Adelaide Louise Curtis: abstracts of records viewed in the Ancestry survey (2026-09-26, lean mode)

Tree person 102705340650 in tree 206849982 (FamilySearch KHPF-TT8, WikiTree Curtis-3935). These are the pending hints and the targeted finds for her main gaps. Everything was viewed on screen. Nothing was saved, accepted, ignored or changed on Ancestry, Newspapers.com, Find a Grave, FamilySearch, WikiTree or the Washington State Digital Archives. Nothing was clipped. The Washington death certificate (a free public record) was viewed in the browser's PDF viewer and not saved. Readings in [brackets] are editorial.

Records already abstracted in sources/ancestry/H0025-survey-abstracts.md (her husband's survey) are not repeated here; they are listed by reference in "Already abstracted" below.

Living people. Her two younger sons are living and appear here only as "son (living)". Their names, their wives and their addresses are left out, including the name and mailing address of the informant on her death certificate. Her eldest son, Robert Curtis Hegnauer (1942–2021, H0173, tree 102798783225), is named.

Spellings met: Adelaide Louise Curtis (MN birth index), Adelaide L Curtis (1930 census), Adelaide Louise Hegnauer (SSACI, Oct 1944; death certificate), Adelaide Hegnauer (SSDI; SSACI 1995), Adelaide L Hegnauer (WA death index, obituary, PRI), Adelaide C Hegnauer (PRI vol. 2, index), A L Hegnauer (phone directory), Adelaid Hegnauer (her mother's obituary, 1978), Adeliade (a member-photo title), "Adelaide L Hegnauer Adelaide" (Newspapers.com AI index garble).

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Facts on Ancestry as found (before any change)

• Sources list (7): 1940 census; 1950 census; Minnesota Birth Index 1935–2004 (her son's birth); U.S. City Directories (1944 Minneapolis); WWII Draft Cards (Robert's card); Washington Divorce Records 1968–2017; and the custom source "Washington, Department of Health, Divorce Certificates, 1968-1999 (Washington State Digital Archives)".
• Family in the tree: parents Arthur Garfield Curtis (1880–1966), tree 102705343023 (H0054), and Hazel Lucile Cook (1891–1978), tree 102705343019 (H0064); one sibling, Arthur Nathan Curtis (1918–1984, d. 7 Nov 1984, Klamath Falls, Klamath, Oregon); spouse Robert Lucius Hegnauer Jr. (H0025); children Robert Curtis Hegnauer (1942–2021) and one son (living). The third son (living) is not in the tree. Her sisters Verna, Dorothy, Madge and Inez are not in the tree.
• No residences for 1930, 1935, 1940 or later; no occupation, cremation or burial fact.

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Pending hints (13 new; 5 already accepted)

Hint 0: Newspapers.com Obituary Index (AI-extracted) — STRONG, verified against the image

• 61843/611844324. Index: Name "Adelaide L Hegnauer Adelaide" [AI garble]; female; death age 74; born 31 May 1920, Montevideo, Chippewa, Minnesota; residence Kelso, Cowlitz, Wash.; died 19 Apr 1995; obituary 21 Apr 1995, Longview, Longview Daily News; parents Arthur Curtis, Hazel Curtis; children Robert C. Hegnauer and two sons (living); siblings Verna Potter, Dorothy Harbour, Inez Tallard, Madge Curtis, Arthur Curtis. "Saved to 1 person in 1 tree."
• Image read: Longview Daily News (Longview, Washington), Friday 21 April 1995, p. B2 [Newspapers.com page 14], "News of Record", Obituaries; newspapers.com/image/575671218. Transcription, living people redacted:

  Adelaide L. Hegnauer Adelaide Louise Curtis Hegnauer, 74, of 2431 Kingfisher Lane, Kelso, died of cancer April 19, 1995, at St. John Medical Center. She was born May 31, 1920, in Montevideo, Minn., to Arthur and Hazel Curtis, and had lived in the local area for 49 years. Mrs. Hegnauer had been the bookkeeper for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) until earlier this year. She was a member of the Church of the Risen Saviour, where she participated in Bible study groups. Favorite pastimes included quilting and gardening. She leaves three sons, Robert C. Hegnauer of Tacoma, [son (living)] of Puyallup, Wash., and [son (living)] of Bend, Ore.; her adoptive mother, Berenice Burger of Longview; three sisters, Verna Potter of Montevideo, Dorothy Harbour of Maynard, Minn., and Inez Tallard of Milwaukie, Ore.; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by a sister, Madge Curtis, and a brother, Arthur Curtis. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday [22 Apr 1995] at the Church of the Risen Saviour, 1170 17th Ave., Longview. Contributions in her memory may be made to RSVP, 1724 20th Ave., Longview, Wash. 98632; or the Church of the Risen Saviour.

