The Illinois State Archives does hold death certificates from 1916 - 1945 maintained by the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales records. .Births To find date and place of birth and names of parents, consult: Birth Certificates (most beginning 1877) Birth Registers (most beginning 1877) Delayed Birth Certificates .Deaths To find date, place, and cause of death, or place of burial, consult: Death Certificates (most beginning 1877) Death Registers (most beginning 1877) Probate Records Almshouse/Poor Farm Records Cemetery Records Coroner's Inquest Records .Marriages To find date and place of marriage, age and residence of bride and groom, consent of parent in case of minors, consult: Marriage Certificates Marriage Applications (beginning 1877) Marriage Record Marriage Licenses .Divorces To find date of dissolution of marriage and divorce proceedings and agreements, consult: Circuit Court Chancery Case Files Circuit Court Chancery Records .Residences To find place and duration of or changes in residence, consult: Assessor's Books Collector's Books Voters' Registration Records Election Records Deed Records Naturalization Petitions and Affidavits .Real Property To find amount, location, and value of real estate owned; to find sale or mortgaging of property or division among heirs, consult: Assessor's Books Collector's Books Deed Records Tax Sale Records Probate Records Mortgage Records .Personal Property To find types of personal property owned, assessed valuations, mortgages, inventories, and sales of estates, consult: Assessor's Books Probate Appraisement Records Probate Sale Records Probate Inventory Records Chattel Mortgage Records .Naturalizations To find date of naturalization, age, nationality, date of emigration, place of residence in this country, consult: Naturalization Papers Naturalization Declarations of Intention Naturalization Records Naturalization Records of Soldiers and Minors .Estates To find date of death, details of will, names and relationships of heirs, guardians appointed for children, widow's portion of estate, settlement of estate, and results of contested estates, consult: Wills Probate Records Guardianship Records Widow's Relinquishment and Selection Records Probate Case Files Circuit Court Chancery Records(for contested estates) .School Attendance To find age, grade, and residence of children, consult: School Schedules School Pupil Registers .Court Actions To find involvement in civil, criminal, or chancery cases, consult: Circuit Court Records County Court Records Circuit Court Case Files County Court Case Files Circuit Court Indexes County Court Indexes .Paupers To find name, age, residence, occupation, birthplace, and occasionally death date and place of burial of paupers, consult: Almshouse/Poor Farm Records County Hospital Records Cemetery Records Board of Supervisors' Minutes Board of Supervisors' Proceedings Files .Professions Records usually include names, residences, and dates of certification. Teachers' records often give age, residence, and education. Miners' records give age and years worked in mines. Physicians, Midwives, Nurses, Dentists, Optometrists, Veterinarians, Architects and combined Professional Registers (most beginning 1877) School Teachers' Records Miners' Examining Board Records (1908-) County Officials Oaths and Bonds Election Records

I should have included the following in my last message. Fees: The research services of the IRAD system are provided at no charge. Therefore, when requesting information by mail a self-addressed stamped envelope is not necessary. However, there may be a photocopy fee for which you will be billed. Unless an expenditure limit is set in advance by the researcher, authorization to produce photocopies will be requested for billings that exceed $5.00. I have all the Irad Addresses up so if someone is interested in a county that was not listed in my last message let me know and I will send it to you privately. Earliene [email protected]

For all those who have asked, here is the address for the IRAD that holds the records for DeWitt and other counties listed below. Illinois Regional Archives Depository Williams Hall Illinois State University Campus Box 5500 Normal, IL 61790-5500 Telephone: (309) 452-6027 Hours:Monday - Friday, except state holidays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. In order for depository staff to conduct a search of the IRAD holdings, researchers should provide the following information: IRAD welcomes mail and telephone requests from researchers interested in genealogy and local history. The regional depositories are unable to receive or send requests by e-mail. Please direct inquiries to the depository holding the records you wish to have searched. .The full names of the persons they are researching .The approximate year when these persons are expected to appear in the records .The county which created the records .Record titles/types to search Include any additional information that may assist in locating the person or information requested (such as township or precinct for searches of tax and election records). Researchers also are asked to limit requests to two (2) names at a time and to wait for a response to one request before submitting another one. Inquiries should be sent directly to the depository holding the records of the county to be searched. Champaign DeWitt Ford GrundyIroquois Kankakee Livingston LoganMarshall McLean Piatt TazewellVermilion Woodford

