Okay, I know the odds are slim, but I still have to ask... My grandfather passed away recently and I inherited a bunch of family photos. I just opened a box of incredible family pictures from the 1920s to 1940s. The pictures are of my grandpa's second wife's family. I'd love to get the photos to someone who is actually related to those pictured, but the problem is I don't know who they are. My grandpa's wife was a widow prior to marrying him, and no one I've asked knows what her maiden name was. I know she had some brothers and I'm guessing at least some of them had kids, but don't know their name or anything about them. She grew up in St. Paul and passed away about 20 years ago. Does anyone know of a way to locate people with that little information? Just googling on her two married names turned up nothing. Or does anyone know of a place to at least post that I HAVE these pictures?
Thanks!
You might try the websites that are specifically for geneology research. I think some of them are free or have a free trial period. Look for one with a message board. Also, if you can find her obituary online (newspaper?) it might list living relatives.
Tons of genealogy and family history searching advice and records here.
https://www.familysearch.org/
http://www.ancestry.com
First off, you can contact their courthouse in St. Paul. You can likely get her birth/marriages/death certificate as well and begin the search from there. All of that is public record. Good luck! Be sure you make copies of the photos, what a wonderful find! Also, go the the library and do a records search of her obituary. The librarian can help, there are likely her relatives listed there.
You could check marriage records at your courthouse.
craigslist has a 'lost andfound' and might have some other sort of place to post your info.
Check with the Vital Records of the State were your grandfather and her got married. Then you will have her full name from the Marriage License. From there you can do a search of her family, who her children were, her parents, etc. Maybe some of her family will know who these people are.
Good luck.
Do you know the city where your grandpa died? His obit should have been posted in the paper, her name should have been listed among the survivors. If you then do a search in online white pages you may find a phone number and address of a family member.
Or do a search of the Clerk of Courts for mariage licenses, then birth and death records.
Marriage records are often available online. Try searching for your grandfather's marriage records.
Momma L. had some great ideas with her links. Maybe get her name through the suggestions of vital records?? There is a ton of stuff on my family on ancestry.com. You can search it through the people you do know like your grandfather.
I don't know how far back the internet records go. But you can type in your grandfathers name or even his wife's first name (if you know that) under the white pages.com and it'll bring up people associated with him. It generally gives you household information, so if you know a physical address where he and his second wife resided that would way better. But at least its a starting point and then maybe you can get a name.
I worked in a billing department for a hospital we often did this so I could find other numbers to locate a people and collect on their bill. It was about a 50/50 chance it worked but its worth a shot!
Maybe you can contact the Minnesota Historical Society and see if they can help direct you in your search.
This is definitely right up a genealogist's alley. :) If you want someone else who already has access to some genealogy databases to do some digging for you, I'd be more than happy to help. I'm not a professional, but I have done some genealogy research for pay for a few acquaintances before, and would be glad to do this for you free of charge. I just enjoy the puzzles. :)
From the information you've given here, it seems like there's plenty to go on to find her, using MN death records and so on. Good luck!
Is there by any chance a death certificate for her, or a birth certificate? These might supply previous names.....
Someone suggested checking the marriage record, also.
