It has been over a year since I'd posted any updates on my quest to begin making sure I had adequate documentation of each generation, starting with myself. Building out a timeline of each event and keeping a research log, the objective of my first report was "to identify the parentage of Travis LeMaster, born [redacted] in [redacted], Indiana."
One of my first pieces of evidence that I examined in my possession was a copy of my birth certificate. I had two versions - one provided by the hospital itself and one that came from the county Health Department.
The scanned copy of the hospital birth certificate in my collection is not an official, legal document, but rather a ceremonial one provided by the hospital to new parents. I can remember growing up that this birth certificate was used to verify my age during Little League baseball and other sports teams. I doubt that it would pass muster in today's world.
The certificate is embossed with the logo of the hospital
The certificate states my full name : first, middle and surname and states the day of the week I was born (Tuesday) as well as the time of birth - 12:50 a.m. The certificate is signed by the hospital administrator and lists the name of the attending physician, Dr. Paul E. Jarrett, M.D.
Regarding the proof standard, this document provides original direct evidence of my parents, but it does not list the maiden name of my mother.
In order to prove the link between myself and my parents, I would need additional evidence that would list my mother's maiden name.
Earlier posts on this topic include Documenting Myself and Even Weak Evidence Can Teach.
