I have multiple options for my grandmother, Lindalva Ferreira da Silva (Lima)’s birthday.
- She told my mother (her daughter) and thoughout her life celebrated on 7 Oct stating the birth year was 1934 and that she was married at 16 years old.
- She was married on 30 Sep 1950 and I have her marriage record. The priest lists her age as 17 years old, which would mean her birthdate was between 30 Sep 1932 – 30 Sep 1933.
- Her Death Certificate from 6 Jun 1999 states her age at death as 64 which places her birthday from 7 Jun 1937 – 7 Jun 1938. This would, however, make her 12-13 years old when she married, which I find very unlikely. I don’t know who the informant on the death certificate is and what his relation is to Lindalva. He may not have known her age accurately.
I’ll be honest. This has been very distressing to my mother who I think feels that I am calling her mother a liar. I just want to find her birth/christening record. But I don’t know where to look. So I made a chart.
There are 3 parishes and 1 archdiocese in the city of Joao Pesso, Pariba, Brazil. She was married in Nossa Senhora do Rosario, and I have that marriage record. As you can see from the chart, I have yet to find her and all I have left to search are the 1937-38 years (which would make her too young to marry).
I’m not sure where to go from here. I think I will:
- Complete my search of the 1937-38 records for all the parishes.
- Ask my brother, or another set of eyes, to search all the same records. Maybe I just missed her? There is no index. 🙁
- There are no civil records digitized or on microfilm for births after 1931.
- Maybe an aunt could go to the registrars office in Joao Pessoa and find a birth certificate. Or maybe they already have a copy?
All I want is a document as source of her birth! Is that too much to ask?