Does anyone have access to Probate records 1855-1860 DeWitt County??? I am looking for a death record for my ggg grandfather John Cartmill/Cartmell. He and family are listed DeWitt County on the 1855 State Census and by 1860 Rebecca his wife is listed as a widow and living in Livingston County, IL. I would gladly pay for any costs in getting this information. His son is buried in the Halsey Cemetery and Rebecca died 1878 in the Hallsville Poorhouse. Their daughter Julia Ann married George F. Davenport 1852 in DeWitt County. Son William married Mariah/Maria Burton 1850. Daughter Polly m/ Jesse Towler 1851. Any information 1851. on this family would be helpful. Thank you. Earliene Kaelin

I found the "THE HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY - 1882" on microfiche in the Vero Beach Library. Written by W. R. Brink & Co - 1882. We just added the Table of Contents to our homepage at: http://members.aol.com/rehfla/elihalsey/index.html Link = "LOOKUPS" DeWitt County. Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL

I am looking for information about Margaret Lane and her family. Margaret Lane would marry Hiram Mastin on November 3, 1853 in Creek Township of DeWitt County. Any information about them would be greatly appreciated! Best regards, Michael Mastin Mixed Signal Products Computer Peripherals & Control Products Texas Instruments, Inc., (972)480-3186

I am trying to locate information about Fannie Warrenburg, her mother and father and other siblings. Fannie married Levi Mastin in DeWitt County on July 22, 1866. They would move to Lake City, Iowa around 1870 and would settle and die there. Any information would be greatly appreciated! Best regards, Michael Mastin Mixed Signal Products Computer Peripherals & Control Products Texas Instruments, Inc., (972)480-3186

My grandfather was William Spencer Francis, son of George Russell Francis and Miranda Armstrong. The Spencer Armstrong Francis and Margaret (Margrette) Elizabeth McClure that I am looking for were George's parents. I cannot find any info on their parents, I am thinking that perhaps Spencer's mother was an Armstrong by the way the names were passed down. Also looking for information on Kirby Armstrong and Miranda C. Gambrel who were my GGGGrandparents. My mother Delores Louise Francis Collins was in contact in the 1960's with Mildred Marvel Burwell, they worked together gathering info on the Marvel history. We have copies up to the 7th and 8th. generations, but would love to have what Mildred called Section IV the final issue to be published in 1969, including the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th generations. My father died in late 1968 and Mom lost contact with Mildred. any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Vicki Collins Showers -----Original Message----- From: Robert LeRoy Smith <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Monday, November 16, 1998 8:02 AM Subject: Marvel family >Vickey Collins Showers - message 11/15/98 >I have tried to match the names you listed with my information on the >Marvel family. There is more, including stretching back to John Marvell who >migrated to America in the mid 1600s. I was unable to locate a Spencer >Armstrong Francis. Tell me what else, if anything, you need and I will try >to supply. > >Prettyman Marvel (1801-1842) married Rebecca Barr (1806-1893) in 1823. I >have photo of Rebecca. She was a daughter of John Barr and Nancy Agnes >Hamilton. I also have photo of Nancy Agnes. > >Cynthia Marvel (1830-1868) was the fourth child of Prettyman and Rebecca. >She married Montgomery Warrick Jr (1828-1848) in 1848. They had no children. > >Cynthia Marvel married Ira Armstrong ( -1889) in 1849, They had seven >children William H., Rebecca J., Kirby, Miranda, Nancy E., Susan, and >Winnie A. > >Miranda Armstrong (1856-1929) married George Francis (1852-1918) in 1879. >They had four children, Carrie M., William Spencer, Harry Eugene, and >Charley R. > >Percival Draper Armstrong (1883-1924) a son of Henry Thompson Armstrong and >Flora S. Hornbeck married Mary Elizabeth McClure a daughter of Charles E. >McClure and an unidentified spouse. Percival's grandmother was Lavina the >sixth child of Prettyman and Rebecca Marvel.

