Where to Write for Vital Records - even on the High Seas!

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has posted online a wonderful guide, alphabetically by state, giving all the information you would need to send away for birth, marriage, death or divorce records located in any of the United States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, Canal Zone District of Columbia, "Foreign", or those occuring on the High Seas. The listings tell what years are available, and not available, and what all you will need to submit along with your request. Definitely an address to file away in your "favorites"! (of course its already on my toolbar, under "Resources")

The CDC site is located at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm

My internet genealogy toolbar is at http://RelativelyCurious.OurToolbar.com/

Cook County Illinois Vital Records

I just discovered another very genealogy-friendly County website, at http://www.cookcountygenealogy.com. It requires a free sign-in, but then you can search birth, marriage and death records dating back to 1872. The result list from your search gives name, date, certificate numbers, etc - often all the information you may need. But if you want to order a copy of the original, most at $15, its an instant purchase, and the PDF is available right away. I like the "instant gratification" angle, since usually by the time I get certificates back in the mail the old-fashioned way, I've forgotten why I wanted them in the first place. (Can't imagine I'm the only one like that...)