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According to Pennsylvania's Vital Statistics Law of 1953 (P.L. 304, No. 66), birth and death records become public records 105 years after the birth date or 50 years after the death date. Pennsylvania State Archives holds birth records dated from 1906. Therefore, as of 2020, copies of birth records of people born in Pennsylvania can be obtained for the following: - Individuals born between 1906 and 1915, or - Individuals who died between 1906 and 1970. How to order birth records IN PERSON: In Pennsylvania you can order copies of birth records in person by visiting a Division of Vital Records office in Erie, Harrisburg, New Castle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, or Scranton. You can download and fill out the form (see below) beforehand or acquire one at their office. BY MAIL: Uncertified copies of birth certificates issued from 1906 to 1911 are available at the State Archives. The cost is currently $5.00 per certificate. Use their Vital Records Request Form to order. Certified copies of birth records are available from Dept. of Vital Statistics. Submit your request by mail following the simple steps below. Download the Application for Certified Copy of Birth Record if you know the exact year the individual was born, or download the Application for Multi-year Search of Birth Record if you do not know the year but can narrow it down to a 10-year time frame. Search the Pennsylvania birth indices to obtain the state file number to be specified on the application as instructed. Fill out the form giving as much information as you know. If you do not know the exact town or city the individual was born in, you must at least provide the name of the county they were born in. Sign the form at the top of the application. Include a copy of your valid government-issued ID. Expired ID is not accepted. The ID must match/confirm your address. Copies of photo IDs will be shredded upon examination. If you don't have acceptable ID, click here for alternative ordering methods. Address an envelope to: Division of Vital Records 101 S. Mercer St. PO Box 1525 New Castle, PA 16103 The current fee if you know the exact year of birth is $20. If you require the multi-year search, the fee is $45 for a search of 2-10 years. Enclose a check or money order payable to: "Vital Records". This fee may be waived for past or present military personnel or their dependents. (Prices are subject to change). Enclose the completed, signed application, the copy of your ID, and the check or money order into the envelope and mail. Important information: Requests can take 15-20 days to process, under normal circumstances. If you are ordering copies, you must be 18 years of age or older and an immediate family member of the person in order for your request to be processed. The individual whose birth certificate you are ordering must be your child, parent, spouse, sibling, grandchild, grandparent, great-grandparent (specifying "maternal" or "paternal" on the application) - or you must be Power of Attorney for the person named on the certificate. Note: You may only submit one spelling in the "Name at Birth" field on the application, so be sure to use the name and spelling most likely to have been used, most likely the spelling found in the birth indices. If there are other spelling variations, you may note it in the space marked "Other", however, the search will be for the spelling you specified. Other names given will be used to help positively identify any matches found. If the name is a common one, it may not be possible to produce the correct birth record. If enough information isn't provided, your request may be unable to be processed. *This information is up-to-date as of February, 2020, however, Pennsylvania's policies and pricing are subject to change. Visit the State's web site for details. For information about finding death records in Pennsylvania, click here. Click here for more Pennsylvania genealogy resources! Click here for 20,000+ free genealogy resources! Share this find with your friends and family! #pennsylvania #tips #genealogy #vitalrecords #birthcertificate #research #Pennsylvania #resources #genealogy

One of the most informative records you can find, pertaining to your ancestors are their marriage records. Unfortunately for us researchers, the United States government didn't require marriages to be recorded in any official capacity until 1885. On the bright side, you may be able to find church records proving the marriage, but those often didn't provide much personal information. Tip: Check out my Pennsylvania Resources page to find places where you can find marriage records and other Pennsylvania genealogical records, maps and more! For marriage and divorce records reported after 1885, they must be obtained from the courthouse in the county in which the marriage license was issued or decree of divorce was granted. The Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records office does not hold copies of marriage and divorce records. Tip: If you're not sure which county a town is located in, try my County Search Tool. Click here to find free Pennsylvania genealogy resources. Click here to find more free genealogy resources. #pennsylvania #tips #marriagerecords #divorcerecords #genealogy #research #vitalrecords #myblog #Pennsylvania

