My dad sent me over a copy of my grandfathers death certificate. It's going to need amending but I don't know how much I need to amend and where to start. I have the amendment forms from CA in my possession.

Just to fill in some of the circumstances, my grandparents were separated in 1945. My grandfather moved to California and changed his first and last name. My grandmother divorced my grandfather via long distance in 1981.

On my grandfathers death certificate, it lists his changed name with no reference to his original. His birth date and age is off by exactly two years. His place of birth is listed as Illinois and his is listed as serving in WW2.(totally false) The wrong information was given by a woman who he was living with who listed herself as his wife. I'm 98% sure this is false because when my grandfather died, my grandmother got part of his social security check. AFAIK, she wouldn't have gotten it if my grandfather were married at the time of his death.


Second thing I received was a very bad copy of my Grandfathers CON. However USCIS decided to be "helpful" and staple a microfilm copy of two pages of his petition for citizenship.

Now the whole reason why I ordered the CON was to avoid a birth date discrepancy on my grandfathers Petition for Citizenship and other papers from NARA. I think Malcolm and or BBC Watcher advised me to order the CON a couple of months ago.

The attached cover letter from USCIS only lists his CON as the attached document. (C File) Do I dare try to remove the other two pages, double stapled to the USCIS Cover Letter?

I did obtain a positivo/negativo letter from my grandfathers comune; that clears up the birth date discrepancy.

The standard from which all documents are judged is the birth certificate. I applied GF -F-ME. I had US/NY(C) issued BC/DCMC's amended to correctly concur with the Italian issued BC.

Everything in your direct line must follow exactly. I applied in NY

I can amend the death certificate to correct the DOB, POB and add an AKA to the name. I guess the military service and phony second wife is not germane to my petition for citizenship. Although the info in the divorce papers conflicts because it states that my grandfather never served in the military.(although that shouldn't matter either) In the divorce papers, it lists my grandfather using his original and changed name.

However the naturalization papers can't be amended. All I can do is demonstrate that the birth date was a typo. The positivo/negativo letter proves that no person with my grandfathers name was born on the wrong birth date in his comune.

I still don't understand why they included his petition for citizenship along with his CON? The CON by itself supposedly would suffice. Should I remove the other two pages?

Was the petition stapled to the CON or only to the cover letter? I lean toward removing the petition and just submitting the CON with the cover letter.

Was your GF's change of name done via a court, or did he just start using a different name? How different is it?


If you amend the certificate in that way then you should do it.

A wife of 10 years or more can claim a portion of her husband's social security. Your GM's claim has no bearing on the possibility that your GF re-married.

The cover letter is attached to the CON and the petition with two staples. If I'm careful, I think I can remove the last two pages and reuse the staples or just re staple in the same spot.




He had a legal name change and a new social security card with new number in 1951. His second name is nothing like his first. It's not even an Italian Name. I submitted a FOIA request with social security a few months ago but haven't heard anything yet. I have his first SS number and his second. Social security should be able to show they are the same person.

Maybe that was the case. However she didn't get any until he died and IIRC It was a substantial increase.

If it was a legal name change then you should try to get the court record.

I'm going to try. Although if I can't find it, do you think the social security records, divorce papers(with both names) and amended DC would suffice?

Oh and BTW, I removed the last two pages with no problem.........

Do you think I need to keep the USCIS envelope(or for that matter any envelopes?) or will the cover letter and CON suffice? What's good about the cover letter is that it lists my grandfathers correct birth date.

I, with the help of a friend, completed the application to amend the death certificate. I'm attempting to add an AKA to his name, correct birth date, place of birth, list his parents names and list that my grandfather was never in the military(matches divorce papers). The application has to be typed or written in black ink(on special paper) with no mistakes. Two people with knowledge of the facts, (my father and myself) have to sign an affidavit. I never did anything like this before, so I hope I'm doing it correctly. I'm going to send them photocopies of my grandfathers CON, marriage, birth certificate and divorce papers(has both names) along with my and my fathers BC; as good measure. The listed time to have a death record amended in CA is 2 months from when they receive the papers.(get it in their system) I'm giving it 2.5-3 months. Wish me luck!