Hi, THOR does have obits from late 1800's up to around 1970. I go there, look up what I can find, go the library here in Lakeland, and they order photocopies for me for free. Volunteers have transcribed them for years. I have some for my grandparents, and articles on my great grandparents from many years ago. Be sure to look under TRAILS, as that is the database where articles and obits are found. It takes several weeks to get them, but it is well worth the wait. The librarians have gone out of their way to be helpful. Not all obits are there by any means, but many from Lakeland are. I am sure there are for other areas as well. I remember that in the 60's era (giving away my age) obits that appeared in the Lakeland Ledger often were in the Tampa Trib as well. http://www.thpl.org/thpl/eresources/thor/trails.html Sydney ----- Original Message ----- From: "Whetsel" <mwhetsel@worldnet.att.net> To: <FLHILLSB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 5:39 PM Subject: Re: [FLHILLSB] Obit Search Help > Don, > > The Tampa Tribune is THE source for obits in the five county area. There > have been some small weekly publications throughout the county, but none > that have survived or have been preserved. More than likely, the obits you > are looking for are available in the Tribune archives. > > The problem that keeps appearing here on the mailing list is misinformation > regarding THOR. It is a fantastic database for the holdings of the Tampa > Hillsborough Library...if you are looking for reference books, tapes, films, > music, etc., etc. It lists all the holdings of the Tampa Library. It does > NOT have obits any further back than 3 years and MANY of them are not > entered into the THOR database, or for some reason are not accessible > online. > > Obits for any earlier than 1998 must be retrieved manually either at the > library or from the Tampa Tribune office. The Tribune and the Library both > charge fees for doing this. Additionally, there are some local individuals > on the mailing list who either do it on a volunteer or cost basis. > > I hope this clarifies the use of the THOR database for all those who have > been frustrated by using it. > > Marc Whetsel > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Donald Avery <davery@drakausa.com> > To: <FLHILLSB-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: May 23, 2001 4:03 PM > Subject: [FLHILLSB] Obit Search Help > > > | Listers: > | > | Is there another newspaper other than the Tampa Tribune which would cover > obits. for Ruskin, FL ?? > | > | I already tried the THOR database looking for Houston Avery who died Oct. > 1986 along with his lovely bride, Lear (Garner) Avery who died in May 1993, > both in Ruskin. > | > | Any ideas please ?? > | > | Thanks > | > | Don Avery > | Massachusetts > | > | > | ============================== > | Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > | learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > | http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library > | > > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > >

Perhaps the confusion lies in the fact that the word 'index' has not been used. What everyone has said is correct, and probably just needs to be stated that Thor has the 'index' of obits, not the actual obits, from the middle 1800's to about 1980 (I have found some recently, so they are making delightful progress!). I might also mention that the Plant City History Center on Collins Street has a lot of microfiche of the Plant City newspapers. I just do not recall how current they are, but I have found a lot of family information in that history center. Here is the information: The Quintilla Geer Bruton Archives Center is located at the ground floor of the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 North Collins Street, Plant City, Florida 33566. The Center holds more than 2,000 books, family, historical, genealogical and photographic files, periodicals, newspapers and records on microforms. The Archives Center is open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. The telephone number is 813 754-7031. Joycce Bruce Cardner wrote: > Hi, > THOR does have obits from late 1800's up to around 1970. I go there, look > up what I can find, go the library here in Lakeland, and they order > photocopies for me for free. Volunteers have transcribed them for years. > I have some for my grandparents, and articles on my great grandparents from > many years ago. > Be sure to look under TRAILS, as that is the database where articles and > obits are found. It takes several weeks to get them, but it is well worth > the wait. The librarians have gone out of their way to be helpful. Not all > obits are there by any means, but many from Lakeland are. I am sure there > are for other areas as well. I remember that in the 60's era (giving away > my age) obits that appeared in the Lakeland Ledger often were in the Tampa > Trib as well. > http://www.thpl.org/thpl/eresources/thor/trails.html > Sydney > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Whetsel" <mwhetsel@worldnet.att.net> > To: <FLHILLSB-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 5:39 PM > Subject: Re: [FLHILLSB] Obit Search Help > > > Don, > > > > The Tampa Tribune is THE source for obits in the five county area. There > > have been some small weekly publications throughout the county, but none > > that have survived or have been preserved. More than likely, the obits you > > are looking for are available in the Tribune archives. > > > > The problem that keeps appearing here on the mailing list is > misinformation > > regarding THOR. It is a fantastic database for the holdings of the Tampa > > Hillsborough Library...if you are looking for reference books, tapes, > films, > > music, etc., etc. It lists all the holdings of the Tampa Library. It does > > NOT have obits any further back than 3 years and MANY of them are not > > entered into the THOR database, or for some reason are not accessible > > online. > > > > Obits for any earlier than 1998 must be retrieved manually either at the > > library or from the Tampa Tribune office. The Tribune and the Library both > > charge fees for doing this. Additionally, there are some local individuals > > on the mailing list who either do it on a volunteer or cost basis. > > > > I hope this clarifies the use of the THOR database for all those who have > > been frustrated by using it. > > > > Marc Whetsel > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Donald Avery <davery@drakausa.com> > > To: <FLHILLSB-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: May 23, 2001 4:03 PM > > Subject: [FLHILLSB] Obit Search Help > > > > > > | Listers: > > | > > | Is there another newspaper other than the Tampa Tribune which would > cover > > obits. for Ruskin, FL ?? > > | > > | I already tried the THOR database looking for Houston Avery who died > Oct. > > 1986 along with his lovely bride, Lear (Garner) Avery who died in May > 1993, > > both in Ruskin. > > | > > | Any ideas please ?? > > | > > | Thanks > > | > > | Don Avery > > | Massachusetts > > | > > | > > | ============================== > > | Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > > | learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > > | http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library > > | > > > > > > ============================== > > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > > > > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog

I, too, have found obits in the Trails section of THOR. By typing in the name, I got the name, date, page and section of the newspaper where the obit could be found. I printed out that info and took it to the reference desk of my public library and filled out a form. My library requested the info on Interlibrary Loan from the Hillsborough Co. Library. One time, they (Hillsborough) printed out the obit and mailed it back to the local library where I picked it up. Another time, I think they sent the roll of microfilm to the local library, and I had to look it up and print it, but I don't think that's the normal procedure. At any rate, it's very easy to do. My obits were from 1963 and 1968 and were in the Tampa Tribune Cynthia