One of the great joys while doing genealogy is finding a book with vast amounts of family history. This one published by Eleanora Reese in 1903 contains extensive history of the Reese family in Wales and America. Read this book free at archive.org here: Genealogy of the Reese Family in Wales and America: From Their Arrival in America to the present time, by Mary Eleanora Reese, Published 1903: The author supplied an illustration showing the Reese coat of arms (in black and white) with a description of the colors used. I have recreated the image here, according to her specifications, to the best of my knowledge. Other recommended books about Welsh history: 43 old books on CD #reese #wales #coatofarms #historicalbooks #photos #resources

In researching the ancestors of my 4th great grandmother, Sophronia Burrill, I found that there were primarily two Burrill families in New England during Colonial times - the descendants of George Burrill of Lynn and the descendants of John Burrill of Weymouth. The information provided in two old books that I found give the genealogies of these two families is provided here for anyone researching the family. You can view, download, or print the 10-page document here: Subscribe to my blog for updates on my research and more - it's free! If you have information to contribute, please contact me or comment below! Click here to learn more about this branch of my family. Click here for thousands of free genealogy resources. #sophroniaburrill #burrill #leonard #johnburrill #joshuaburrill

Wales has a long and complex history of which countless volumes surely have been written. A brief summary is all I can offer here at this time. The country consisted of several independent kingdoms until the Conquest of Wales, which was completed in 1282. Deheubarth was the largest kingdom of Wales, and for centuries it was ruled by the Rhys (Reese) and Gruffydd (Griffith) monarchy. The illustration above is a portrayal of Rhys ap Gruffydd (1155–1197). Rulers of Deheubarth: For more information, see the Wikipedia page from which much of this information and the map was contributed. A complete list of rulers including those of Ceredigion, Dyfed, Seisyllwg, Gwynedd, Aberffraw, Snowdon, Morgannwg (Glywsing and Gwent), and Powys is available there. Claddagh rings, shown at right, are a Celtic Irish symbol. The hands symbolize friendship, the heart symbolizes love, and the crown symbolizes loyalty. #griffith #reese #wales #welsh #unitedkingdom #rhys #unitedkingdom

Some of my ancestors came from Wales and settled in Pennsylvania sometime probably in the 1700s. What made them leave their homes in Wales? What was in Pennsylvania for them? Answers to these questions and more can be found online in books like "Welsh Settlement of Pennsylvania" by Charles H. Browning, 1912, which includes illustrations like this one: Pages 18-19 are previewed here. Click here to read the book online for free. See the Reese family for more on the Welsh in Pennsylvania. #quaker #welsh #wales #pennsylvania #reese #griffith #myblog #foreign #Pennsylvania

While researching my family's history, I found that almost all of my ancestors came from England or Wales. Naturally, this prompted a growing interest in the United Kingdom. Knowing the geography and history of our ancestral homes is an important part of genealogy. For some reason I always pictured England being a much larger country than it is. Perhaps my misconception was due to the sheer number of English people in America, or maybe because of the grandeur of the country itself, but it wasn't until I broke down the numbers that I realized that Oregon actually covers more area than the United Kingdom does! How big is the United Kingdom compared to America? Check out these resources for learning more about U.K. history and genealogy: United Kingdom ~ Wales ~ Scotland ~ Ireland ~ More #tips #england #size #myblog #unitedkingdom #uk #area #foreign

Gen. Erich Ludendorff announces that Hitler had restored freedom to Ludendorff's neo-pagan movement, angering Hitler. Syracuse Journal 4-6-1937 Syracuse, New York #socialistagenda #neopagan #erichludendorff #adolfhitler #German #Germany #1937 #notablenews #foreign

