PIONEERS before 1845, SETTLERS 1846 - 1860

Any member of the Defiance County Chapter of the OGS who is a direct descendent of an individual who settled in the area now encompassed by Defiance County before 1860, may become a member of The First Families Defiance County on acceptance of an application with proof of such descent and the payment of $15.00 application fee. This application must first be accepted by the Defiance County Chapter of the OGS.

All correspondence and fees should be sent to the chapter's mailing address P. O. Box 7006 Defiance, OH 43512-7006. Checks should be made out to Defiance County Genealogical Society or DCGS.

INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT :

1. Print TWO copies, mark worksheet at the top of one copy and this will be for you to practice on in pencil.
2. The other ( final) copy has to be typed or hand printed in ink with all information. Application and documents must be received by August 1st. to allow necessary processing time to be accepted for the current year.
3. Fill out a FIVE Generation Chart with your information. Fill in the blanks on page one of application.

On page two give title page, volume and page number for book references and include a copy machine copy, photo, or other facsimile copy of the pertinent pages, and of all published or unpublished records used for proof. Typed, hand printed, documents, not certified as "True Copies", are not acceptable as proof. Published or manuscript material authored by the applicant or their family will not of themselves be accepted as proof. Information for additional ancestral lines may be included on blank pages, showing the tie - in to the lines on the basic application. Please do not use staples, instead paper clip all documents together.

PLEASE include a Five Generation Chart to show the lineage.

List your main ancestral lines on pages four - six, beginning with yourself as Generation 1.

Basic Rules of Evidence: This application and the accompanying proving documents will be adjudged as follows:

1. Primary or Collateral Evidence from vital statistics, court house or other government record, church and school records, etc., is considered usually to be beyond doubt, and excellent proof.
2. Secondary Evidence, such as census records, newspaper clippings, old letters, bible or other family records, contemporary to the facts reported, are almost as authentic. One document may contain both primary and secondary evidence.
3. Circumstantial Evidence, or hearsay is not considered as proof, unless backed up by primary or secondary evidence.
4. Oral, written, or published family traditions are very often wrong, and are not accepted as proof.
5. All proof documents must by themselves, or in any combination with other documents, actually state the fact to be proved. Implied evidence is not accepted as proof.

First Family Application Form

Last Modified on January 14, 2010