Need Help From All Of You Hard Core Researchers!

[Izzy58]

I am trying to get some info on my husband's father and his family. Years ago I started a family tree for my husband but was only able to get so far so I gave up and didn't start on it again until recently when I found this website and got involved with the Lawless/Huckaby case. Thanks to SM and after years of searching I finally found my husband's half sister!

My husband's parents divorced when he was five and his mother took him and his older sister and moved from Arizona to California. My husband never saw his father again. Years later my husband's father remarried and had a daughter with his new wife. After my husband's oldest sister passed away I found out that she had been in contact with the half sister.  His father had also passed years before. We found one of the half sister's letters with her married name and a return address so I wrote her to inform her of her sisters passing. We never heard back from her so I figured that either she had moved and didn't get the letter or didn't want to get to know her brother. I searched and searched for any info on the father and sister but wasn't sure of their correct names and spellings or his father's DOB.

Finally after finding this site I started my search again and found my husband's sister. I started searching court records and found her along with her ex husband. I started searching her maiden and married name but still couldn't find much so I decided to do a search on her ex husband.  Low and behold I found out he had a myspace page and from there found my husband's sister. She was so elated that we had found her and they both have been in constant contact since. It's funny how almost ten years, computers and the wonders of the internet and change things!

So now that we have found the sister I started back on the tree but still cannot get any further. The father was pretty old by the time she was born and she doesn't know anything about any of his family members. She has a picture of the grandmother but doesn't know her name. Her mother is ill and can't remember anything so she is of no help. My husband said his father was born in Little Rock Arkansas and for years my husband thought his father's name was Jesse Lee Cook.  On his parents divorce papers it says Jess L Cook. So these are the names I had been searching for years on. My husband's sister told us that his middle name was NOT Lee but Lester. She said the name on his driver's license was Jess Lester Cook. So I searched again under this new name but nothing.  I knew he had been in the army since we had an old hand drawn pic in his uniform so I started searching the NARA and did find his military record which was under the name Jess L Cook. So I sent for his records but got a letter back that the facility had caught fire and the records were destroyed. They did have partially reconstructed records.... for a fee....but there was no guarentee they would have anything useful. That was a dead end so I decided to send for his birth certificate.  After paying for this record and weeks later I was told that they couldn't find anything under that name, DOB or even close to it and I wouldn't be getting a refund. So I went to a genealogy site that offers free searches with a researcher and requested info on my husband's father, mother and both of his father's marriages.  They also came up empty!

I don't know where else to turn so if anyone here can help me I would so appreciate it!  Here is all of the info I have. As far as I know the names, dates and places are correct but anything is possible. I am looking for any info on my husband's father's parents names, any other children they might of had. We also don't know what nationality his father is. The sister said once her dad told her he was English and Irish.  She said he also told her another time that he was Black Dutch, German & Russian but she wasn't sure if he was just joking around when he told her that.




Jess L Cook / Jess Lester Cook 
Born: Feb 2nd 1915  Little Rock Arkansas
Died: Apr 22nd 1989 Coolidge Arizona
Ashes scattered at sea

Married:  Amalia (Molly) Corona   July 5th 1947  Coolidge, AZ   
Divorced: Feb 9, 1955  Coolidge, AZ
Two children: Daughter born 1948  Son born 1950

Married: Bennie V Marshall   Aprox  1955-1960  Coolidge, AZ
One child: Daughter born 1960


Military- Army  Pvt
Jess L Cook
Serial number: 38012558
Enlistment date: April 3, 1941
Place of Enlistment: Santa Fe New Mexico
County: Dona Ana
Occupation: farm hands, general farm

Note: Worked for a Cotton Gin - Arizona


I have most of the family info on my husband's mother side but can't find her parent's birth records, they were born in mexico but I did find some interesting info that the family didn't know!  The grandmother had five deceased children before the others were born. All died from various reasons and didn't live past 1 day to 4yrs.

[tcumom]

Hi ~ You can probably find his parents' names in the 1920 and 1930 census records.   Most states now have detailed census records online.

Also, see if you can get a copy of his death certificate.  It may cost a couple of dollars, but you don't need a certified copy.  Sometimes, the county clerk will send it for free, if you mention it is for genealogy research. 

Most, if not all, death certificates list the parents' names, although often they are not quite correct, due to distraught relatives giving the info.  I have found good info in those records, though!