• Identity: her full name, exact birth date and birthplace, both parents, residence and her son Robert C. — far more than two identifiers. The index is right apart from the garbled name; it omits the "adoptive mother".
• New: "her adoptive mother, Berenice Burger of Longview." Her natural mother Hazel died in 1978, so this is a later (probably informal or adult) relationship. Unexplained; a lead.
• No funeral home, cemetery or burial is named. (The death certificate gives cremation; see below.)

Hint 1: U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index — STRONG

• 60901/20815254. Adelaide Louise Hegnauer [Adelaide Hegnauer] [Adelaide Louise Curtis]; female; white; born 31 May 1920, "Montevideo C", Minnesota; died 19 Apr 1995; father Arthur G Curtis; mother Hazel L Cook; SSN 473-26-8990. Notes: "Oct 1944: Name Listed As Adelaide Louise Hegnauer; 22 Apr 1995: Name Listed As Adelaide Hegnauer."
• Her own application (Oct 1944), already under her married name. It names both parents with the mother's maiden name, and gives the exact birth date and town. The SSN is the one on the SSDI and the death certificate.

Hint 2: Washington, U.S., Death Records, 1907–2017 — STRONG

• 6716/397538. Adelaide L Hegnauer; female; age 74; birth "abt 1921" [computed by Ancestry from the age; wrong, the certificate gives 31 May 1920]; residence Kelso, Wash.; died 19 Apr 1995; death place Longview, Wash.; certificate number 012119.
• The certificate number is the state file number of the certificate read below (DE_1995012119). Don't take the birth year from this index.

Hint 3: Member tree "Curtis-Jennings Family Tree" (owner Jennifer Jennings) — IGNORE (rule)

• Adelaide Louise Curtis, born 31 May 1920 "Montevideo C", Minnesota; died 19 Apr 1995 Longview, Cowlitz, Wash.; father Arthur Garfield Curtis (1880–1966); mother Hazel Lucile Cook (1891–1978); spouse Robert Lucius Hegnauer (1916–1999), "Married 1939"; three children shown as Private. 18 sources, 2 photos.
• Leads: marriage in 1939 (unsourced here; it fits the April 1940 census, where the couple are already married); death place Longview (agrees with the certificate).

Hint 4: Member photo "Obituary for Hazel L Curtis" — STRONG (a document naming her)

• Contributed by Sonja Alves, 22 Oct 2023, "originally shared this article … from Newspapers.com"; dated 30 Jan 1978, Longview, Washington; type Document/Certificate. Linked in the contributor's tree to Verna Lillian Curtis, Dorothy Lucille Curtis, Adelaide Louise Curtis, Arthur Nathan Curtis and Inez Larayne Curtis. A derivative (a clipping) of the Longview Daily News [paper name inferred from the place and the funeral home; page not identified].
• Transcription of the clipping image (zoomed on screen):

  Hazel L. Curtis, 86, of 926 Delaware St., Longview, died Jan. 28, 1978, in a Longview hospital. She was born Sept. 27, 1891, in Julian, Neb., came to the Carrolls area in 1952, was a member of the Longview Community Church and had worked as a clerk in several department stores. Survivors include four daughters, Adelaid Hegnauer of Kelso, Inez Tallard of Sandy, Ore., Verna Potter of Montevideo, Minn., Dorothy Harbour of Maynard, Minn.; one son, Arthur Curtis of Alturas, Calif.; one sister, Blanche Shiffer of Ashland, Ore.; 19 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Wednesday in the Maynard Presbyterian Church in Minnesota. The family requests contributions be made to the Heart Fund, P.O. Box 271, Longview. Ditlevsen-Moore Funeral Home was in charge of local arrangements.

