Whether a record is helpful depends upon what is known about the family. This World War II draft card (taken from Ancestry.com’s “U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947”), but available from the National Archives, provides evidence of the father’s name and residence as of the time of the registration. It also provides evidence that the father was alive at the time of the registration. In some cases that could be a really big clue.
The Allen County Public Library is one of the largest genealogical libraries in the United States. This August, I’ll be leading a group trip there for three days of research and learning. The days of our trip are 6-9 August. The first Sunday we have an evening meeting/introductory session–research starts on 7 August when the library opens.  Trip attendees get help with questions, research suggestions and guidance, along with morning lectures. Our group atmosphere is relaxed–we do not herd you like cattle along throughout the day and activities are entirely optional. For more information or to register, visit our webpage.
Deeds are not the only record that can be recorded in an area after your ancestor left. An estate was opened for a relative in Harford County, Maryland, ten years after he died in Ohio, and fifteen years after he left Maryland. He received a settlement in a court case that had taken years to settle–long after his immediate family in Ohio had closed his estate there. Your relative may have had financial ties to an area long after he left it.
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