Let me know how you fare ~ if I think of any other ideas, I'll post.

joan

[Izzy58]

I have searched everywhere I can think of and then some. It's as if he never existed!  I didn't know the death certificates listed the parents so I'll definitely send for a copy. But as you mentioned about relatives giving the wrong info, I have found a lot of that when searching death certificates on my husband's mother side.  I have found so many misspellings of the first and last names going all the way back from his mother to his grandparents that without a birth certificate you don't really know what name is correct. But even on the birth certs I have found misspellings for the mother's names. 

[tcumom]

Izzy ~ what you've said about the misspellings and incorrect names is pretty typical, unfortunately.  But, sometimes it will at least give a *hint* as to parents' names.

What about the census records?  I really, really think that's your best option.  If you're not sure how to go about it, let me know ~

joan

[Izzy58]

I had searched a little bit through the census records but since I don't have any other names or places to go by I really don't know what to search for. And at the moment due to financial difficulties I just can't afford to subscribe to those paid sites. and every gen site I come across seems to all link back to ancestry.com . Although my husband's sister claims their dad's middle name is Lester I'm just not 100 percent sure on that. Why would all of these years my husband think it was Lee? The divorce, death and military papers have him listed only as Jess L Cook.  It's so frustrating when you don't have any family members names go by.

[tcumom]

Izzy ~ Are y'all pretty sure he's from the Little Rock area?  And, is the 1915 birth year probably correct?

Let me see if I can find the census records and I'll put in a link for you....yes, it's frustrating!

joan

[tcumom]

izzy ~ don't go away, yet.... I see you up there.

[tcumom]

I'm going to try and post this link ~ it shows your husband's dad ~ I'm pretty sure that's the one ~

Jess L Cook
Birth:    abt 1913 - location
Residence:    1920 - city, White, Arkansas

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=35&rank=1&new=1&so=3&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=ms_f-35&gsfn=jess&gsln=cook&_81004010=1915&msbpn=29109&msbpn__ftp=Little+Rock%2C+Arkansas%2C+USA&_83004003-n_xcl=f

Good Lord ~ that link is soooo long ~ anyway, I think if you'll go there, it says you can get a free trial period for a couple of weeks . . ..

Let me know if you are able to link to the above.

[Izzy58]

I'm really beginning to wonder that. Supposedly he was born in Little Rock but I now think it may be White Co AR.  I found this on the ancestry site but I don't know.  I know the father was many years older than my husband's mother.  She was born in 1932 but anything is possible.


1920 United States Federal Census
Census & Voter Lists

Name:    Jess L Cook
Age:    7
Estimated Birth Year:    abt 1913
Residence:    1920 - city, White, Arkansas



And these two records ARE his:

Social Security Death Index
Birth, Marriage & Death
   
Name:    Jess L. Cook
Birth:    date
Death:    dd mm 1989 - city, Pinal, Arizona, United States of America
Civil:    Arizona


U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Military
   
Name:    Jess L Cook
State of Residence:    New Mexico
County or City:    Dona Ana
   
Enlistment State:    New Mexico
   
Birth Year   Race
Enlistment Date   Enlistment City
Branch   Branch Code
Grade   Grade Code
Component   Source
Education   Civil Occupation
Marital Status   Height
Weight

Name:    Jess L Cook
Birth:    year
Military:    date - city, New Mexico
Residence:    Dona Ana, New Mexico

[Izzy58]

hahahaha!  we posted the same thing only I am slower lol!  But even if he was born in White co they still cannot find any record of him being born in AR.  The person who works in Vital records in AR was supposed to have gotten back to me on monday but didn't so I think I am going to have to give them another call.

[tcumom]

Maybe they didn't start recording births in Arkansas until later . . . I know some of the places I've looked in Texas did not start recording until after 1915.   Just a thought. 

Also, I haven't looked, but maybe the 1930 census records where each person in a household was born. 

[tcumom]

Well, this person is listed in the 1930 census, and I'd bet anything that he's a sibling.

Cecil C Cook
Spouse:    Stella
Birth:    abt 1911 - location
Residence:    1930 - city, White, Arkansas

Maybe you could backup and use this name as your start. . . if their wedding certificate is around, it could show parents' names.

