My great grandmother, Priscilla Old Surtees, moved to Gardner 1858 with her husband, George Surtees. George enlisted in the Union Army and died of wounds on Feb, 20, 1864. In 1865 Priscilla married a tailor named Prince but they lived together but a short time. After that she worked as a housekeeper for various people, including a man named Shaw. In 1867 she married Orville Shaw, son of the man she was keeping house for. Orville was crushed in a mine cave-in. I do not know what happened to the marriage to Mr. Prince. Are there divorce records available from that time? Was there a local newspaper which might have reported the cave-in that killed Orville Shaw? Or any other death records of that time in Grundy? Any advice as to where I might look will be sincerely appreciated. Tom Brown

Thank you Deb for the tip and thinking of me. ~S~ At 10:31 AM 8/25/99 -0500, you wrote: >Since many of your ancestors were originally in LaSalle County, here is a >link to American Memories which has old photos of different areas in LaSalle >County. This is the link page to the State of Illinois in case you are >researching different counties. Unfortunately, there are no photos for >Grundy County, but you may find something of use to your research: > >http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fsaPlaces05.html > > >Deb >Grundy County IL Coordinator

Was there a Catholic Church in Braidwood, Illinois, around 1884-1890? I have some of the family records found at the( CATHOLIC) Assumption Church in Coal City, Illinois, but just found the records for the ship that they immigrated from Germany and it said the destination was Braidwood, Illinois, plus we believe that two children died there, Am hoping the church will have the records for the death of my two missing children. Thank you,. Arlene in Glendale, Az. PFEIFER, FEIGEL, CESAR IN ILL.

Since many of your ancestors were originally in LaSalle County, here is a link to American Memories which has old photos of different areas in LaSalle County. This is the link page to the State of Illinois in case you are researching different counties. Unfortunately, there are no photos for Grundy County, but you may find something of use to your research: http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fsaPlaces05.html Deb Grundy County IL Coordinator

In case any of you are interested in this information: WWI Draft Applications Update Prior to the US's entry into WW1 (approx. 1917-1918) every male between the age of 18 and 40 was required to register for the draft. The information found on the card was provided by the individual himself. The registration cards vary in information depending on the individual draft board. But by and large the cards include: The full name of the person (this means first, full middle name, any additional middle names and last name); the current address of the man; his age; his birthdate (some include his place of birth); whether he is a US citizen or a naturalized citizen (some ask if his father was a naturalized citizen and his father's race); his race; his occupation; where he is employed (name of employer); address or location of employment; name and address of his next of kin; some cards ask if the man is married or single and how many people he supports. The card is signed by the draftee. On the back of the card his physical description is noted: Height is broken down by short, medium, tall although some cards give the actual height in feet and inches; Build by slim, medium, stout although some cards list actual weight along with the build; color of eyes and hair; any deformities or injuries are listed (such as one arm missing, blind in one eye, etc); the name and address of the draft board and the date. When these original cards were transferred to the East Pointe NARA branch the LDS spent about 3 years microfilming these cards. There are hundreds and hundreds of boxes and the LDS opened one box at a time and filmed them - in state order. However, within each state the cards were filed by draft board, not by county or by draftee. This makes the searching of the microfilm difficult to say the least. The good news is that the Friends of the National Archives took each box after it was filmed (and checked) and sorted all of these thousands and thousands of cards into - state and then COUNTY order and then in alphabetical order by surname and put then in new boxes. The Friends deserve all the kudos we can give them for this monstrous task. So ... rather than spending hours and hours searching the LDS microfilm you can order copies of the original cards from NARA. if you know the county your ancestor lived in between 1917-1918. And BTW - Ancestry.com lists WW1 Draft cards in their searchable data bases, however I know for a fact that there are 22 cards for the surname WHITE found in McIntosh Co, OK and Ancestry only gave me 4 of them so don't depend on that site. I was told yesterday that some reps from Ancestry had visited the archives a couple of weeks ago to talk about filming the cards, took one look at the hundreds and hundreds of boxes and simply left. For copies: Send a letter requesting copy(s) to: NARA Southeast Region 1557 St. Joseph Ave East Point, GA 30344 In your letter be sure to say you want copy(s) of the WWI Draft application Cards. Include the name of your ancestor and his race, the state and the county. If you want copies of ALL of the cards with a given surname, ask them the cost of the copies and send a SASE for them to let you know the copying cost. In your letter be sure and say you want a copy of the FRONT and BACK of the card. Be sure to send a SASE for the return of you copies. The cost for the copy is 50 cents - 25 cents for the back and 25 cents for the front. If you only want one copy send a buck and say the difference is to be given to the Friends of the Archives, because after all they did all this wonderful hard work for you <VBG> And feel free to pass this on to any of the lists you are on.

