I saw a recent (April 6) post on ILCOLES where a volunteer offered to do lookups in several of the Coles Co Genealogical Society's (CCGS) Publications, including the Prairie Sleeps series, Volumes I-IV. I would like to commend anyone for having purchased the books. And also for having offering to share the contents of them with others. Thank you for your courtesy! :)) I am currently serving on the Board of Directors for the CCGS, and have PROPOSED that a project be initiated to collect additional information to supplement the information contained in the Prairie Sleeps series. I have not encountered any negative feelings about beginning such a project, other than it would be a major, long-term project. If this project is begun, it will need to be a combined effort of everyone who has data to contribute. Judging by your apparent interest in Coles County history, (you are subscribed to ILCOLES !), I would like to extend to you the request to make notes of any VERIFIABLE ERRORS or OMMISSIONS that you can identify in any of the Prairie Sleeps series. Obviously, only those persons who own, or have read the Prairie Sleeps series would be knowledgeable about any such errors or ommissions. I visualize that for any additions or corrections to have value, and to merit the time necessary to enter them into some form of database so that the "new" information can be made available, on demand, in a report, any information submitted for inclusion in the proposed addendum (it currently has no definite name) would need to be somehow identified with the contributor's name and a specific source reference. Specific details about the actual execution of such a project have not been defined at this time, but I have a rough idea about how I would do it. Probably by entering the submitted data into my Genealogical Software program (Brother's Keeper (BK)). I can link the source of each and every bit of data to that data very easliy by using BK. I can link persons together. But most important to me is that I can create and print a custom report containing the names of persons buried in a cemetery WITHOUT HAVING TO RETYPE A LONG (?) LIST! To illustrate my point about errors and ommissions, I have been working on a compilation of the persons buried in Mt Tabor Cemetery in Pleasant Grove Twp, Coles Co, IL. I have attempted to access any and all sources available to secure as much information as can be found. The Prairie Sleeps listed a total of 471 names. My compilation currently lists 596. As most researchers well know, sources exist by many names. Birth and Death records can be located for many persons at the County Courthouse. Sometimes not! Family Bibles are an important source. Personal knowledge is a good source. The list goes on. Obits and other newspaper clippings (birth, marriage, anniversary). Family historian's records. Family researcher's records. Verbal family tradition sometimes fills in some gaps. etc. What I am wanting to do is begin a collection of ANY and ALL "NEW" information about the BIRTH and DEATH dates of persons who either died or are buried in Coles Co. I am defining "NEW" to mean any data which is not now CORRECTLY AND/OR COMPLETELY listed in the Prairie Sleeps series. THEREFORE, at this time I am requesting for all interested persons who have discovered any errors or ommissions in the Prairie Sleeps series, to send to me any of the following which would supplement OR replace what can now be found in the the Prairie Sleeps. Legal Name First, Middle, Last, and any commonly used nickname Birth Date Day, Month, Year plus Location of birth, if known Death Date Day, Month, Year plus Location of death, if known Burial Date Name of Coles County Cemetery Now then, the plot thickens! IF you have additional information available on a person, I would like to be able to identify the following also. Remembering that the starting point is a person who is buried in a Coles Co Cemetery. Parents' names Spouse's name All spouses, if multiple marriages This additional information is important for placing a person in a family group to help identify if other siblings, or parents and children are buried in the same cemetery. Any comments or contributions should be sent to me at the following address. All contributions should identify specific sources for each item. mrbill William A. "Bill" Harrison <MRBIL1@JUNO.COM> Sponsor of the STONER and SCHNORF Family discussion lists on Rootsweb. ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]