I have been trying to locate a birth record for my father who was born on May 25, 1888. Although he always thought he was born in Albany New YOrk, I have a City Directory record showing that his father was living in Oneida City Madison County New YOrk at that time of his birth. Birth records for either place have not been fruitful. His mother Dorothea, joined his father (also Henry) in Albany in 1886 from. Altona, Germany and Henry Sr.had immigrated to the US in 1885. He was a cigar maker.

My only resource left would be church records for a Lutheran church in existance at that time. Dorothea particularly was a very devout woman. The last place of family church attendance was in Hartford, Connecticut. They were both also buried from that church (1914 and 1916). However, the church was sold many years ago, and I am at a wall.

I assume when a church closes down, the records are sent to some central location, but I don't know where that would be.

Can anyone guide me as to where to go from here. He was the only member of the family that was born in the US, and I do have the birth record for his sister Catherine in Hamburg. If they can be believed, the 1900 census record confirms that Henry was born in NY, but doesn't give a city, and shows Catherine as born in Germany.

CAn anybody give me any direction.

Dorothea