How can I find a birth certificate for my grandfather if I am not sure which name spelling is correct Moore or Mohr?

Question

I am trying to find out more information about my grandfather.  My mother is not sure of the correct spelling of his last name, Moore or Mohr.  We believe he was born in Missisippi or Arkansas around 1902.  His first name is probably Thadist, might be Floyd or Victor.  He went by all of these names.  He had a brother named Aaron and a brother named Sydney.  His mother's name was Laura.  Any ideas on the best way to research for this information?

Answer 1

If your mother lived with him, you may be able to find him in a census record and those usually have approximate year of birth and the birthplace of the person and their parents.  Once you have that information, then it might be quite  bit easier to cross reference the SSDI or USGENWEB records, not to mention depending on the state of birth- you may find some records there.

 

for the name spelling issue- try every combination and use the least restrictive search in every search engine you use.

Comments

Thank you Angela.  I will check and see what I can find.

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you're welcome.  I have an entire side of the family that has this kinds of issue :-)  Perserverence and a lot of potential matches kept in an evernote database has narrowed it down significantly :-)

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evernote, what a great idea!

Answer 2

It might be this man born in AR in 1898 - Thadas Cabus Moore - on his draft registration? but the siblings don't match.  There is another family with parents Ellie and Laura Moore with sons Sidney and Aaron.

United States, World War I Draft Registration

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K35S-98J

name: Thadas Cabus Moore

Draft Registration   September 12, 1918

event place: Paris, Logan County, Ark

Male birth  21 Aug 1898 birthplace US

Residence: RFD #1, Magazine?, Logan Co.

Nearest relative TC Moore

RFD #1, Magazine, Logan, AR

nara publication title: World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards

nara publication number: M1509

film number: 1530474

digital folder number: 005150454

image 05420

U S Census, 1900  ED 48 Boone Township Boonville town, Logan, AR

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M36K-TX9

head  Thaddeus C Moore M 50 Nov 1850 TN/NC/NC married 13 years

wife  Lucinda J Moore F 40 Dec 1860 AR/SC/IN 8 children 7 living

dau  Truie F Moore F 13 AR

dau  Ottie M Moore F 10 AR

dau  Willie R Moore F 19 AR

son  Ofie R Moore M 7 AR

dau  Ozie A Moore F 5 AR

dau  Aubie R Moore F 3 AR

son  Thaddeus C Moore  M 1 AR          

also on:  US Census, 1910  Revilee, Logan, AR  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MKV8-FC2

 

Here is a 'Laura'

U S Census, 1900  ED 40 Miller Township, Cleveland, AR

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M3XG-JY6

head  Ellie Moore M 46 Jan 1854 MS/AL/MS married 16 yrs

wife  Laura Moore  F 30 Jun 1870 MS/MS/MS 4 children 3 living

son  Dock Moore M 2 July 1898  MS

son  Aron R Moore M 3 Feb 1897MS

son  Sidney L Moore M 3 mos Feb 1900 AR

 

U S Census, 1940 Beaver Township, Saline, AR

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KQ24-6J7

household of Aaron Mohr

head  Aaron Mohr M 44 abt 1896 AR widowed  

mother  Laura Bass  F 68 abt 1872 MS widowed

 

 

Comments

This might be the remarriage of Laura Moore to Mr. Bass (and then a divorce?)

Arkansas, County Marriages

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11829-6852-33?cc=1417439&wc=14061516

name: D E Bass

Marriage  08 Dec 1917  Jefferson, AR

Official John G Gill, JP

age: 62 est birth  1855

residence: Pine Bluff, Jefferson, AR

spouse: Mrs. Laura Moore

age: 47 est  birth year: 1870

spouse's residence: Doylestown, Grant, AR

marriage license date: 07 Dec 1917

page: 155

 

Arkansas, Divorce Index

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VKMF-X6R

name: Laura Bass

Divorce  24 Nov 1923  Jefferson, AR

spouse: D E

volume: 7 docket number: 10118

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Thank you Chris,

 

still a newbie at searching.  I will start lookiing at these records and see if any of these records might match my grandfather.  Just amazing!

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Now that you have a little more on a Sidney and Aaron - using the free search tool at https://familysearch.org/ using their names, might lead you to their Draft Registrations, marriages etc. that sometimes have names of parents, spouses, and lead you even further.  Good Luck!