I have been sporadically searching for naturalization records for an ancestor, thus far without success despite the wonderful help from many NARA researchers. It's a long shot, but I thought I might reach out to this community and see if anyone can point me toward collections that might not be indexed in NARA's holdings or on Ancestry/FamilySearch.
The Details:
Name: George Montague Plews
Birth: July 9, 1910, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Died in 1981).
Naturalization Date: Sometime between 1942-1950. Family recollection and one of those "who's who" books from the 1940s state that he was naturalized in 1942. Family recollection is also that he was naturalized while in the army during WWII. I have found enlistment paperwork from March 1942 stating that he was not a citizen as of that time. Family recollection is of him voting, having a US passport...there's no real question he eventually did become a citizen.
Place of Naturalization: Unknown. He lived in Chicago/its suburbs for years before and after his military service, and for the rest of his life. He enlisted at Camp Grant in Illinois in March 1942, and the only surviving record from NPRC is a pay stub that places him at Camp Davis in North Carolina in April of 1943. We know he served in an Anti-Aircraft Unit, and was deployed to Europe at some point.
Where I've Searched so Far:
*I've contacted every NARA branch, starting with the logical places and expanding, since he could have served anywhere. No luck.
*State court archives in Illinois' state libraries for counties that were still doing naturalizations in the 1940s. No luck.
*Every variation and filter I can think of on Ancestry and FamilySearch. Many State Court Naturalization Indices are on there... Nada.
*I put in a request with USCIS almost a year ago...but searching myself is more fun and probably faster : )
The only actual immigration/naturalization document I found was his AR-2 form from October 1940. It states he filled his Declaration of Intent on May 8, 1940, in Chicago--but strangely, NARA Chicago doesn't have that either (and I searched months of images by hand online, since there's no index, just in case the date was wrong). If that date is correct, though, then the earliest he could have been naturalized was May 1942, shortly after enlistment.
So really, I have two questions for the collective wisdom of genealogists with experience on this:
1) Anyone have another idea for other databases that I might have overlooked? Or a bit of genealogical wizardry that could point me in the right direction?
2) It seems that the paperwork I'm looking for is in either a State or NARA collection that has no index, and would not be found on a routine search by an archivist--i.e., that you'd have to search yourself image-by-image online, or in a NARA/State facility. If a naturalization petition or a court order would be in that kind of collection, any ideas how I might start or narrow a search? Illinois seems by far the most likely place, though there are no guarantees.
I may have to simply wait for USCIS, of course, but would be so grateful for any tips or ideas those with vastly more experience unearthing these sorts of records.
Thanks in advance!