If you should have time, I would be delighted if you could find information my g-g-grandfather, Matthew Johnson and his wife Mary who lived near Mazon, IL. It is possible they lived in the Goodfarm Township around 1870. I do know is that my g-grandfather John was born to Matthew and Mary (Preston) Johnson on July 2, 1860, but I know very little about any siblings of John or the origins of Matthew's parents. Many thanks, Terry Cooper -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, July 25, 1999 8:02 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ILGRUNDY-L] Genealogy Research Trip to FHC Please get back to me - I mistakenly posted the date as the 22nd instead of the 29th -

You are on the list. Will get back to you later.

List: I had great luck with Will County when I applied for a copy of a marriage license and they also included the application for marriage, which was the first time, I had seen a village of birth for my Pfeifer family. QUESTION: If the marriage license that I am now seeking was in Grundy County--the marriage took place in Coal City, Illinois in 1900, would the application for the marriage be in the Clerk and Recorder's office in Coal City, or at the District Clerk and Recorder in Morris? Thank you, Arlene in Phx [email protected]

If you should have time, I would be delighted if you could find information my g-g-grandfather, Matthew Johnson and his wife Mary who lived near Mazon, IL. It is possible they lived in the Goodfarm Township around 1870. I do know is that my g-grandfather John was born to Matthew and Mary (Preston) Johnson on July 2, 1860, but I know very little about any siblings of John or the origins of Matthew's parents. Terry Cooper -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, July 25, 1999 8:07 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ILGRUNDY-L] Re: dates for trip to FHC My apologies to all - the date for my trip to the FHC is the 29th, not the 22nd. For those who answered with requests, you have been told you are on the list, for those who responded by saying "next time", I have given you the correct date. But for the rest, who may have said "it's too late", do contact me if you have something for me to look up or try to find for you. Again, my apologies - it must be the heat!!!

Thank you for making such a generous offer. My grandfather, Thomas A. VINT was born March 5, 1880 in Kinsman (Grundy County) IL. I don't know his parents name, so if you run across the surname VINT, I'd really appreciate any information you can find. My dad, Thomas Francis VINT was born April 5, 1909 in Kinsman also.He had 5 brothers, all born there also. I have no idea what kind of information you want me to supply you with, so if you need more information, please get back to me. Thanks again, Mary Kay [email protected] >Please get back to me - I mistakenly posted the date as the 22nd instead of >the 29th - >

I would be interested in a lookup, but I received your message a bit late to do me any good. Let me know if you are going to do this again. Terry Cooper -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, July 25, 1999 4:40 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [ILGRUNDY-L] Genealogy Research Trip to FHC On Jul 22nd I am going to a nearby FHC (LARGE!!) and will be happy to spend part of the day doing lookups on census, IGI, books, etc. for anyone on my lists (I am posting to several). I will make a list, do the lookups, and get back to you. All I ask is that you be practical and willing to share. If one person asks for 25 look-ups, it may cheat someone else. As my work, etc. permits, I will do this again. Let me have all requests no later than the 20th - I will leave early the 22nd and will need the 21st to get myself organized.

It looks to me that we're all too late to submit requests before July 20th, as today is July 25, 1999. Are you going on your trip in August instead of July? [email protected] wrote: > On Jul 22nd I am going to a nearby FHC (LARGE!!) and will be happy to spend > part of the day doing lookups on census, IGI, books, etc. for anyone on my > lists (I am posting to several). I will make a list, do the lookups, and get > back to you. All I ask is that you be practical and willing to share. If one > person asks for 25 look-ups, it may cheat someone else. As my work, etc. > permits, I will do this again. Let me have all requests no later than the > 20th - I will leave early the 22nd and will need the 21st to get myself > organized.

My apologies to all - the date for my trip to the FHC is the 29th, not the 22nd. For those who answered with requests, you have been told you are on the list, for those who responded by saying "next time", I have given you the correct date. But for the rest, who may have said "it's too late", do contact me if you have something for me to look up or try to find for you. Again, my apologies - it must be the heat!!!

Please get back to me - I mistakenly posted the date as the 22nd instead of the 29th -

On Jul 22nd I am going to a nearby FHC (LARGE!!) and will be happy to spend part of the day doing lookups on census, IGI, books, etc. for anyone on my lists (I am posting to several). I will make a list, do the lookups, and get back to you. All I ask is that you be practical and willing to share. If one person asks for 25 look-ups, it may cheat someone else. As my work, etc. permits, I will do this again. Let me have all requests no later than the 20th - I will leave early the 22nd and will need the 21st to get myself organized.

