I used to think of "record loss" as being related to "burned counties" and a "Southern" researcher's problem. I was wrong on both counts.
As this map of the United States published by FamilySearch will attest, fires were not limited to the Southern states. My eye quickly zoomed in on that bright red color at Baker County, Oregon where my third great-grandmother, born in Delaware, died.
According to Kelvin L. Meyers, coordinator of the SLIG 2019 Overcoming Record Loss course, record loss was not limited to fire. Losses can also occur from heat, humidity, insects, war, etc. The list goes on and on.
Lest I still not be convinced, FamilySearch published yet another map: marriage record coverage. Those midwestern and western states in which I spend most of my research time are - yup, you guessed it - red. Not to mention most of Pennsylvania and part of Delaware!
For someone whose primary focus is typically England or Slovakia, only researching in the states when still working on brick walls, this is not good news!
Perhaps I should be taking Kelvin's course!
He writes:
"We all face it: record loss.
"Whether the courthouse burned, the clerk tossed them, the relative, autograph hunter, lawyer or surveyor took them, they succumbed to heat, humidity, insects or fading ink or war or distance from the courthouse which was a barrier to their creation—the records we want—the records that could answer our questions aren’t there.
"The solution: In many cases, it is possible to overcome the problem, but it requires diligence, perseverance, and willingness to look beyond the obvious."
Thanks to the logistics wizards, we were just able to open some additional seats in Kelvin's course. If you haven't yet registered for SLIG, and you see a lot of red in those images above, this might be a good course to help soften the view.
Peg Ivanyo, director
Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy
