Marriage records, some from early 1800s, to be preserved

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Thousands of marriage records in southeast Missouri’s Cape Girardeau County will be digitized and stored electronically as part of an effort to preserve historic documents.

The Southeast Missourian reports that county commissioners signed off on the project Thursday. Half of the estimated $31,000 cost will be paid for through a grant.

County recorder of deeds Crew Blattner says the work is critical because non-digitized records can be lost if there’s a natural disaster or water damage. The effort also will allow records to be searched through an online database.

Some of the marriage records predate both Cape Girardeau County, founded in 1812, and Missouri, which gained statehood in 1821. Although they have been laminated, many of the oldest documents are yellowing and the meticulous, handwritten records are starting to fade.

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Information from: Southeast Missourian, http://www.semissourian.com