Mabel Butler of Waynesville sent me a clipping showing the Genealogy society had a bus tour on Oct 17th. They visited a number of cemeteries including the Halsey-Hougham Cemetery. Two items: 1. How did the tour go? Is there a write-up about it? 2. The article mentions a Wikle Cemetery. Is there any info available? Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL

In the "Ghost Town" story they mentioned two cemeteries in Harp Township near the lost town of Swisher. One was Lemon Cemetery and the other one was Walters Cemetery. Dose anyone one know if these cemeteries still exist and are there inscriptions available? Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL

I am looking for information on the following family and any information would help. Thank you. Earliene Kaelin [email protected] 1. JAMES1 MONROE was born 1800 in Kentucky. He married MARY WOODS June 04, 1826 in Jefferson County, Indiana. More About JAMES MONROE: Fact 1: 1850, Jefferson County, Ind. Census Fact 2: 1860, Knox County, MO. Census Children of JAMES MONROE and MARY WOODS are: i. SARAH2 MONROE, b. 1829, Indiana. ii. MARY J. MONROE, b. 1830, Indiana. iii. JULIET MONROE, b. 1833, Indiana. iv. ELIZA JENETTE MONROE, b. March 03, 1835, Indiana; d. January 18, 1888, Dewitt County , Illinois; m. HUGH BOWLES COPPENBARGER, Abt. 1859, Knox County, Missouri. 1860 Knox County, Missouri Census Benton Township pg 3 6-1-1860 Hugh B. Copenbarger WM age 25 Farmer b. IL Jenette WF age 25 b. IND Emma WF age 1 b. MO 1870 DeWitt County, IL Census Coppenbarger, Hugh B. WM age 35 b. IL. Eliza J. WF age 35 b. Ind. Emma WF age 11 b. Mo. Isaac WM age 9 b. IL James WM age 8 b. IL Ben. J. WM age 7 b. IL Minnie WF age 4 b. IL Ella WF age 1 b. IL Lella WF age 1 b. IL 1880 DeWitt County, Census page 8 Coppenbarger, E. Jane WF age 49 b. Ind. Father b. KY Mother b. Scotland Isaac WM age 16 b. IL Father b. IL Mother b. IND. Minnie B. WF age 14 b. IL ditto above Lillie WF age 11 b. IL ditto parents birth Hadden, Frank WM age 29 b. IL Father b. IND. Mother B. INd. v. JAMES A. MONROE, b. 1838, Indiana. vi. JOSHUA MONROE, b. 1841, Indiana. vii. ROBERT MONROE, b. 1843, Indiana. viii. JOHN W. MONROE, b. 1845, Indiana. ix. ALPHEUS BENTON MONROE, b. 1847, Indiana. x. GEORGE A. MONROE, b. 1850, Indiana. xi. JOSEPHENE MONROE, b. 1856, Indiana.

---------- I am looking for the parents of my ggg grandmother: Nancy Henderson b. Kentucky 1-31-1817 the daughter of John/Jack Henderson who went to DeWitt Co., IL. abt 1825 but left by 1840. Nancy was married in Macon County,IL. to George Coppenbarger Nov. 12, 1829. Other Henderson about Nancy's age that appear in Macon and could be sibblings are: Stewart Henderson m/ Nancy Vinson 7/1829, Isaac Henderson, Addie Henderson Nancy and George had 6 children. Nancy died 1869 in DeWitt County, IL. Any help is needed and appreciated. Earliene Kaelin [email protected]

We just added a Cemetery Index for our on-line cemeteries at: http://members.aol.com/rehfla/elihalsey/index.html Link = "LOOKUPS" DeWitt County. Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL

I am looking for any information on my ggg grandmother: Rebecca Hendricks/Hendrix (Spelled both ways different documents) Born: abt. 1800 Census records all say N.C. (Census records show her born between 1801-1808 but records from DeWitt Co., IL Poorhouse state she was 105 years old at her death in 1878. I know that she was at least 21 in 1822 as her father did not sign bond at marriage. The fact that her children were born 1825-1839 leads me to believe that the age given at time of death is wrong. Married: John Cartmill Bath County, KY Feb. 21,1822 Children: William H. (1825) Polly (1831) Julia Ann (1832) John H. (1834) Tarlton (1839) Whereabouts of Rebecca and John 1830-1840 are unknown some records show last two children born Iowa but I have been unable to locate them. In 1850 they are in DeWitt County, IL, 1860-1870 Livingston Co.,IL., She dies DeWitt County 1878. John dies 1855-1860 Any information will help. Earliene Kaelin [email protected]

