Need help for proving physical presence

[Ranger]

Hi, I'm new here and hoping i could get some help with a very hard question.

I'm trying to prove my mom had live in America for 10 years (which she did) over the years before i was born. However the situation for proving this is very hard. The time frame we're talking about is from the 1930's to the 1950's.

My mom's parents had moved from America before she was born and they were both citizens, which allowed her to claim it easily based on the laws at the time. The hard part is the family would come down down together for months to their parent's farm and help out in the summer months when she was just a baby and bring supplies as this was during the height of the dust bowl.

While she grew old in the late 30's and 40's she would come down every year for 6 months to help out on the farm for the summer and harvest time for over a good decade. After that the time she spent down in america became sporadic with a couple months here to an entire couple years at once. yet she always stayed with them on that farm to work there.

Now the census records, if they even show her back in 1940 will not be released for 2 more years. the border where they crossed every year said they have no records until only the last couple decades (like around the 80's). Even her school was done in Canada as she did live there for most of the normal school year.

Basically the only proof we've found is dozens of pictures, some even have the dates stamped on them showing her on their farm in America over the years. besides those and a written statement from her and a couple of her siblings stating its true, what else could we possible gather as proof? because she lived with her grandparents and their children, her name would not be on anything like taxes or things like that.

Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

[janurabi]

Hi Ranger, I'm in the same boat as you are.

My mother lived in the U.S. in her early years from ages 8 to 19 in the 60s. My mother is a U.S. citizen by virtue of my grandparents naturalization in 64, being a minor and having a green card.

Right now, I've applied for a U.S. Passport as a first-time derivative claimant. Now the good thing about my mother was, she kept records and letters. My mother moved to Canada at the age of 19, after marrying my father whose a Canadian citizen. During the years spent in the States, my parents corresponded by letter to each other. Luckily, she kept every single letter they sent back and forth over the years. That helps to establish my mother's residence and the consulate most certainly made photocopies of those letters. As well as my mother's elementary and high school records.

Not sure if this helps you but if you wish we can discuss it further. It's been roughly 60 days since I applied for my passport and I'm currently awaiting a response from the Consulate in regards to their decision.