There is chance for error in all of our genealogical sources. As for obits, whether free or for a fee, there are plenty of chances. For one - can you imagine the typesetters on deadline day....how the fingers must have flown over those tiny lead letters and numerals getting ready for presses? Even today, Funeral Directors often get things mixed mixed up in their notes taken during interviews of the relative who is making arrangements. Where I live, that's where newspapers get the obit information. Death records are only as accurate as what the informant knew. Sometimes the informant guessed at information from what he/she had heard in the past. Census records and county histories are notorious for error. As someone on this List said yesterday....confirm the data with other sources. Consider what you read as good clues to further your research. Lyde

During the summer of 1958, between my senior year of high school and before entering college, I was lucky enough to be the summer replacement for one of the employees of the local newspaper in Walla Walla WA, the Walla Walla Union Bulletin. Walla Walla was a fair sized town, even back then. It was a fantastic as well as a fascinating job for a teenager. I was a general proof reader and gofer and assembled the wire material for the weekly garden page. They even let me write a couple of articles that got printed! My man job, however, was daily vitals and writing up the obituaries. Every morning on the way in I would stop at the hosptal to pick up a list of the births, and at the funeral homes for information on deaths. Marriages were the purview of the the society editor and written up in grand fashion. All this information was considered news and, to the best of my knowledge, was printed free. Revenue other than sales of the paper, came from the classified page and from local merchants who ran large advertisements in the paper. Although most large city newspapers do charge fees today, many of the small ones still regard what is happening locally as news and continue to print it free of charge. Many, especially those who cover several small towns in an area, do use local correspondents whose job it is to collect local happenings. Of course these are not always correctly reported. I remember that once when my parents and I visited my grandmother in Nebraska the local paper reported that my parents visited along with their daughters, Gloria and Nan. I am an only child and Nan is my middle name. Gloria

Lyde and all, > Someone in each of the little neighborhoods or surrounding communities > was > engaged to serve as a "correspondent" who gathered the news and > sent it or > brought it in to town to the newspaper office. > I don't know about the obits from papers in larger cities; but that's > the way > it was in this little village at the turn of the century. That's the way it STILL is here in Shelley, Idaho (pop. 4,000). There is a person who writes for the paper (The Shelley Pioneer) who gives the news for the area where she lives. The news is divided into "areas", like the "Jamestown area", "Taylor area", etc. even thought these divisions are not on any commonly found map, the locals know where they are. It is much of the same type of things that are reported: who went where for vacation, who is visiting, who had a baby....etc. The correspondent usually will give most of the goings ons that concern people she knows, but there is an email address to send her other information if you want. On a similar note, recently I have been sending in transcriptions of a 1925 Tama City newspaper from Tama county, Iowa to the Tama County GenWeb site. It has opened my eyes to the fact that trips to Chicago for a weekend or more were really fairly common. That's a long way to go, really, from Tama, IA, it being just a little northeast from Des Moines! What was the draw, I wonder? Judy L.

In a message dated 1/14/2003 5:01:42 PM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > It should be remembered that long ago, obituaries were not a service > provided by the newspaper, but had to be paid for. Only people with money > to spare could afford to place an obituary in the newspaper As an old newspaperman, let me say that, in "the olden days," most papers published obits as a public service. In more recent times, papers (especially the metropolitan papers) have started charging for this service. I think most small papers still run them free of charge. One other thing to remember is that, when the obits were/are free, the information was usually provided by the funeral director. Alcoholism was an occupational illness among some of these guys, and their information was not always reliable. I found a death certificate which gave a relative's place of birth, which did not agree with what I had found elsewhere. Then, I saw that the death certificate information was provided by a funeral director with whom I was familiar. He was not noted for accuracy, and he always insisted on spelling "Baptist" as "Babtist." I guess the moral of the story is to always check out your information. Ken Parker

How true! I searched for years for an obituary for a grandfather who died in neighboring Schuyler Co., IL-even hired a researcher. He had been only 38 years old and my 'inherited' notes said he died accidentally. Nothing was found concerning Isaac N. Foster. Several months later the researcher sent me a newspaper clipping found in the Schuyler paper several published a week after his death. Looking for Isaac Foster, she missed the 1/3 page story regarding the suicide of one Newton Foster. I learned all the horrid details from the printed account and learned the N. stood for Newton. He'd never gone by his given name, Isaac! We were able to find his burial location from the article also. Cindy foster