This photo from Dryer Family Photos is labeled with the names of Lewis Leonard and his wife, Cora Sherman. They were my paternal 2nd great-grandparents and this photo is a treasure. Two of their four known children are in this photo. Their son, James H. Leonard, who was their second born child, born in 1890, and Ethel M. Leonard, their third-born child, born 1892. (She later married William Bross). Their 4th child, Albert Jay Leonard, wasn't born until 1895. Therefore, this family portrait appears to have been taken around 1894. The question is, why wasn't their first-born child, Elma, in the photo? Elma was born in 1887, so she would have only been seven years old at the time. See also, the portrait taken years later of James, Ethel & Elma. For more information about Lewis Leonard see the Leonard page. #leonard #lewisleonard #jamesleonard #corasherman #ethelleonard #ethelbross #albertleonard #albertjayleonard

This photo is said to be three of the children born to Lewis Leonard and his wife, Cora (Sherman) Leonard. They are James H. Leonard, Ethel (Leonard) Bross, and Elma (Leonard) Osborne. Where was Albert when this photo was taken? If anyone knows, please comment below! (Photo from Dryer Family Photos) See also their family portrait from 1894. For more information, see the Leonard page. #leonard #jamesleonard #ethelbross #elmaleonard #elmaosborne

Schlicher's Bridge, also known as the Game Preserve Road Bridge, is one of several covered bridges which weave around Jordan Creek giving the locals access to neighboring communities. Located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, (North Whitehall Township), it was built in 1882, and was in operation for 128 years before it was closed in 2010 after it was found to be sagging. It remained unused until 2014 when it was reconstructed at a cost of $1.8 million dollars. The new bridge is longer, wider, and stronger than the original single-span wood-truss bridge, but remains covered. Like all covered bridges in Pennsylvania, Schlicher's Covered Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. This one is located at the scenic Trexler Nature Preserve and Lehigh Valley Zoo. These photos were taken in July of 2013, before the renovations were started. Check back for an updated video featuring the new bridge! See more interesting places on the Places page. #coveredbridge #pennsylvania #places #myblog

Wehr's Covered Bridge, located South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, is one of several historic wooden covered bridges in Lehigh Valley, allowing travelers to easily cross Jordan Creek. This three span Burr Truss bridge was built in 1841 and features a gable roof. Like all Pennsylvania's covered bridges, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To see more interesting places, see the Places page. #pennsylvania #coveredbridge #places #southwhitehall #framedart

Built in 1858, Rex's Covered Bridge is one of several that criss-cross Jordan Creek in Orefield (North Whitehall Twp), Pennsylvania. See more interesting places on the Places page. #coveredbridge #pennsylvania #places #framedart

Bauer Rock and the view from it's peak. The first half of the video was taken in Winter and the second half was taken in Spring, 2013. Allentown (Salisbury, Pennsylvania). How did these massive boulders end up on top of a mountain in a big huge pile? To see more interesting places, see the Places page. Professional prints of selected photos shown in this video are available, framed or unframed. Take a look! #places #pennsylvania #natural #myblog

Twin Lights at Navesink on the New Jersey shore. This land was occupied by the Lenape tribe until 1651 when a Dutch man, Cornelius Van Werckhover, purchased the "Nevesings" tract, but in 1664 the Dutch surrendered the territory to the British. To see more interesting places, see the Places page. #lighthouse #navesink #newjersey #places #sandyhook #dutchsettlement #middletown #monmouthcounty #video

North Whitehall Township is a suburb of Allentown, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Immigrants from the German Palatinate settled the region in the early 1700s. Covered bridges, barns, farms and grist mills dot the landscape. See other featured places on the Places page. Prints of this beautiful countryside are available, framed or unframed: #places #pennsylvania #northwhitehall #framedart #whitehall

This home video was recorded by the Dickinson family in the 1940s. Thanks to cousin, Marge Quick for sharing these old videos. After buying three vintage projectors and not being able to play them, we finally took them to a professional camera shop to be transferred to digital video. Can you identify anyone in it? For more on the Dickinson family, see the Dickinson page. #dickinson #myblog #williamhenrydickinson #video

Rev. William Henry Dickinson and his family recorded this footage at a church function with the Walnut Valley UMC in Blairstown, New Jersey, sometime around 1940. See more about the Dickinson family on the Dickinson page. #newjersey #places #dickinson #myblog #video #walnutvalley #church

