First Family/Pioneer Instructions

APPLICATION
FIRST FAMILIES OF VAN WERT COUNTY, OHIO
PIONEER FAMILIES OF VAN WERT, OHIO
Please read this information carefully before completing the application

Any member of the Van Wert Genealogical Society who is a direct descendant of an ancester who settled in Van Wert County before 31 December 1860 may become a member of First Families of Van Wert County.
Any member of the Van Wert Genealogical Society who is a direct descendant of an ancester who settled in Van Wert County before 31 December 1880 may become a member of Pioneer Families of Van Wert County.
The applicant must be a member of the Van Wert Genealogical Society at the time of the application and at the time of acceptance.
An application must be completed and accompanied by proof of descent documents. (See "Basic Rules of Evidence" on page 3.) Application and a payment of $10.00 must be submitted to the First Families of Van Wert County Committee.
If the application is accepted, the application and proofs will become the property of the Van Wert Genealogical Society and will be kept in a permanent file.
If the application is rejected for lack of proof the fee will be returned along with all documents. The application may be resubmitted with further proof.
More than one ancestor may be claimed on each application but pages 2, 3 and 4 must be completed for each "claimed" ancestor. Submit these on a separate sheet. The $10.00 fee will cover all ancestors.
Give volume and page for book references and include a copy machine, photo or other facsimile copy of the pertinent pages used for proof. If Bible records are used, include a copy of the title page. typed, hand-printed, or written copies of documents, not certified as "True Copies," are not acceptable as proof.
Complete a 5-generation chart. The applicant must be #1 on the chart. Family group sheets would also be helpful to the FF/PFVWC Committee but are not mandatory.
A certificate will be awarded to each accepted applicant at the Annual Dinner Meeting in November. If the applicant is unable to attend, the certificate will be mailed to the recipient.
To get started, obtain certified copies of your birth certificate, your marriage record if you are female, your parents' marriage record, and your parents' birth and/or death records. Next, follow the claimed ancestor's line.