How true! My grandfather's obit from 1923 is riddled with errors. His death certificate even lists "Mary INGRAM" as his mother, when her real name is "May". This man's father's obit of 1950 misses several children and grandchildren (That's because his surviving widow wrote the obit, and purposely omitted all children and grandchildren from his 3 previous marriages). These simple errors and omissions really hurt me in my search progress. The best source of info I've found so far, (when searching for minor details) is the divorce records that the Knox county court house had. The 1890's court reporter documented page after page of testimony of many people involved --- names and ages of children, names of close relatives, previous spouses, place of employemnt & work ethics, boyfriends, girlfriends, neighbors, friends, addresses, assets etc. I was in shock over all that I found there. [email protected] writes: > It should also be noted that obituaries are prepared by friends or relatives > of the deceased, and often contain glaring errors. The same goes for death > certificates, prepared by folks still grieving. For the best, correct > information, try for Marriage or birth records, both done at a happy time, > buy the person himself.

In a message dated 1/14/03 9:57:12 AM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: << It should be remembered that long ago, obituaries were not a service provided by the newspaper, but had to be paid for. Only people with money to spare could afford to place an obituary in the newspaper. >> Doris - The Glasford Gazette obits and death notices were not paid for; but their inclusion in this little weekly paper helped to sell papers. People were eager for any news. Deaths and the details thereof sold even more papers. Someone in each of the little neighborhoods or surrounding communities was engaged to serve as a "correspondent" who gathered the news and sent it or brought it in to town to the newspaper office. That person probably only got their copy of the paper free of charge. I don't know about the obits from papers in larger cities; but that's the way it was in this little village at the turn of the century. Lyde

Small towns are eager for news, and everything printable is news. That is true to this day in this small town of Richland, MO where I live. I have seen columns who reported," I called (insert name here) but they were't home.!! How is that for news. However, as you pointed out, larger cities require payment by the column inch, or whatever. Anyway, you might get lucky in a small town newspaper, but if searching a town of any size, it pays to search further. The "gossip Columns" are great sources for news of illness or death of locals. My point was not to give up if an obituary is not found. There are ways to work around a lack of obituary. I write a genealogy column (Digging for Roots) for our local newspaper, and I don't even get that "free" newspaper! If you ancestors had any contact with Pulaski County MO, send me your query and I will publish it. Doris Doris F. Williams [email protected] http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/i/l/Doris-Williams-MO/

I lot of email on the list group recently is about getting information from obituaries. It should be remembered that long ago, obituaries were not a service provided by the newspaper, but had to be paid for. Only people with money to spare could afford to place an obituary in the newspaper. When no obituary can be located, I have had success in reading the actual newspaper accounts from several days prior to several days after a known death. A biographical account told of our ancestor, Peter Williams, having died from an accident. I went to the Springfield, IL Newspaper archives, and looked up the newspaper for the date of his death from his tombstone (Dec 30 1866). Nothing was found in that week, but searching backwards from that date I found this account in a column which was about the "happenings" in the area. Here I found: In the Saturday edition of the Peoria Daily Transcript, December 29, 1866, was this notice: "Accident--Night before last as the engine on the R.I.R.R. at this place was making up a train on Water street, it frightened the team of Peter Williams, a coal driver, who was driving along by Gilligs saloon, on the same street. The horses reared and plunged, and threw Peter out under the engine, which ran over him and cut off his left arm. He was taken into an adjoining house and his injuries cared for." Night before last would place the accident December 27, and his head stone lists his death as December 30. He would have had massive injuries having been thrown under the Engine of the train, and having his left arm cut off. He apparently survived for three days. (Note of interest) The same newspaper carried a news article about Doctor Mudd, explaining that his appeal would not be considered. (Death of President Lincoln) You would think that such a tragic death would have been told and retold by the generations that followed, but no one in the family, who located in Fulton County, has any knowledge Peter Williams cause of death. It should also be noted that obituaries are prepared by friends or relatives of the deceased, and often contain glaring errors. The same goes for death certificates, prepared by folks still grieving. For the best, correct information, try for Marriage or birth records, both done at a happy time, buy the person himself. Remember, also, that if the ancestor recently moved from another location, the prior residence, where the ancestor was well known, can sometimes carry an account of the death. It should be remembered, also, that the county History books which contain biographies were often published as a money making enterprise, and a charge was made for placing the biography into the book. Only those folks who were well off financially could afford this luxury. Doris Doris F. Williams [email protected] http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/i/l/Doris-Williams-MO/

