, 9:40pm: I just found the WWI Draft Registration Card for Thomas Oliver COOK. Not the Thomas I’ve been looking for, but one who I know is definitely related to me. This Thomas was Grandpa Cook’s uncle, who was killed when his car got hit by a train in 1924, a few years before Grandpa was born. This draft card basically just confirmed what I already knew, but also gave a street address of where they were living at the time, and the fact that Thomas was working for Dayton Wright Airplane Company in 1918.
Final Update, 10:15pm: I think that Grandpa was on crack when he said that his grandfather had a brother named Harry and a half-brother named Samuel. Assuming they have the same last name as he does, I haven’t been able to find them in any census anywhere that Grandpa’s grandpa is. The only thing this tells me is that maybe Thomas COOK (Grandpa’s great-grandpa) must have gotten divorced or been widowed. Or, I suppose it could be the other way around, and he could have widowed his wife, and/or Samuel could be hers from another husband. That would still make William Henry and Samuel half-brothers.
At any rate, I hope I catch a break on this soon, because this brick wall is really starting to tick me off.