How do I search for descendants in the USA?

DavidBeck1

My cousin Michael, by marriage, in England UK, is looking for his family in the USA. He wants to know where to search in the USA to find people. He is basically looking for the family of Ernest Alfred Forward, born in England, who died in 1983. I attach some gathered search notes of his family in the USA and wonder if anyone can point me and Michael in the right direction. What good databases are available in the USA for searching in this context?

My thanks,

Search for children of Marlene Helen Forward.txt

@DavidBeck1

Paul W

I am not an expert in dealing with U.S. records but would think the US census records would be a good place to start. You have already discovered the US Social Security records, of course.

Very quickly, I found what appears to be Ernest - in 1940 & 1950 census records (see https://www.familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&q.birthLikeDate.from=1917&q.birthLikeDate.to=1919&q.birthLikePlace=England%2C%20United%20Kingdom&q.birthLikePlace.exact=on&q.givenName=ernest%20a&q.residenceDate.from=1930&q.residenceDate.to=1950&q.residencePlace=United%20States&q.residencePlace.exact=on&q.surname=forward&q.surname.exact=on for links to these). From this page I found the 1940 source has already been attached to the profile of an Ernest Forward GS4H-H7K. The Details page for this individual provides Research Helps links to the 1920 & 1930 census pages for him (the latter being indexed as HOWARD, but does relate to the FORWARD family). In both records, he appears as the only (recorded) child of Sidney & Charlotte Forward.

So, I wonder what additional detail you are looking for? Do you suspect he did have siblings, or perhaps cousins, who emigrated from England to the United States? Or, are you just looking for further details (say deaths) of his parents?

DavidBeck1

@Paul W

My cousin is looking for any descendants of Ernest Albert Forward. He is wondering if Ernest's daughter, Marlene Helen Forward is still alive and if she has brothers or sisters, and also if she has children to either of her two marriages.

My thanks, @DavidBeck1

Paul W

Then I will leave that to be addressed by others, who are experienced in US research strategies.

I know (largely due to different attitudes on privacy) there might be a difference in obtaining / searching for records in, say, California than other states. But at least you have given some clues with your attachment, in that she married a William R Nunamaker in California in 1967. However, if either both, and any children are still alive, people will be reluctant to provide further direct details through a FamilySearch product, due to the organisation's stance on privacy for living persons.

Áine Ní Donnghaile

The State of California is one of the most open for obtaining relatively recent vital records. Not free, but generally no requirement to prove you are a close relative, as many other states require.