Pan T. K.
18 Jul 2018 / #31
I suspect that the reason I can't find the marriage cert is that
After more thought, my opinion is that this was likely an arranged marriage, so the marriage records are where she arrived in the U.S. from Europe, i.e, New York or Baltimore. If the groom came for his bride after she cleared the arrival hall, he was required to marry her on the spot if none of her relatives came to meet her. This was the rule to prevent human trafficking as its now known. Look for a marriage record there. If you don't have them, look for the passenger manifest in the arrival records. Those should list each passenger's place of origin, with whom they traveled, and the name of the person (frequently a relative) they came to visit in the U.S. You can also look in the WWI draft registration records for your great-grandfather. If you can't find the marriage record itself (you will need an exemplary copy from a court), then you need to make an argument that your grandmother is a citizen regardless if she was born legitimate or illegitimate, which means proving it through each parent.
You have been the number one most helpful resource
I am glad to be of service. Ignore the trolls who have a different agenda.