Greetings Grundy Researchers!! The Coal City Public Library District has launched a new internet website, "Coal Mining in Illinois". They held a program yesterday to launch their project on the internet (unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend) which featured area historians discussing coal mining in Grundy and Will Counties. The following Grundy and Will County towns are included in this project: Braceville, Braidwood, Carbon Hill, Coal City, Diamond and Wilmington. This is a continuing project and additional information will be added later. http://www.coalcity.lib.il.us/coalmining/index.html I hope this is helpful to many of you!! Deb Haines Grundy County IL Coordinator

Looking for any information anyone might provide on the family of John and Ann (Brennan) Tracy, and their son James and his wife Ellen (Patmore) Tracy. My grandfather, Glen (b. 1910) and his brother Warren (b. ca. 1912), were both born in Carbon Hill to George (b. 1885)and Emma (Cox) Tracy. Emma was the daughter of Henry and Margaret Cox. George's siblings were Hazel Bernice, Pearl Mildred, Rose Zella, Helen Eugenie, Charles(?), Geraldine. I understand there is a Tracy Street in the area, which might be named after the family. James was, at one point, a saloon keeper, according to the census information. The business (and their home) may have also been in Braidwood for part of the time. If anyone can provide any insight into this family I would be very happy to know it. They are almost a family of strangers to us. Mickey Rogers Indianapolis, IN

Hi listmembers, My g g grandfather, Ananias Wilson, b March 1830, OH, mustered into the Civil War from Morris, Grundy Co., IL on 27 Dec 1861. I am trying to find him and his family on a census around that time. His wife was Jeannetta (Jane Netta or Jennetta).They married in 1850 in IN. They had 6 children, though I believe the three youngest died at a young age. Their names: James S. Wilson, George Worth Wilson, Sylvester Wilson, Julie Wilson (b Apr 1859), John Wilson and Jane Netta Wilson. (Last two are twins and were born 2 Jun 1860). The first three children were born in IN, but I do not know where the three youngest were born, either IN or IL. Is there anyone on this list that would be willing to do any look-ups for me? This is one of my big gaps in the information on this family. Census information, birth/death records on the three youngest children, or whatever can be found would be so appreciated. Would also be very happy if some data, somewhere, revealed their parents' names!! Thanks, Karol Wilson Gale [email protected] California -- - --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Have you received His image in your countenance? Does the light of Christ shine in your eyes? Will He know you when He comes again because you shall be like Him? When He sees you will the Father know His child - by His everlasting image in your eyes?" - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gale Family Page: http://www.jps.net/kgale Family Research: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/g/a/l/Karol-J-Gale - ----------------------------------------------------------------------

I am looking for any information on a Benjamin T Jenkins b. 1824 NY who married a Lucy Jane Sanford in Grundy Cty in 1851. In the 1850 census Benjamin was living a a girl, Penelope age 13, possibility his sister. Geri

I am searching for the birth parents of Marie VIGNERY SNIDER.She was my husband's grandmother. According to the information that I have, she was b 25 Jan 1882 in Braceville, Grundy Co, IL, m 1 Aug 1900 in Alpena Co, MI Charles Donald McCALLUM, and d 22 Mar 1951 in Chicago, Cook Co, IL She is listed in the 1900 census of Long Rapids Twp, Alpena Co, MI with John and Charity SNIDER, as their adopted daughter. In the 1920 census of Lapeer Co, MI, she is listed as Marie McCALLUM (after her marriage), birthplace Illinois, both father's and mother's place of birth Belgium, and both father's and mother's mother tongue French. Her marriage license, recorded in Alpena Co, MI, is in the name of Marie VIGNERY SNIDER, parents unknown. Her death certificate lists Gustave and Mary VIGNERY as her parents. Her obit in the Lapeer County Press, Lapeer, MI in Mar 1951 lists a brother Gus VEGNERY of St. Petersburg, FL. I have searched the 1880 census for the Braceville area, and did not find a Gustave VIGNERY. I also checked the SSDI for a Gus VEGNERY, with no luck. She also had a birth sister, I believe, named Josephine, who married Royal URICK. They lived in Chicago, IL. I do not know her exact date of birth or date of death. He was a wholesale produce merchant in Chicago. This is what my husband remembers from visiting them in Chicago when he was a child. Unfortunately, there is no one alive that I could ask for any clues. Neither my husband or his sister knew that their grandmother was adopted until I found the information in the 1900 census. Any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as she is one of my brick walls. Pat in Lapeer County, Michigan [email protected]