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Question:my dads family is from holland. i dont know much about my family. i dont know if my grandpa was born here or in holland. his name is charles dejong. but i believe charles is translated into something else also in dutch. he was born aug 30 1934 and died may of 1972. the only living relitive i know of is his brother john dejong. i dont have anyone in my family to help me with this that knows anything. alot of the sites ive visited want me to pay for information and they dont tell you what your paying for. if anyone could help me with this or guide me in a direction i would really appreciate it.


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: my dads family is from holland. i dont know much about my family. i dont know if my grandpa was born here or in holland. his name is charles dejong. but i believe charles is translated into something else also in dutch. he was born aug 30 1934 and died may of 1972. the only living relitive i know of is his brother john dejong. i dont have anyone in my family to help me with this that knows anything. alot of the sites ive visited want me to pay for information and they dont tell you what your paying for. if anyone could help me with this or guide me in a direction i would really appreciate it.

If your grandfather had a social security card and it is worth $27 to you, you can write for a copy of his application. It will have his birth name, parents' names (maiden name fo rmother), his birth place and birth date, and his employer at the time.

His marriage and death certificates may have his birth place. Death certs often don't because the person supplying the data doesn't know or is too shaken to think. Different states charge different amounts for certificate copies; they range from $5 to $35.

His obituary would be free if you looked it up yourself in the library on microfilm.

DeJong is his surname.

It can aso be spelled Dejongg. I'd suggest you contact John Dejong and ask him very specific questions about his parents, specifically, their dates of birth, their full names and where they were born. Someone in your family will have Charles's birth certificate. which will have his parents names on it, their occupation and address as well as where he was born.

Then I would suggest you join a local Geanalogical society as the people there will teach you how to trance your ancestory.

1. As was said above, contact your great uncle John and ask him about family names, dates, places of origin - everything about family history. Write out a list of questions ahead of time and try to actually speak with him, don't just send thequestins in a letter. Often people remember other important things as they are talking with you.

2. Go to a site like Cyndislist and look at her Dutch links.

3. If however your grandfather was born in the US, look at the US census on Ancestry,com which is free in a lot of libraries. The family may have been here for the 1930, and if you have Charles and John's parents' names, you can see if they are o it.

4. I think Charles in Dutch is Carel.