Video from the 1930's filmed by the Dickinson family. The first segment has scenes along the Delaware River in Burlington, New Jersey. Next is Ausable Chasm, New York, followed by Fort Ticonderoga, New York. See more about the Dickinson family on the Dickinson page. HISTORY OF FORT TICONDEROGA Construction After their stalemate with the British at The Battle of Lake George the fort was ordered to be built by the governor of the French Province of Canada, Marquis de Vaudreuil. The Governor sent his cousin Michel Chartier de Lotbiniere to draw up the plans and carry out construction for the new fort. The fort was originally to be named Fort Carillon the name originating from a former French officer named Philippe de Carrion du Fresnoy, who established a trading post there in the late 17th century. Construction began in 1756 and continued on for the next 2 years. By 1758, the fort was mostly complete. The only work left to complete was the dressing of the outer walls with stone. Importance in the French and Indian Wars During the French and Indian War the French captured Fort William Henry, the attack itself originating from Fort Carillon. The French continued to be victorious in 1757 which prompted the British to plan a large-scale attack against the Fort in hopes of using the fort as a launching pad to delve deep into French Canada. The attack taking place on July 8, 1758, the British being led by General James Abercrombie while French were being led by General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm and the chevalier de Levis. General Abercrombie led his army of 18,000 militia, rangers, and natives into a frontal assault of the fort only to be met by General Montcalm accompanied with mere 3,600 men. General Abercrombie whether out of inexperience or incompetence decided to attack the entrenched French position without using any artillery which was undoubtedly his downfall. This was the only major battle ever fought near the fort’s location before being abandoned the following year by the French only to be taken over by the British and renamed it as we know today, Fort Ticonderoga due to the location of the fort. Importance in the Early Revolutionary War With Fort Ticonderoga in despair it still held an important role for the British during the Early Revolutionary War as a supply and communication link between Canada and New York. Though during the spring of 1775 (less than one month after the revolution was ignited) the fort’s inhabitants were surprised by a small force of Green Mountain Boys and some local militia men totaling 48 men altogether led by Ethan Allen and later infamous Benedict Arnold and together they overthrew and forced the British to surrender the fort to them. With the capture of the fort also came a large supply of cannons and other armaments which became instrumental in ending the Siege of Boston in 1776. The capture of the fort made communications between British Canadian and American commands much more difficult. Arnold remained in command of the fort until 1,000 Connecticut troops under the command of Benjamin Hinman arrived in the early summer of 1775, though Arnold was never notified of the change in command. Recaptured During the summer of 1777 a British General named Burgoyne led 7,800 British and Hessian mercenaries south from Quebec to occupy the nearby Fort Crown Point without opposition he prepared to besiege Ticonderoga. Realizing his tactical advantage from the nearby Mount Defiance where he was able to set up cannons fixed on the fort. Without a single shot being fired the fort was ordered surrendered by General St. Clair on July 5, 1777. The British forces occupied the fort the very next day. One Final Siege After the capture of the fort by the British, the fort was garrisoned by 700 troops. George Washington sent General Benjamin Lincoln into Vermont in hopes of dividing and distracting the enemy. Knowing that the British were housing American prisoners of war in the area, Lincoln decided to push through the British defenses into Skenesboro, which they found abandoned by the British. Colonel John Brown led the troops on the west side and was ordered to attack the fort if it seemed reasonable. On the morning of September 18th, Brown’s troops surprised a squad of British troops holding prisoners near Lake George landing. Over the next 4 days, Brown and his troops led a campaign which ended in their hasty withdraw. Though he did fail, his actions resulted in the freeing of 118 American’s and the capture of almost 300 British troops, while suffering less than 10 casualties. Fort Ticonderoga today The fort stands today as a tourist attraction, early American military museum, and research center. The fort opens around May 10, coinciding with its 1775 capture. Though because of the poor condition it has been placed on the National Historic Landmarks watch list since 1998. In summary Fort Ticonderoga has served the United States very well. Five different naval vessels have been named after the fort and the declaration of it as a National Historical Landmark can attest to its importance in history. Source: Wikipedia #FortTiconderoga #dickinson #places #myblog #NewYork #dickinson #movies #video