Although there were no obits for anyone connected to me, I found them fascinating. They reminded me of what I've found in newspaper microfilm of the same era in Coffey County, Kansas. In those I found many suicides, accidents involving fire, trains and horses, many deaths of small children and young adults. I think we don't often realize how difficult life was a hundred years ago. It doesn't hurt to be reminded of how things were, when we think have so hard now. ~Suz

In a message dated 1/12/03 8:59:32 PM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: << Life must have been hard in those days, even if they are refered to as the "Good Old Days". >> Pat - Reading the Gazette was a real history lesson for me. It was even more of an eye opener to read the regular community news...other than the obits. I no longer envy those who lived in the "good old days". Thanks for the compliment. Lyde

Thanks to Lyde for the Obits from the Glasford Gazette. I didn't find any ancestors among them, but they sure were interesting reading. Life must have been hard in those days, even if they are refered to as the "Good Old Days". Thanks Lyde for the many contributions and help you have given us. Pat Salyer in Oregon

In a message dated 1/12/2003 8:32:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > Does anyone know if Londie Benson's obits from the Farmington area are still > > being posted? I wrote to him a couple of years ago to get one of the obits but never got an answer. Carla Finley, Sarasota, FL    .·:*´¨`*:·..·:* ´¨`* :·    :::        (³)          :::     *:        ^)'         :*       *·.      (      .·*            *·-:¦:-* Thought for the day: If you don't like the tune on the radio, get up and change the dial. http://www.picturetrail.com/CarlaFinley

Does anyone know if Londie Benson's obits from the Farmington area are still being posted? (Last I saw, in Spring of 2001 was from October 28,1998, on Illinois GenForum, #1091 of 7191, A-G Fulton county Obits.) The G-M, M-S, and R-Z were also transcribed in several other messages from the many obits her mother in law (Agnes Pauline (RYER) Benson) had saved from newspapers and Londie diligently transcribed them. It would be wonderful to include that index on the Fulton County site if at all possible. I haven't seen anything posted by Londie in some time. Does anyone have any information on these obits? Karen

Hi Everyone, I am pleased to announce that Lyde's fascinating abstracts of Fulton-connected obituaries and death notices from The Glasford Gazette, 1899-1904, are now posted on our website at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilfulton/newspapers/GlasfordGazetteObits.htm The surnames are in alphabetical or and in caps for easy hunting, but these are interesting to read even if you are just browsing. Amazing variety of causes of death, and circumstances surrounding the ending of their lives... Thanks again for another great contribution, Lyde! Alice ILFulton List Administrator and ILFulton County Coordinator

Doris, There are several Frank Violets on the 1910 census (I again have access to the census on Genealogy.com for a month). Any of these yours ? 28 yrs old in Sagadahoc Co, Maine - born in Maine 56 yrs old in Hennepin Co, Minnesota - born in Maine 38 yrs old in Wright Co, Minnesota - born in Minnesota 25 yrs old in Deer Lodge Co, Montana - born in N Dakota 51 yrs old in Teton Co, Montana - born in Maine 56 yrs old in Champaign Co, Ohio - born in Ohio Cathy

