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Subject: Re: Uncooperative/hostile to family tree!
Author: BexarGenLib LookUp
Date: Thursday, May 07, 2015
Classification: Query
Surnames:

Oh, yes....quite common (by degree). Lots of people have lots of things to hide -- or to put it more politely, mistakes that have been made that folks would rather not air to the general public (or even their own family members). Over the course of a 70 to 80 year life, who hasn't had the opportunity to make a few whopper mistakes (especially in the early years when we're all stupid but think we know everything)?

That's why I always suggest to people when they do courthouse research to NEVER overlook the criminal and civil files....looking for those gossipy tidbits you didn't even know about your own generation.

I figure that the more adversarial they are the more they have reason to hide something. That's a lead unto itself. It's up to you how you will handle that information and if they are paranoid about it then it's probably best to keep the subject of genealogy completely off the table but keep at it.
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