Vickey Collins Showers - message 11/15/98 I have tried to match the names you listed with my information on the Marvel family. There is more, including stretching back to John Marvell who migrated to America in the mid 1600s. I was unable to locate a Spencer Armstrong Francis. Tell me what else, if anything, you need and I will try to supply. Prettyman Marvel (1801-1842) married Rebecca Barr (1806-1893) in 1823. I have photo of Rebecca. She was a daughter of John Barr and Nancy Agnes Hamilton. I also have photo of Nancy Agnes. Cynthia Marvel (1830-1868) was the fourth child of Prettyman and Rebecca. She married Montgomery Warrick Jr (1828-1848) in 1848. They had no children. Cynthia Marvel married Ira Armstrong ( -1889) in 1849, They had seven children William H., Rebecca J., Kirby, Miranda, Nancy E., Susan, and Winnie A. Miranda Armstrong (1856-1929) married George Francis (1852-1918) in 1879. They had four children, Carrie M., William Spencer, Harry Eugene, and Charley R. Percival Draper Armstrong (1883-1924) a son of Henry Thompson Armstrong and Flora S. Hornbeck married Mary Elizabeth McClure a daughter of Charles E. McClure and an unidentified spouse. Percival's grandmother was Lavina the sixth child of Prettyman and Rebecca Marvel.

Of course, it would not have been unusual for their to have been a "potter's field" on the almhouse grounds, with little if any records or burial.

Earliene, (& Lucinda & Bob Halsey), I think maybe the cemetery you were looking for is McClimans, which is less than a mile or so directly west of the county home. Bob Halsey recently posted its burial list last month: >>We have just added the McClimans Cemetery, Barnett Township, to our homepage: http://members.aol.com/rehfla/elihalsey/index.html Link = "LOOKUPS." Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL As I recall, it seemed fair size for a town that small. Hope that helps. Glen