[Izzy58]

Yes that is what they told me over the phone the last time I talked with them. the guy said they didn't start putting everything on record until around the 70s?   I might just go ahead and do the trial subscription with ancestry, I just don't want to end up getting charged afterwards. I hate that they make you give your cc info before hand.

[2NJSons_Mom]

This is all so interesting to read.  I cannot help much, but it did make me recall something my Dad went through when he decided to retire. 

When he went into the Army during WWII, he didn't have a birth certificate.  My grandparents never picked it up at the hall of records for the township they lived in when he was born.  The hall had burned down sometime during his youth so he had to have his godmother go with him as a witness to have one made up.  The year both swore to was l918.  My grandmother for years after said that it was wrong and that he was born l917, but he just went by the birth certificate.

When he wanted to retire, he needed more documents and went through some papers and found that he was baptized in l917!  Of course, Grandma knew best.  He ended up having use that to get his birth record fixed.   His name was never the issue, but the birthplace and date ended up being one.

My point is the township area eventually was realigned and several new towns or boroughs were created/named.  I was just wondering if those types of discrepancies can mess up your search. 

[tcumom]

Believe me ~ I just hate giving that info, too.  With that said, I've used their trial subscription in the past (actually, a couple of times. lol.), and have also subscribed . . . knock on wood...I've never had a problem.

The trial subscription does NOT automatically turn over, so you don't have to worry about them just randomly assuming you're going to be a paid subscriber.  It really is worth it, though.....especially if you are doing a LOT of research!

Let me know what you find.   I just love working on my family history!
joan

[tcumom]

Hi, 2NJ !

Everything you just said is sooo true . . . many times people weren't quite sure *when* they were born.  ha.  I'd like to forget when I was . . . decades, now! lol.

Anyway, we had a situation like you're talking about . . . person was born in one county, couldn't ever find info on him . . . turns out the county seat for the neighboring county was closer to his home, and it was easier to register everything over there.  sigh.   

[Izzy58]

Yes I think I will start there.  My husband's sister said she remembered an uncle named Guy but it was probably a nickname because I couldn't find a Guy Cook in arizona.  What's really sad is this sister has no real family and was so happy that her and my husband had found each other.  She does had older siblings from her mother's previous marriage but she said once her father died these siblings took everything of value that belonged to her dad and then took over the house where her mother is still living and will not let the sister anywhere near. They are like vultures waiting for the mother to die.  The sister has pretty much wrote them all off. As far as she is concerned my husband is her only family. She is sure her mother has some papers with her dad's info but like she said she can't even get near the house. She does talk to her mother on the phone from time to time but she is very old and cannot remember much.  Such a very sad situation.

[Izzy58]

2NJ

Not only are the birth years sometimes recorded wrong but I have also found that sometimes the last names get changed around a lot also.  Letters get dropped or added, or the first and last names can be spelled different depending on who is giving the info and who is recording the document. I sometimes wonder if back in the day if some of these people just didn't know how to read or write so the person recording the document had to guess on the spelling.

[tcumom]

Izzy ~ I can't believe I forgot to mention this, although you may have already checked it out.......have you posted on www.genforum.com?

Oh my gosh, it is a *wonderful* place, and you post according to surnames.  The people I've come in contact with have been lovely.   

You can just post what you know and hopefully someone will have some info . . .you have to register in order to post, but it's not a big deal.  Free.  You can also just read if you don't want to ever post.

Yep, I know what you're saying about the *vultures* . . . . unthinkable that people can be that way.  It really is terribly sad.  I'm happy your husband and his sister found each other.

[2NJSons_Mom]

2NJ

Not only are the birth years sometimes recorded wrong but I have also found that sometimes the last names get changed around a lot also.  Letters get dropped or added, or the first and last names can be spelled different depending on who is giving the info and who is recording the document. I sometimes wonder if back in the day if some of these people just didn't know how to read or write so the person recording the document had to guess on the spelling.

When my father's family members came over from Italy, he had an uncle who ended up using the surname Duffy because the personnel on Ellis Island decided it was easier than trying to spell our Italian name which happens to have two parts & both capitalized. 

Our surname has been butchered through the years, so I agree with you.  Whether hand written or entered into a computer system, the margin for error is there.

Oh & hi, tcumom!!!!!!!   I'm here every day but can't keep up with all of the threads.  I see you around while I move around in here.