• It confirms Adelaide as Hazel's daughter (living at Kelso in 1978), and her four siblings then living. Madge is not listed (died before 1978). No husband is named for Hazel (Arthur died 1966). This clipping belongs chiefly on Hazel (H0064); it also supports Adelaide's parentage and her 1978 residence.

Hint 5: Member photo "Adeliade Curtis Hegnauer" — POSSIBLE (portrait)

• Contributed by MaggieOhio, 7 Aug 2012; type Portrait/Family Photo; linked to Adelaide Louise Curtis; saved by 11 members, including a living relative. A small head-and-shoulders portrait of an elderly woman with light hair and glasses. No date, place or caption beyond the (misspelt) name.
• The identity rests on the contributor's label alone. the owner is her grandson and has already saved it elsewhere, so he can confirm the face.

Hint 6: Member photo "Obituary for Adelaide Louise Curtis Hegnauer" — STRONG (clipping of hint 0)

• Contributed by Sonja Alves, 22 Oct 2023, from Newspapers.com; dated 21 Apr 1995, Longview, Washington; linked to Verna Lillian, Dorothy Lucille, Madge Maxine, Adelaide Louise, Arthur Nathan and Inez Larayne Curtis. Saved by a living relative, among others.
• It is a clipping of the obituary transcribed under hint 0 (not re-transcribed). It adds Madge's middle name, Maxine, from the contributor's tree links (a lead, not evidence).

Hint 7: U.S., Social Security Death Index — STRONG

• 3693/26681210. Adelaide Hegnauer; SSN 473-26-8990, issued in Minnesota before 1951; born 31 May 1920; last residence 98626, Kelso, Cowlitz, Wash.; died 19 Apr 1995. "Saved to 2 people in 2 trees."
• The SSN matches the SSACI and the death certificate.

Hint 8: Washington, U.S., Newspapers.com Stories and Events Index — STRONG (same page as hint 0)

• 50082/4674119016. Adelaide Louise Curtis Hegnauer; topic Other; "Residence" 21 Apr 1995, Longview, Wash. [the publication date and place, not a residence]; Longview Daily News, 21 Apr 1995; linked to image 575671218.
• Same obituary page as hint 0. Its "Residence" is the newspaper's place, not hers: she lived at Kelso.

Hint 9: U.S. Public Records Index, 1950–1993, Vol. 2 — STRONG

• 1732/208468399. Adelaide C Hegnauer [Adelaide L Hegnauer]; born 31 May 1920; 2431 Kingfisher Ln, Kelso, Wash. 98626-5443. Undated. "Saved to 2 people in 2 trees."
• Exact birth date plus the Kingfisher Lane address of her death certificate and obituary. "C" is presumably Curtis; not a name she used in any original record seen.

Hint 10: U.S. Public Records Index, 1950–1993, Vol. 1 — STRONG

• 1788/406364059. Adelaide L Hegnauer [Adelaide Hegnauer]; born May 1920. Addresses: 1153 16th Ave #5, Longview, Wash. 98632 (undated); 2500 Allen St #65, Kelso, Wash. 98626 (undated); 1993: 2431 Kingfisher Ln, Kelso; 1995: an address at Puyallup, Wash. [the same address as the informant on her death certificate, a living son; it is his mailing address, not her residence; street omitted here].
• Commercial address index; derivative. Useful for her Longview and Kelso addresses after the 1982 divorce.

Hint 11: Web: Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1900–1934 — STRONG

• 9196/1306495 (an Ancestry index of the Minnesota Historical Society's birth-certificate index; mnhs.org/search/people). Adelaide Louise Curtis; born 31 May 1920, Chippewa Co., Minnesota; mother's maiden name Cook; certificate number 1920-05555.
• The best birth evidence found: an index to the state birth certificate, made at the time. The certificate itself was not viewed. Name, exact date, county and mother's maiden name all fit.

Hint 12: U.S., Phone and Address Directories, 1993–2002 — STRONG

• 7339/256968447. A L Hegnauer; 1994; 2431 Kingfisher Ln, Kelso, Wash. 98626.
• Initials, rare surname and the exact street address of her death certificate and obituary.

