Certificate of Baptism

Baptism records are a primary resource for family history research.  These records are more likely to be accurate because they were documented shortly after a person's birth.  They usually include birth date and parent's names, as well as where the baptism took place.

I was lucky to find my paternal uncle's Certificate of Baptism.  He was baptized on 3 November 1954, less than a month after his birth, in the Brandywine Methodist Church in Wilmington, Delaware. The same church where my grandparents were married.

Your Baby's Health Record

On what would have been my paternal uncle's 63rd birthday, I was going through some of his papers and came across some interesting things.  He was sentimental (just like me) and kept a lot of keepsakes (just like me).  I've found everything from my grandfather's wallet to my uncle's high school cafeteria card.  So, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I found his baby health record book.

As a mom, I know how important it is to keep detailed medical records for each child.  My grandmother had three children to keep straight, and I'm sure this book was a big help.

Finding this little book has been such a pleasant surprise.  I now know that my uncle weighed 8 pounds 2 1/2 ounces when he was born and that he was allowed to start eating soft table foods at 9 months old.  These little every day facts are so priceless and are part of who my uncle was.

Blood Type A

While going through my paternal grandfather's wallet, I came across his Blood Bank of Delaware card.  On the back is a sticker where his blood type is written.  His blood type was A.  I never imagined I would know, or want to know, what my grandfather's blood type was, but it got me thinking.

I know that I have the same blood type as my dad, O positive, and that is different from my grandfather's.  How did my dad get his blood type?  This question lead me to do a little research since I have forgotten what I learned in school about blood types.  There is only one possible way my dad got his O blood type - both of his parents had to have passed him a gene for the type O blood.  My grandparents, however, could have had type O blood, type A blood, or type B blood.  It's all genetics.

In this day and age where DNA tests are so prevalent and helpful in doing genealogy research, it has been a breath of fresh air to find such a simple answer.