As a genealogist we always like to hear a success story. This is my first successful happening this year. Several months ago I wrote to the list about my search for my "lost line of Stevens," who lived in Fulton County, Illinois prior to 1916. My grandmother, Sophia Esther Stevens Scott died in Farmington, 30 August 1916, and my father (born 1915, died 1999) living with his father in another state, never received any contact from her family, all his life. Many long hours have been spent researching this Stevens line, trying to locate a living member, for my father. We learned the Stevens family had moved from Fulton County sometime after the 1920 (they were on that census in Fulton County), but we did not know where they had moved. Searching the Illinois Death Index, I later learned that they moved to McLean County, where Leonard (head of the family) died on 13 October 1925. While researching in Fulton County, I learned that Orval L. Stevens married Deloris Thousand, in Fulton County, on 3 July 1920, and that he was the informant on his father's death certificate. He was listed as a corporal so must have been in the army. I am searching for any descendants they he and Deloris may have had. Because I could not find any of the other Stevens I began to research the Thousand family to see if I could find anyone who knew something about Orval and Deloris. This year I received an email from a member of the Thousand family and she gave me some information that was crucial to my research. Orval and Deloris had one daughter (Vera Vandora Stevens), prior to their divorce. Deloris Thousand Stevens married Reece Jones, after her divorce from Orval. Vera Vandora Stevens (Orval's daughter) married Frank Dama (both now deceased) and they had three known children. Vera could have gone by the surname of Jones since she small child when Deloris married Reece Jones. The Jones Family is listed on the 1930 Knox County, Illinois Census with the following children in the household: Arlo ? (20), Ralph C. (18), Marie (16), Vera V. (8, and stepdaughter but listed as a Jones) and Rece B. (3). The last child was the only one on this census that was both Reece's and Deloris'. Reece was listed as a widower on the 1920 Census for Knox County. Deloris was not married on the 1920 Census and lived with her parents Charles and Lily (Grady) Thousand. Some might think that researching collateral lines is not worth the effort, but if you are going to be a good genealogist, who is thorough, research those collateral lines, especially if you are faced with a brick wall. Members of those collateral lines might have the family bible or those much sought after pictures of your ancestors. As an example, a distant relative in Indiana posted to a list that she had pictures of the Stevens family and she did not know how they related to her Jackson line. Could someone help her? I was able to tell her exactly how she was related to the Stevens family. Her ancestor was a sister to my great-grandfather, Leonard Stevens. The wonderful thing was that she had pictures of my grandmother, Sophia Esther Stevens Scott holding my father, as a baby. Our family had a copy of this picture, but it was not in very good shape. My distant relative's picture was perfect. She also had pictures of the brothers. We could only identify two of the brothers, based on another source that I was able to supply. Unidentified is Orval and Clyde Stevens. Deloris Thousand Stevens Jones and her daughter Vera Vandora Stevens Dama, and Frank M. Dama all died in Knox County, Illinois. Deloris died on 20 Dec 1996 while living in Abingdon. Vera V. Dama, born 28 May 1921, died 23 August 2000 while living in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, and her husband Frank M. Dama, born 25 June 1909 died 10 April 1998. Would like to know where they are buried. I have requested obituaries (if available) from the Knox County Genealogical Society I am now searching for descendants of Vera Vandora Stevens and Frank Dama to learn more about the family and perhaps copies of pictures. I have not been able to locate Orval L. Stevens, Joseph Earl Stevens, Cecil Coyer Stevens or their mother Ida Jane Hatt Stevens on the 1930 Census. Ida could have remarried after the death of her husband, but I did not find a marriage record in McLean County, Illinois. It is possible that all three of the sons died between 1920 and 1930, but not likely. The one living son found was Clyde Ingram Stevens, still living in Baltimore County, Maryland on the 1930 Census with five children listed in that household. Ancestry.com has all individuals indexed for the 1930 Census which makes it easier to search, but they are having a problem with Illinois. It is only 99% complete and that might be the reason I am now finding my lost Stevens. Darlene Shawn

