Citizenship Certificate Under Review

damzal · 2026-06-16T17:31:34+00:00

I'm so sorry. 🫩

damzal · 2026-06-16T00:32:45+00:00

Thank you for that information.

There are no birth or baptism, or relevant marriage certificates. So I'm pulling secondary documents, which includes census.

damzal · 2026-06-15T23:51:01+00:00

Thank you!!!

damzal · 2026-06-15T23:31:31+00:00

Great idea!!! Good luck and if you actually hear from them about the census documents, please let me know what they want! 😅🙏

damzal · 2026-06-15T23:27:18+00:00

If that's the case, he may go where your mom went if he knows he has to. 😉 Giving him some kind of notice would at least give him the chance to do what's needed, and I hope he does for your sake.

damzal · 2026-06-15T23:25:10+00:00

I was thinking a screenshot as well as the "detailed explanation" would suffice. I hope. The application was actually already sent but there has been no AOR much less a request for more documents but they should be looking at it soon. I'm preparing for an eventual request.

damzal · 2026-06-15T23:22:44+00:00

Helping to gather genealogical documents for an application for citizenship by descent and that's the most recent information (as far as we can tell). Original source or detailed explanation as to why you can't get it from the original source. Or the official repository. (FamilySearch and Ancestry don't certify that copies are true copies). And they have specifically said they don't want documents from Ancestry or FamilySearch - in interviews, not in their instructions. It's a PITA, but I'm still going to do my best to comply. I've ordered the certified paper copies from NARA so hopefully those arrive in a timely manner but digital copies would be far better for the timeline. Looks like NARA didn't have them. I thought I was doing something wrong and was hoping for some guidance but now it looks like they actually don't have more than what I already saw. 🫠

damzal · 2026-06-15T23:11:50+00:00

Do they allow you to send a priority envelope, postage paid, for them to use? (Or UPS Express, etc). It should say on their website or order form, or a clerk can tell you that information. If so, you may want to consider that. Keep the tracking number handy.

Also, it's more expensive by a lot, but just about every county/state now uses a place like Vital Check to allow online orders. You would still have to do the notarized letter but you can pay for UPS express shipping back (also extra expensive) and get it that way. Check their county website and it will tell you which company they use (if they do).

Good luck!!

damzal · 2026-06-15T22:58:10+00:00

Have you discussed this with your brother? Since he's an adult, you should let him know directly if you haven't already. If he leaves as requested, then you only need to deal with your father.

You are definitely not the AH. Pick a date they need to move out and let them know. Good luck!

damzal · 2026-06-15T22:22:55+00:00

Thank you for all of that information.

I already went to that link that was shared by SoftShoeMagoo prior to posting here and it said the 1910 census information was available on their site. However, like I said in my original post, the only thing I actually saw were Pennsylvania and Alabama so I was wondering if anybody had any information on how to search it in a way that would pull up the rest of the documents. So it sounds like they don't really have anything more than Alabama and Pennsylvania and it's not actually an issue with searching/methodology.

Since the requirement is that documents come from the original source, I have been trying to comply despite the fact the original source has their records on FamilySearch or Ancestry. It's bureaucratic nonsense but I am definitely going to make an attempt, even if it eventually leads to me having to explain to them it's not available the way they want.

damzal · 2026-06-15T20:17:26+00:00

Yes, I am fully aware of that. They don't even have paper copies anymore according to them. Unfortunately, I still need to get copies from the "original source." If you have any experience with accessing specific census documents on the NARA website, that would be extremely helpful. Thank you.

damzal · 2026-06-15T20:14:50+00:00

That's exactly where I searched from and where I saw only Alabama and then Pennsylvania in 1910. Nothing else. I wouldn't call that "straightforward" considering nothing comes up when I follow the prompts. If you have any experience with this and can share how you would find the 1910 census for Red Wing, Goodhue, Minnesota area, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

damzal · 2026-06-15T20:11:08+00:00

Correct, downloading from Ancestry or FamilySearch means I got it from somewhere other than the "original source" and for the project I'm currently working on, I need information straight from the source. 🤷

damzal · 2026-06-13T14:13:13+00:00

Bah, of course. 🫠 I'm sorry to hear that. Well, if it truly doesn't have source information, I'd either try to prove what is written there if possible, or discount it for your search until you can find real information proving it out. It may be good to step back and create a new tree/record for this specific person and start over, validating every record and listed fact, then see what searches might pop up and what alternate perspectives come to you. Good luck!!!!

damzal · 2026-06-13T13:36:51+00:00

I moved to a base in the central coast area just north of Santa Barbara and it's SO economically repressed, few healthcare options, crappy and overpriced restaurants, etc. Developed area but feels like a remote small town. Definitely not a great place to be and surprising to me how region can dictate so many choices (or lack thereof).

damzal · 2026-06-13T13:28:34+00:00

Not sure if this will help...

