Posted by Jim Koch on December 17, 19101 at 11:09:51:
In Reply to: Needle in a haystack posted by Brad Anderson on December 13, 19101 at 11:48:28:
: Okay, this is going to sound ridiculous. I am trying to do a family tree. My great great grandfather was the captain of a boat that sank in the great lakes. That would mean the time frame is somewhere in the late 1800's or early 1900's. According to my grandmother (she is suffering from Alzheimer's) he went down with his ship. His last name was Clayton. That's all I know. I know it's a shot in the dark, but maybe somebody knows something. Thanks.
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Having re-read your post I see that the ancestor in question was in fact your great great grandfather.
That does complicate things a bit.
Your best bet is to figure out where he was living at the end of his life and go to that county for a death certificate.
The problem is that the names of boat crews who perished in wrecks are mentioned in the newspapers at the time of the incident, but are not otherwise in the public record.
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Jim Koch