I am nearly finished with my first bio. Would you like me to mail it to you directly, or send it through the list? Thanks, Steve Haffner --- Alice Imig Stipak <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Fulton Co. Listers, > > Several of you, like Gloria, have recently come up > with the same great > suggestion, namely, the addition to our website of > "new, homemade > biogaphies" for our Fulton folk that WE can write > and post for others to > read, based on what we have learned about them. > > Gloria explains this project very well when she > writes: > "As far as I have been able to find, neither set of > my Fulton County great > great grandparents nor my great grandparents (who > were married there and > lived there many years) have been written up in any > of the bios. In such a > case, would it be of interest for me to write up > bios on these couples for > the website? I've collected quite a bit of material > on them from census, > cemetery records, marriage records, etc." > > So, please take your time, and write and send me > biographies about the > early Fulton folk YOU know the best. You can include > photos (people, > graves, homes), facts, stories, and your family's > memories of the > person. Try to include dates, townships, related > surnames, > military/occupational/church connections, etc. > > As for style, please write them in paragraph format > with complete > sentences, similar to the way the book bios are > written, but feel free > to be creative with content, like funny stories. > > Then I will build a special "Fulton Folk as We Know > and Remember Them" > bio page, with a surname index and everything just > like I am doing for > the published "book bios" pages. This should be a > fun project, and one > that we can use to say "thank you" and "we will > never forget you" in a > very personal way to our own ancestors and > relatives. > > NOTE: To help me keep each project organized, please > put NEW BIO in your > subject line (in caps) when you submit these to me, > and include in the > message the "submitter" info as you want it posted. > Examples: > submitter: a descendant > submitter: Jim K., a descendant > submitter: Jim Knowles, his great-grandson > submitter: J.K., a descendant > submitter: a relative by marriage > > My point is that you can remain anonymous, or name > exactly who wrote the > bio, or have whatever abbreviated name you want > posted as the author. > Just please tell me your preference for this. > > Thanks, have fun, and please feel free to submit as > many "homemade bios" > as you want! > > Yours, > Alice > > > ==== ILFULTON Mailing List ==== > Can't handle so many messages from us every day? > Don't quit the ILFulton list, just switch to DIGEST > MODE -- > Digest Mode delivers batches of up to 25 messages in > 1, not one at a time! > __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com

Is there anybody out there in Illinois who might look up the 1860 Census for FULTON COUNTY, ILLINOIS and try to find the following group as listed in the 1850 Census?? 1850 CENSUS; FULTON COUNTY, ILLINOIS; FARMERS COMMUNITY; Page 18; Dwelling 18; James Carrison 42 (=b c1808) farm $3000 born England. Elizabeth 40 (=b c1810) England. Thomas O. 22 (=b c1828) farm Illinois. Eliza 18 (=b c1832) Illinois. Carolin 16 (=b c1834) Illinois. Rebecca A. 14 (=b c1836) Illinois. Elizabeth 12 (=b c1838) Illinois. Mary 10 (=b c1840) Illinois. Ellen 8 (=b c1842) Illinois. James 6 (=b c1844) Illinois. Lellitha 5months (=b c1850) Illinois. An ancestor, James Carrison, appears to be living with "another" woman and her family. He may have arrived in the U. S. between 1851 and 1860 to join his parents and siblings, leaving behind in England his wife Mary Abel(Able) and children. If the above is a correct transcription, then Elizabeth and kids have assumed the Carrison surname, though it may be nothing more than the fact that she is keeping house on his holding. However Mary turns up in Fulton County later, never seems to shack up with James again - and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery under her maiden name of Abel. Perhaps they never married in England (although their Banns were read)., but carried on a tempestuous relationship, spanning both sides of the Pond!! I am curious to know what happened to Elizabeth and children post 1850. What was their true surname? Is the initial "O" of the eldest son, in actual fact his surname initial? James himself is found in the 1860 Census on Page 294, dwelling 1785, and living alone if my facts are correct. As a second request, although I have a photo of Mary Abel's grave marker in Greeenwood Cemetery, I cannot read the details apart from her birth details which tally with what I discovered over here in England. Can anybody supply me with these details from the gravestone? It is interesting that the Paterfamilias was baptised CURRISON in England, married as KERRISON in England - and recorded for all posterity as CARRISON when he arrived in the States. Please contact off-list. Gratefully, from Ron Kerrison in a snowy Yorkshire, England.

Searching for Helen VIOLET, the child of Frank VIOLET and his wife Effie (AGUE) VIOLET. Helen was born March 1900 in Fulton Co, IL. Her mother Effie died of Typhoid fever 1901, and she then lived with her grandmother, Helen Cordelia (Simpson) AGUE. who died 1911, and nothing is known of Helen, or her father Frank after the death of her Helen Ague. Any information about the VIOLET family would be appreciated. Doris F. Williams [email protected] http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/i/l/Doris-Williams-MO/