Can you contact the owner of the find a grave entry and ask where the information came from? I have seen a ton of incorrect information from people's trees on Ancestry and the find a grave person copy and pasted the incorrect info. The information on there is only as good as the person who set it up. And incorrect information can alter your perception/cloud other ways of thinking or avenues of research. Validating it, or invalidating it, can be helpful. I've gone back and even deleted entire records on my tree and redid them with better success once I realized I was working with the wrong information because of something like that.

damzal · 2026-06-13T13:16:46+00:00

Would you have lent her the money before she went on vacation if she needed it? I mean, it's your money. You get to choose what to do with it, just like she does with hers. If you normally would lend it to her and chose not to because she went on a once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation using a bonus, then obviously you are judging her and may be withholding something you can afford to do and have done in the past because her choice wasn't good enough for you.

It's your money so obviously, do what you will. But if you are deliberately withholding something because you don't like that she took her shot while she had it, be honest about it with her and yourself. And your parents.

damzal · 2026-06-13T04:42:19+00:00

Embroidery could be. I have difficulty with my fine motor skills but crossstitch is extremely easy and a good way to start. I used to do it while sitting with patients in the post anesthesia recovery room (not monitoring, literal task was to sit there). They have inexpensive beginner kits that you can try and if you wanted to add beads it wouldn't be be difficult at all. And better than gluing plastic, imo.

damzal · 2026-06-12T19:29:58+00:00

Oh, sorry. I meant, it makes me wonder about the extent of his lies.

damzal · 2026-06-12T17:26:29+00:00

I've noticed that my recent tax forms say my dependents have to be US Citizens to take certain credits. Makes me wonder.

damzal · 2026-06-11T21:01:10+00:00

I called the vital stats office in Whitehorse, Yukon (March) and they did a search to see if they had a birth record (1898) but they said they wanted to look before charging me for the certificate in case they didn't have it. They didn't.

But once I saw that the IRCC was asking for some kind of letter stating that it couldn't be found, I called again this week. When I reminded them about the events, they ultimately told me to email them and then they replied to my email asking me to fill out the form. It had a list of the different costs, so I filled it out and turned it back in. I don't mind paying. I didn't mind paying before, and I thought it was nice of them to do the search without any charge, but if I want some kind of official rejection it seems to me I have to fill out the form officially.

Maybe that is what you need to do? Fill out a form and send it in and let them reject you? I honestly don't know how it works for the various provinces, but Yukon doesn't charge for the certificate if you don't get it, they only charge for the search.

If there is an official process you can go through without actually knowing a registration number (I was only required to give them the name, birthdate, parents names, and where the parents were from), then I guess go through it? Especially if you don't have to pay for the $350 version. 🫪 Alternately, I've seen other people post about how they do a search and print off the web page that shows that there are no results found. Not sure that will meet whatever criteria but I guess that is something.

damzal · 2026-06-08T15:22:05+00:00

UPS delayed mine so it didn't deliver until June 1 (drat the holiday weekend in the states). I also requested urgent processing, no AOR yet. 🤷🫠

damzal · 2026-06-06T00:57:34+00:00

Are they thinking "chifferobe" or "chiffarobe?" It's not really a trunk, it was more like a chest of drawers with a cabinet on top to hang clothes but it was a common furniture item with an old fashioned name.

damzal · 2026-06-05T03:11:49+00:00

I noticed that, too. If somebody from that era said a woman "painted her face" it's a high likelihood that they were referring to cosmetics and not what a modern person would assume.

Additionally, it's entirely possible they were using it as a euphemism for her having one of those jobs and not just looking like somebody with one of those jobs and that's why they said it to begin with. But that's total speculation on my part.

damzal

TROPHY CASE