Finally Found Great-Grandpa

Well, I’ve been in full research mode since getting back from SLC.  I’ve got a lot to write about, but I wanted to share a quick update based on a piece of paper I received in the mail today.

I had some clues to my great-grandfather’s whereabouts after his wife died in 1925, all pointing to Michigan.  I came up empty on a birth record while I was in SLC to either confirm or disprove the information collected from the only likely WWI draft card.  After re-examining what I had on him, I decided to order the death certificate for a John Cahill, whose last residence was St. Joseph County, Michigan, with a death date of January 1967 and a birth date that matched the WWI draft card.  Mind you, I put the request to the County Clerk in the mail on Friday…the certificate came today (super quick!!!). 

Lo and behold, it is without a doubt my great-grandfather.  His parents and wife are identified, and his sister was the informant, so there is no question in my mind that this is the correct record.  And since Catherine was listed as his wife (noted as deceased), this gives me a clue that he did not remarry, despite some speculations that he may have. 

Although I had to shell out $13 for the certificate, I’m very happy it’s the right person and confirms the information I had previously collected, which was questionable.