G2G: Can't find records for deceased parents. So did search on self. I am a mystery! How can that be?

+10 votes
667 views
My parents passed when I was young.  I do have enough info that I should be able to find records on them, since they lived in the 20th century.  Keep coming up empty.  No birth, marriage or census records (after leaving home) for either of them.  My father was employed and they had a home,  I don't understand it.  I find plenty on their ancestors.  But almost none on them.

So I did a search on myself,  No birth, marriage or census records (I see 1 or 2 home address records).  I do tend to "fly under the radar".  But I didn't expect this (always had home and work).  How can this be?  

Do they publicize less on the living (for privacy)?  Or am I doing something wrong?

P.S.  We're from the US and Canada.
in Genealogy Help by Owl (119k points)

I was born in 1953 so I am not on any census yet but I am in the birth records. If you would like, If you can give me a name and the date of birth I might be able to find a birth record on them. Then if can find them then we can do the research to find your grandparents and great grandparents and so on.  Don't forget to give me a place of where they were born. I will be glad to do some research on it.   Thanks, Nancy

3 Answers

+12 votes
 
Best answer
There are a lot more privacy restrictions on the information for living and recently (the definition of which varies) persons.  

When did your parents leave home?  If it was after 1940, there isn't a released US census.
by Owl (493k points)
selected by Mary Cole

Yes, it must have been during the 40's when they left home.  I hadn't planned on putting much in the more recent profiles.  But I thought it would be available to me.   

Thank you!

Yeah, Nan is correct. Paradoxically, it is harder to find recent info than older info. More recent US Censuses (< 50 years old I think) are also not available.

So I gather.

Thanx!

According to law, US Census records cannot be released until 72 years after they were enumerated. That's why the 1950 Census just came out this year.

+4 votes
+4 votes

Try an advanced google search

by Owl (107k points)

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