>Hello.. >Does anyone know about Poor Farms? In the days before social security, poor farms a.k.a. alms houses were not uncommon. They were a sort of public safety net, supported by varying mixtures of public and private funding. Unfortunately they sometimes were not the most wholesome of places, and usually considered a place of last resort. Perhaps you have heard the expression "end up in the poor house." Just as is the case now, there were many elderly people with no surviving relatives, and also people were not always able to care for all their family members. However back then social pressure was much greater, in that large extended families were the norm and nursing homes had not come into fashion. Thus I would imagine that it was not uncommon for the obituaries of people that died in poor houses to not cite it as the place of death. I guess one could say that it was just rather unfashionable. >I am trying to find information on a place called Hallsville Poor Farm in Dewitt County. About three months back , Bob Halsey posted the following two messages that refer to the Hallsville home in particular. The County Nursing home is still there, I believe on the same grounds, and is currently undergoing rennovations. It is on the North side of Illinois Route 10, near the western border of DeWitt County. Hope this helps. Glen Earliene, I think I have found your Poor House. I have another article written in 1873, two years after the first article, by a Rev. Fred H. Wines. He calls it an "Alms House" and states that it is eight miles west of Clinton, (ten by road), at a little station on the I. B. & W. Railway, called "Hallsville", and not more that a quarter of a mile from the depot. He also, says that Bentley MILLS bought the property, which is Section 28, Barnett Township. I also, checked my 1956 "Aerial County History" book, and Hallsville is at the south end of Section 28. Also, the book has a picture of the "County Farm", and there is a large building in the middle that looks just like the main building described in the old articles. I would guess that your 105 ancestor is buried somewhere near there. I don't have any information on cemeteries in or around Hallsville. Maybe someone on the e-mail list could check? Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL THE DE WITT COUNTY ALMS-HOUSE IN 1873 The following article appeared in the 28 August 1873 issue of The Clinton Public and was written by Rev. Fred H. Wines, Secretary of the State Board of Public Charities, following his official visit to DeWitt County. The Alms-House. The almshouse in De Witt county . . . is situated eight miles west of Clinton, (ten by the road), at a little station on the I. B. & W. Railway, called Hallsville, and not more than a quarter of a mile from the depot. The farm contains two hundred acres, of which forty acres are timber land. It was purchased of Bentley MILLS, in 1870, for $9,500. At the time of the purchase, there were upon the place an old frame house, considerably dilapidated, with six rooms, and still more dilapidated log barn. The county has since erected a new frame house, twenty-four feet by forty-four, two stories in height, and a frame carriage house and corn crib. Mr. Frank MC GUIRE has been keeper from the time of opening the almshouse and under his management the condition of 'the farm has been much improved. The land is good, though not extra, but needs manure. About one hundred acres are in cultivation with the plough, principally in corn, the remainder is in meadow and pasture. Mr. MC GUIRE set out three quarters of a mile of Osage orange hedge, this spring, with plants grown upon the farm. The farm is well stocked and furnished with a complete set of farming implements, of good patents and in good order. The county owns four mules, eleven cows, some yearlings and calves, and about seventy-five head of hogs. Everything on the farm belongs to the county, in whose interest the land is worked, the county paying all expenses, and allowing the keeper seven hundred dollars a year or the services of himself, his wife, and one girl, which he regards as too little compensation. The buildings upon the farm are cheap and inconvenient. They admit of only a partial separation of the sexes, and there is no proper provision for the care of the insane. Two rooms for the insane have been finished off, it is true, over the kitchen in he keeper's house, but they are unsecured, although provided with a very light grating over the windows, and also with a grated opening into the hall, near the stove, for the admission of heat. Their position is such, that any violence on the part of any persons confined in them disturbs the keeper's family and all the paupers in the house with him; and in case of a filthy patient their proximity to the kitchen and relation to it is very objectionable. The result is that they are not used as places f confinement, but a violent and dangerous crazy man upon the premises is allowed to no about, with 2 hall and chain attached to both ankles, and at night, or by day also, at times, when it appears necessary, he is chained to a ring and staple in the floor r of one of the rooms in the old house. He has no bed, but sleeps on the floor on account of his filthy habits, and he is kept in subjection n by occasionally threatening to take his life with a gun or a revolver. Another dangerous patient, a woman, was one day hung one of the children in a fork of an apple tree and left him there, is occasionally whipped. The county authorities certainly ought to obviate the necessity for such treatment, which belongs to a past age . . . . With this exception the paupers appeared to be as comfortable and well cared for as usual. There are, however, no facilities whatever for bathing the inmates. The county physician visits the farm once a week, and oftener if called upon. The pauper expense of DeWitt county, for twelve months, from June 1st, 1872, to June lst, 1873, as appears from the records in the county clerk's office, is as follows: Paid to keeper $ 646.33 Medical attendance at farm, 305.13 Supplies and labor on farm 1047.06 Total expense of farm $1998.52 Medical attendance outside 2125.20 Out door relief 443.69 Inquests 39.00 Burials 86.50 Pauper transportation,. . . 20.00 Total expense outside $1684.39 Total pauper expense $3682.91 This amount is not large in proportion to the population of the county, though one of the items, outside medical relief, is disproportionate to the rest, and apparently might be reduced. To the amount named, however, there must be added another item, viz. a payment of $2,788.51 on the purchase of the farm, which makes the aggregate footing $5,471.42. The removal of the farm to such a distance from the county seat is an unwise act, because it increases the expense of transportation, and renders proper supervision very difficult, if not impossible. Very little attention appears to be paid in this county y to the farm or to the paupers, on the part of the supervisors. The farm is unnecessarily large, also . . . . Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL

I am looking for various relations including Kirby ARMSTRONG married Miranda C. GAMBREL--Ira Francis ARMSTRONG married Cynthia MARVEL WARRICK and then Annie GAMBREL-- Miranda ARMSTRONG married George Russell FRANCIS--Spencer Armstrong FRANCIS married Margaret Elizabeth McCLURE. I am at dead ends with these sets of GG+GGGGrandparents, despite knowing some things about them. Anyone with info nomatter how little please contact me. Thank you Vicki Collins Showers

Hello.. Does anyone know about Poor Farms? I am trying to find information on a place called Hallsville Poor Farm in Dewitt County. I found a letter of some one wrote in the family that said that my 3 great grandfather died in the basement of this poor farm in 1929. His obit states that he died in the home of his daughter. This is the first time in my research that I have come across anything like this. Can someone tell me exactly what a poor farm is? Any Help is appreciated. Have a Great Day :-) Lacinda [email protected] Page me on ICQ # 9870890 Family Tree Project http://www.geocities.com/~lacinda2 Join the Illinois Roots, Beckham, or Roth Mailing Lists http://www.geocities.com/~lacinda2/maillist.htm Post a Message in The Forum http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi?acct=mb220110