This photo was taken in the late 1930s at Asbury Park, New Jersey. William Henry Dickinson and his wife, Mary, eat lunch on the beach under the boardwalk. Family video footage from the same period shows the family on the boardwalk in winter, when William's brother, John, and sisters visited. Rev. Dickinson's family lived on Third Avenue and he was pastor for the Assembly of God church. See the Dickinson page for more about the Dickinson family. #dickinson #asburypark #places #boardwalk #myblog #williamhenrydickinson #jerseyshore

Did you know about the Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg, New Jersey? I came across this article in the July 8, 1948 edition of The Daily News, Tarrytown, New York, while I was researching my great-grandmother who lived in Hamburg for years until she died in 1951. I can't help but wonder if she ever visited this fairy tale attraction. The place was originally Joseph Sharp's Iron Works, established 1768. Scroll down for a video I found on YouTube, of what the place looks like today. Gingerbread house in Hamburg NJ The Daily News, 7-8-1948 Tarrytown, New York #newjersey #hanselandgretel #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadcastle #hamburg #newjersey #notablenews #SussexCounty Click here for more New Jersey history and genealogy!

John Reese died on the 27th of January, 2005, in Cortland, New York at Cortland Memorial Hospital. He is buried in the Reese plot at Willow Glen Cemetery in Dryden, Tompkins County, New York. (Lot 24; Section 8). Click here to learn more about John Reese. Click here to learn about the Reese family. Click here to see my Index of Ancestors. Click here for loads of free genealogy resources! #reese #grave #cemetery #LloydJohnReese

This photo of John Reese was taken April 29, 2001, at his 90th birthday celebration at the Fire Hall in McLean, New York. This photo was taken the same day. John is pictured here with his two sons and daughter at his birthday celebration. (John, Harold, MaryRuth and Lloyd) Shown below, from left to right: Harold Reese and his wife, Phyllis (Cole) Reese, Jim Teeter and MaryRuth (Reese) Teeter, John Reese, Ernestine (Moore) Reese and Lloyd N. Reese. He met his newest 2nd great-granddaughter, Margaret, that day. Check out John Reese's 91st Birthday Celebration here! See the Reese page for more! #reese #JohnReese #lloydreese #haroldreese #MaryRuthReese #PhyllisColeReese #ErnestineReese #JamesTeeter #McLean

Norman Griggs Decker, son of Charles Decker and Lydia (Mayo) Decker, was the 27th of October, 1902, and died on the 26th of March, 1973. He is buried in All Saints Cemetery (Plot 55, East of Block 58 14) in Jensen Beach, Martin County, Florida. A photo of his grave was freely shared on Findagrave (click here). For more about the Decker's, see the Decker page. #decker #cemetery #normandecker #griggs

Theodore R. Decker, Sr. was born on the 6th of April, 1908, in Warwick, Orange County, New York. He was a son of Charles G. Decker and Lydia (Mayo) Decker. Learn more about the Decker family on the Decker page. He married Katherine Block, who survived him. He was also survived by a son, Theodore Decker, Jr. of Ohio, and dozens of grandchildren and great -grandchildren. Two daughters pre-deceased him: Mrs. Ruth Dalrymple and Mrs. Shiela Riker. Theodore (Sr.) died on the 9th of July, 1988, and is buried in North Hardyston Cemetery, Hardystown, New Jersey. Theodore's obituary was printed in The Record, Hackensack, New Jersey, on July 11, 1988, and was digitized by genealogybank.com as follows: If anyone can provide a photograph of Theodore and/or his children, please let me know! #decker