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Target gaps: finds

Birth: 31 May 1920, Montevideo, Chippewa Co., Minnesota — STRONG

• Minnesota birth-certificate index, cert. 1920-05555, Chippewa Co., mother's maiden name Cook (hint 11); her own Social Security application, "Montevideo C, Minnesota" (hint 1); death certificate "31 May 1920, Montevideo, Minn." (below); obituary; divorce certificate "5-31-20, Minn." (H0025). All agree.
• Ages: 9 in April 1930 (fits); 21 in April 1940 (should be 19; see Conflicts); 29 in April 1950 (fits); 74 at death (fits).

1920 census: her parents' household at Spencer, Clay Co., Iowa (before her birth) — STRONG

• 1920 U.S. Census, Spencer Ward 1, Clay County, Iowa, E.D. 41, sheet 4B; roll T625_483; 802 E 4th St; enumerated in January 1920, four months before her birth. Index read; image not read. Records 6061/28792355 (head) to 28792360.
  • A G Curtiss, head, 39, born Indiana, parents born Indiana; farmer; rented. [Arthur Garfield Curtis]
  • Hazel Curtiss, wife, 28.
  • Verna Curtiss, daughter, 9, born Iowa (6061/28792357).
  • Dorothy Curtiss, daughter, 8, born Iowa (6061/28792358).
  • Madge Curtiss, daughter, 4 [born Iowa per the 1930 census].
  • Arthur Curtiss, son, 1, born Iowa (6061/28792360).
• Identity: A. G., born Indiana about 1881, with wife Hazel, 28 (born 1891), and the children named in both obituaries. The family moved from Spencer to Chippewa County, Minnesota, between January and May 1920.

1930 census: Maynard, Chippewa Co., Minnesota — STRONG (index)

• 6224/80149997. 1930 U.S. Census, Maynard [village], Chippewa County, Minnesota, E.D. 13 [0013], sheet 2B, dwelling 46, family 48; FHL microfilm 2340817. Index read; image not read.
  • Arthur G Curtis, head, 49; Hazel L Curtis, wife, 38; Madge M Curtis, daughter, 14, born Iowa (6224/80150032); Arthur N Curtis, son, 11; Adelaide L Curtis, daughter, 9, born Minnesota, attending school; Inez L Curtis, daughter, 0. Adelaide's father born Indiana, mother born Nebraska.
• WikiTree's source for this census gives "Maynard Village, Stoneham Township", enumerated 3 Apr 1930 (not checked).

1935 residence: rural Chippewa Co., Minnesota

• From her own line of the 1940 census (already on the tree; H0025 abstract, hint 5): residence on 1 Apr 1935 "R[ural], Chippewa, Minnesota".

1940 census: two households

• Adelaide (already on the tree, abstracted in H0025): Minneapolis, S. Aldrich Ave., E.D. 89-103, sheet 10B; wife, 21, married, born Minnesota, H4 [high school, 4th year]; waitress, cafe.
• Her parents, 2442/98407569: 1940 U.S. Census, Maynard, Chippewa County, Minnesota, E.D. 12-13, sheet 1A, household 4; roll m-t0627-01913. Arthur Curtis, head, 59, born Indiana, informant; carpenter, "construction project", government work [WPA]; 25 weeks worked, $515 in 1939; 8th grade; rented; in Maynard in 1935. Hazel, wife, 48; Arthur, son, 21; Inez, daughter, 10. Index read. Adelaide is not in this household.

1950 census

• Already on her tree profile (her own line 62308/67313794) and abstracted in H0025 (hint 3): Cowlitz Co., "Other Places", E.D. 8-19, dwelling 244; wife, 29, born Minnesota; keeping house.

