A marriage license does not mean a couple actually got married. It means they requested permission to get married. A marriage record indicates they get married. A declaration of intention does not indicate a person actually became a citizen. A naturalization record does. Filing a homestead claim does not mean a person actually got the property. A final patent issued for the land does.
Think about exactly what a record means and, more importantly, what it does not mean.
In some instances, the marrying official never made it back to the courthouse to complete the record. The preacher who married my grandparents never got back to the courthouse; he died. The county clerk completed the form after the preacher's death.
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