Need help finding a delayed birth record for Gordon LeVern Saunders (1910/1911-2020)?
Hi,
I am trying to help verify this man, who died at either age 109 or age 110: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/LTYD-7VD
There's a reference to a delayed birth record for him here: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5JZ-1QT?i=105
But when I checked all of the pages in the relevant book from start to end: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5N5-1JQ?wc=3XSV-YWY%3A212869701%2C213227401&cc=1920099 I couldn't find his delayed birth record. Did I miss anything, or is it genuinely located somewhere else--and, if so, where exactly?
And since he has a delayed birth record, this means that he does not have an original birth record, right? If so, I wonder what year his delayed birth record is from.
Also, as a side note, does anyone here know if a baptismal record can be found on FS.org for this man?
His 1920 US Census entry lists him as age 8, which implies a July 12, 1911 birth date for him, one year later than he himself claimed. But it could be wrong and July 12, 1910 could be correct. But we need proof for 1910 that's from before the 1920 US Census. That's the issue.
Thank you very much in advance for all of your help here!
Answers
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Delayed birth records were needed for people that had no birth record in order to register for social security (or some such; I'm speaking from memory and do have memory problems). They generally start in the early 1940's, I believe.
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Thanks; that makes sense. I'm just wondering where specifically Gordon Saunders's delayed birth record is located and why it isn't in the specific delayed birth records book (book #12) for his Minnesota county like the index says it is.
I'm also wondering what sources were used to conclude that Gordon Saunders was born in 1910. Did he have an original baptismal record, for instance? His delayed birth record should contain this information, but I need some help finding it. That's the issue/problem here. Otherwise we can't be sure that he wasn't born in 1911 instead (and was thus 109 instead of 110 when he died) like his 1920 US Census implies. (Yes, his 1920 US Census entry can certainly be wrong. That's why I'm trying to do more research on his case right now.)
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Yes, his delayed birth record should have that source information judging by the other records @DanielGonik
I do not understand why he is not in Delayed Births 12. I didn't actually scroll through every single item (did you?), but most of them. The alphabet starts again at least once (twice? I can't recall) and I would have expected him to be there. He must be there somewhere. I looked around in Book 13 too (not every record though).
eta: If finding the delayed birth record is not working, another option might be to request a copy of his Social Security application. I did that for my great grandparents (a long time ago) and do not recall the particulars.
eta2: That won't give you the source document reference though, I wouldn't think, just what they accepted to be facts.
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I scrolled through most of the documents there as well and couldn't find him. I don't think that he is in the 1910 entries at all. Maybe I should check it again.
His SSA application won't work since, as you said, it doesn't give one the source documents. I could try finding a baptismal record for him, except they don't appear to be online from his Minnesota county. But I don't have any doubts about his family tree or anything like that. I just want more solid proof of him claiming a 1910 birth year.
It's very strange: Him being in the index, but not in the source book (#12) itself. Maybe him being alive for so long is the reason that he isn't included in the source book? But that's just a guess on my own part.
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I figure there are two possibilities here: either the index is wrong, or the film crew missed a page.
Oh: the catalog page (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/605484) offers a tentative third possibility: "Illegitimate birth entries were covered during filming because of laws in Minnesota." Missing is not the same as covered, but they're in the same ballpark; perhaps it's how the filming applied the law to delayed records?
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He wasn't illegitimate, though. His parents got married back in 1902. I found a marriage record on familysearch.org proving this.
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Eh, well, as I said, it was a tentative possibility.
Unfortunately, the pages aren't numbered, so there's really no way to tell if there's anything missing from the film. The format of the index makes an error in the volume number seem unlikely, unless they compiled it using temporary cards or slips of paper, and miswrote/misread something on them?
I've paged all the way through volume 12 and didn't see him. I haven't looked at 13, but given the question of 1910 versus 1911, I guess that's what should be next. If he's not there, either, then I'd suggest looking into contacting the archive in Minnesota, to ask whether a page got missed.
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The index search from Minnesota Historical Society contains the same info:
Saunders, Gordon Luverne
Family name Saunders
Given name Gordon
Middle name Luverne
Birth date Tuesday, 12 July 1910
County Faribault County
Certificate Id DC-16805
A copy is US$9.00.
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Thanks, Aine! I might eventually consider this option if this record won't be put online in the future.
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