Marriage to Robert Lucius Hegnauer Jr. — no record found; conflict unresolved

• Searched this session, all negative: Ancestry "Marriage & divorce" category for Adelaide Curtis, born 1920, spouse Robert Hegnauer (only the 1982 WA divorce index matched); FamilySearch historical records for Adelaide Curtis with spouse surname Hegnauer (only the 1982 divorce index and the 1942 birth index of her son near the top; a date-filtered search errored); Newspapers.com, "Hegnauer", Minnesota, 1939–1941: 49 matches (42 in Faribault Co., mostly the Wells Mirror on her father-in-law R. L. Hegnauer; 3 in Hennepin Co.). The Wells Mirror of 21 Sep 1939 (p. 10) and 26 Sep 1940 (p. 8) were opened: both concern R. L. Hegnauer Sr. (house guests; whist), not the marriage. The 3 Hennepin County matches were not opened (the county filter would not apply).
• Earlier (H0025 survey): the Minnesota Official Marriage System has no Hegnauer–Curtis marriage.
• Claims in trees: WikiTree Curtis-3935 gives "married 11 Sep 1939 … in Minneapolis, Hennepin" (no source for the date); the Curtis-Jennings member tree gives "Married 1939". Both are consistent with the 1940 census and look like the divorce certificate's day and month with the year 1939, which is a hypothesis, not evidence.

Social Security (SSACI, SSDI) — see hints 1 and 7. NUMIDENT at FamilySearch was not opened (the SSACI already gives

her parents).

Death: 19 Apr 1995, St. John's Medical Center, Longview, Cowlitz Co., Wash. — PRIMARY (image read)

• Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907–2001, reference DE_1995012119, digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/401C0DAEC77C94B390C7E2EB3FF83E34 (index: Adelaide Louise Hegnauer; death 4/19/1995; Cowlitz; age 74; SSN 473268990; father's last name Curtis; mother's maiden name Cook; county file 253; sequence 12119). The free one-page PDF was viewed in the browser.
• Certificate of Death, Washington State Dept. of Health; local file 253; state file 146 5 12119.
  • ADELAIDE LOUISE HEGNAUER; female; died 19 April 1995; age 74; born 31 May 1920, Montevideo, Minn.; ever in U.S. armed forces: No; county of death Cowlitz; city Longview; place St. John's Medical Center [box: hospital]; smoker in the last 15 years: Yes.
  • Marital status Divorced; surviving spouse "- - - -"; SSN 473 26 8990; education 12 years + college Two [years]; usual occupation Bookkeeper; business Retired Senior Program; not Hispanic; Caucasian.
  • Residence 2431 Kingfisher Lane, Kelso, inside city limits Yes, Cowlitz Co., 45 yrs in county, Wash. 98626.
  • Father Arthur G. Curtis; mother Hazel L. Cook.
  • Informant: a son (living), of Puyallup, Wash.
  • Disposition: Cremation, 20 Apr 1995, Park Hill Crematorium, Vancouver, Washington; funeral facility Heritage Cremation Society, Box 22734, Portland, Oregon 97222.
  • Certifier Steven J. Gorton MD, 748 14th Avenue, Longview; signed April 20, 1995; hour of death 0540.
  • Cause: (a) small cell lung cancer, interval 22 months. No autopsy; not referred to the coroner.
• Also Department of Health, Death Index, 1907–1960; 1965–2024 (WA Digital Archives, reference 40C3486B-CA55-6A44-B756-1FFB1B7380F8; digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/2C9EDD518DCFFB107B0D938D88499F50): Hegnauer, Adelaide L; F; death county Cowlitz; residence county Cowlitz; 4/19/1995; age 74. Index only.
• The tree's death place (Kelso) is her residence, not the place of death. She died in hospital at Longview. "45 yrs in county" (from about 1950) and the obituary's "49 years" in the local area (from about 1946) differ slightly.

Obituary — see hint 0 (Longview Daily News, 21 Apr 1995, p. B2). The one targeted Newspapers.com search was spent on

the marriage, since the obituary came as a hint and was read on the page.

Burial / Find a Grave — none

• She was cremated on 20 Apr 1995 at Park Hill Crematorium, Vancouver, Wash. (death certificate). The final disposition of the ashes is not recorded. Find a Grave search, first name Adelaide, surname Hegnauer: no memorial. The memorial service was at 11 a.m., Saturday [22 Apr 1995], at the Church of the Risen Saviour, 1170 17th Ave., Longview (obituary).

