GOPHER RECORDS

I had first heard of Bob Velke and Gopher Records through the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. I contacted him, to see if he could locate a specific record concerning my Great Grandfather, who had served with the Iowa Cavalry during that conflict. Working on my own, I had been unsuccessful in locating the information that I wanted. Bob Velke went immediately to work on it, but like myself, couldn’t find that specific record but suggested retrieving my ancestor’s pension records, which he had located during his search.
I told him to go ahead and send me what he had found, and I was simply blown away. When I got the file via email, it held literally pages and pages of information of which I had no idea existed. Several years of pension applications, reductions, reinstatements, plus paperwork that helped reveal the initial legislation, and subsequent development of the US Civil War Veteran Pension system. I had no idea how much information on my family could be gleaned from that one file.
I am fortunate, in that I have several other ancestors who responded to Lincoln’s call for volunteers. I can’t wait to see what Gopher Records on each of them. Did it take a lot of time for results? I do not know if I put in my request at just the right time, or if Bob Velke actually lives at the National Archives. In my specific case, start to finish took only two weeks – WOW!
OK, this is turning into a real epistle, but yes, I am very impressed with Gopher Records.