Eugene R. Decker was the son of Norman & Beatrice Decker and grandson of Charles G. Decker (1862-1909) and Lydia (Mayo) Decker. For more on the Decker and Mayo families, see the Decker page. A beautiful tribute, along with his obituary, and is currently published on the website of Lazer-Smith & Vander Platt Memorial Home as follows: Eugene R. Decker, of Warwick, passed away on February 16, 2012 at St. Anthony’s Community Hospital. He was 82 years old. Born on April 24, 1929 in Howells, NY, he was the son of the late Norman and Beatrice (Morgan) Decker-Riggs. He was married to Sandra Decker. Mr. Decker served with the US Army during World War II, receiving the Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Japan Clasp, Sharpshooters Medal, and Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII. He was Maintenance Supervisor with Sterling Forest Conference Center, Sterling Forest. A master woodworker, he was past Fire Chief with the Sterling Forest Fire Company #2. A family statement reads: “He was truly loved and will be truly missed.” He is survived by his wife, Sandra Decker of Warwick; a son, Terry Decker and his wife Cheryl of Warwick; three grandchildren: Kyle, Michelle and Taylor; sisters: Audrey Recca and husband Joseph and Doris Slockbower, both of Jensen Beach, FL; sister-in-law Rosemary Decker of Warwick; many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by brothers Norman (Whitey) Decker and George Decker. Visitation will be on Monday, February 20th, from 2-4 & 7-9 pm at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. Funeral service will be at 10:00 am on Tuesday at the funeral home, followed by interment in Warwick Cemetery. Memorial donations may be sent to Warwick Valley Humane Society, PO Box 61, Warwick, NY 10990. #decker #eugenedecker #charlesdecker #lydiamayo #warwick

The following record shows Norman G. Decker, son of Charles Decker and Lydia Mayo (misspelled Maye on the marriage license application), married Beatrice May Morgan of Westtown, New York, daughter of George Morgan and Adie Caile of Glenwood, New Jersey. Norman and Beatrice were married on the 10th of September, 1924, at Westtown, and together they had three known children: Audrey, Doris, and Eugene R. Decker, Norman (Whitey) Decker, and George D. Decker. Eugene Decker, served in the US Army during World War II, receiving several distinguished metals. Norman was a truck driver. He died on the 26th of March, 1973, in Jensen Beach, Martin County, Florida. View this document for free at FamilySearch.org at this link (click here). For more on the Decker family, see the Decker page. #decker #normandecker #marriage #beatricemorgan

John Dickinson was born in Masbro, England, in 1830. His parents were William and Ann Dickinson of Kimbersworth and Sheffield, England. Anyone with information about his family, please comment below or contact me. The following video is a compilation of photo and documents pertaining to him and his family. Click here to see more about John and his descendants. #dickinson #johndickinson #sheffield #yorkshire #england #pittsburgh #pennslvania #video #slideshow

Leonard Road in Willet, Cortland County, New York, was owned by Rose (Hollenbeck) Leonard. It was there that she married Albert Jay Leonard and it was there that she raised her two sons, William and Albert. Her son William died in a fire there at the "homestead" on the 2nd of April, 1949. These vintage bottles were pulled near a fire pit on the property around 1998. The following is a 2014 photo of the place, found on GoogleMaps. Browse the area with Google Maps: For more information about the Leonard and Hollenbeck families, see the Leonard page. #leonard #myblog #rosehollenbeck #leonardroad #marathon #newyork #cortlandcounty

If you are looking for information about a man who was born between 1873 and 1900 (and still living in 1917-1918), you can try to find his World War I Draft Registration Card. Draft registration cards offered a great deal of personal information including the man's address, age, birth date, birthplace, citizenship, occupation, employer, marital status, race, dependents, military experience, signature, height, build, eye color, hair color, and whether or not he was bald. American men within specific age groups were required to fill out and sumit draft registration cards in 1917 and 1918, and approximately 24 million cards were completed, representing 25% of the country's population. There were three draft registrations which took place: Click here to search the index at FamilySearch.org - (Free) Click here for more military resources. Click here for more genealogy resources. #tips #resources #draftrecords #worldwari #worldwar1 #resources #draft #militaryrecords