Later marriage after the 1982 divorce — none found

• Ancestry "Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854–2013", exact name Adelaide Hegnauer: zero matches. Her surname stayed Hegnauer in the 1993–94 address indexes, on the SSACI name line of 22 Apr 1995 and on the death certificate, which gives her status as divorced, no surviving spouse. So there is no evidence of a remarriage.

Siblings (for the judge; full names from contributor trees are leads)

All six are deceased or would be over 110; none is a living person.

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Already abstracted elsewhere (reuse; not re-read)

• From sources/ancestry/H0025-survey-abstracts.md: the 1940 census (2442/98064515), WWII draft card (2238/16634579, "Mrs. Adelaide L. Hegnauer, wife", Oct 1940), 1944 Minneapolis directory (2469/1023306671, "Robt L jr (Adelaide L) USN h3308 19th av S apt 1"), 1950 census (62308/67313793 and her line 67313794), Minnesota Birth Index for Robert Curtis Hegnauer (8742/9743061; mother Adelaide Louise Hegnauer, born 18 Apr 1942, Hennepin Co.), the 1982 certificate of dissolution (DI_1982004338; "Adelaide L. Hegnauer, maiden name Curtis, born 5-31-20, Minn., of 118 Ross Road, Kelso; marriage Hennepin Co., Minn., 9-11-40; three children"), and the WA divorce index (her line 61251/3254005).
• Directory evidence for the couple at Longview (1948) and Carrolls (1957–60) is on Robert's lines only; Adelaide is not named in those index entries.

Residences by decade (for the master record)

Occupations: waitress in a cafe (1940); keeping house (1950); bookkeeper, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, until early 1995 (death certificate; obituary). Education: four years of high school (1940 census) and two years of college (death certificate).

Conflicts

1. Marriage date: 11 Sep 1940, Hennepin Co. (1982 divorce certificate, the only record stating it) vs. the April 1940 census (already married). WikiTree and a member tree give 11 Sep 1939 without a source. No marriage record found.
2. 1940 census age: 21; her birth date makes her 19.
3. Death place: the tree says Kelso; the certificate says St. John's Medical Center, Longview. Kelso was her residence.
4. Birth fact source: the tree's Birth fact is cited only to the 1950 census, although the SSACI, the birth index and the death certificate state it exactly.
5. "Adoptive mother" Berenice Burger (1995 obituary) vs. her natural parents Arthur and Hazel (every other record). Unexplained.
6. Verna's middle name: Lillian (contributor tree links) vs. Violet (WikiTree). Unresolved.
7. WikiTree Curtis-3935 (read only): lists her sister as "Dorothy Lucille Cook" (a surname error) and omits Madge; says Robert "worked in the paper industry" in 1940 (the census says custodian, auto garage).
8. Ancestry's WA death index gives birth "abt 1921" (computed); the certificate gives 31 May 1920.
9. Residence length: 45 years in the county (death certificate) vs. 49 years in the local area (obituary).

Leads

• The marriage record: Hennepin County marriage records (1939 and 1940), and the 3 Hennepin County "Hegnauer" newspaper matches for 1939–41 on Newspapers.com (not opened). Possibly a marriage elsewhere (Chippewa or Scott Co.).
• Berenice Burger of Longview (1995): who she was and when the "adoption" happened.
• The Minnesota birth certificate itself (MNHS, cert. 1920-05555).
• 1920 and 1930 census images (index only read).
• Verna Potter's and Dorothy Harbour's deaths (Minnesota death index); Madge Maxine Curtis's death (before 1978).
• Disposition of the ashes after the cremation at Vancouver, Wash. (Heritage Cremation Society, Portland).
• The Obituary Daily Times index entry for Inez (70050/22054071) and her obituary, which would list Adelaide's family.

Privacy note for the lead

• WikiTree Curtis-3935 publicly names both living sons (in the family box and in the biography). This pipeline stage is read-only on WikiTree; the lead may want to review it against the living-person rule.

Blockers

• FamilySearch: a record search with marriage-date filters returned "Something went wrong"; a plain search worked.
• Newspapers.com: the county facet could not be applied by URL, so the 3 Hennepin County matches were not reached.
• No sign-in walls met. Another tab (1013502181, a WikiTree edit page) appeared in the Claude tab group during this session; it was not opened, read or used by this stage.