Seeking information about Walter Grace COLE born 11 Jan 1844 in Ridott, Stephenson County, Illinois, died probably in Ridott, Stephenson County, Illinois, married Evelyn L. WETMORE 13 Jan 1864 in Ridott, Stephenson County, Illinois, she was born 16 Jul 1844 in New York, died 26 Nov 1889 in Ridott, Stephenson County, Illinois. Walter Grace Cole's parents were James Esterbrooks COLE & Sophronia (JUDD) COLE. Any information appreciated. Thanks, Tim McCord

just to remind everyone that genealogy chat will be on Wens. evening at 8 pm CST starting this week. Lou Cook -- http://www.freeportillinois.com/index3.htm

Am looking for anyone connected with the HOFMEISTER family that lived in the Dakota, Orangeville area. Roger Cramer Peoria, AZ

There is a copy of the Probate Index at the Freeport Library but all records are kept at the Court House <<< "Sharon Kafer" <slkafer@hotmail.com> 11/ 6 10:48a >>> Does anyone know if there are copies of the Stephenson Co. Probate Records in the Freeport Library? Thank you, Sharon Kafer Researching: HATHAWAY, BROWN, WOOTAN, JAMESON, HUBBARD, KNECHT(KNIGHT) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ============================== Free Web space. ANY amount. ANY subject. RootsWeb's Freepages put you in touch with millions. http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi

Thank you, Sharon >From: "Gary Price" <priceg@le-win.net> >Reply-To: ILSTEPHE-L@rootsweb.com >To: ILSTEPHE-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [ILSTEPHE-L] Probate records >Date: Sat, 06 Nov 1999 14:31:22 -0600 >MIME-Version: 1.0 >From ILSTEPHE-L-request@rootsweb.com Sat Nov 06 12:33:18 1999 >Received: from [204.212.38.30] by hotmail.com (3.2) with ESMTP id >MHotMailB9EDDB8E0060D82197A2CCD4261E066D0; Sat Nov 06 12:33:18 1999 >Received: (from slist@localhost)by bl-14.rootsweb.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id >MAA16908;Sat, 6 Nov 1999 12:33:08 -0800 (PST) >Resent-Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 12:33:08 -0800 (PST) >Message-Id: <s8243bd3.042@mail.le-win.net> >X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.5 >Old-To: <ILSTEPHE-L@rootsweb.com> >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by bl-14.rootsweb.com >id MAA16883 >Resent-Message-ID: <r-CLHB.A.DIE.DCJJ4@bl-14.rootsweb.com> >Resent-From: ILSTEPHE-L@rootsweb.com >X-Mailing-List: <ILSTEPHE-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/1045 >X-Loop: ILSTEPHE-L@rootsweb.com >Precedence: list >Resent-Sender: ILSTEPHE-L-request@rootsweb.com > >There is a copy of the Probate Index at the Freeport Library but all >records are kept at the Court House > ><<< "Sharon Kafer" <slkafer@hotmail.com> 11/ 6 10:48a >>> >Does anyone know if there are copies of the Stephenson Co. Probate Records >in the Freeport Library? > >Thank you, Sharon Kafer > >Researching: HATHAWAY, BROWN, HURLEY, WOOTAN, JAMESON, GARNER, HUBBARD, >KNECHT(KNIGHT) > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > >============================== >Free Web space. ANY amount. ANY subject. >RootsWeb's Freepages put you in touch with millions. >http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi > > > >============================== >FREE UNLIMITED Web space at RootsWeb! >Any subject: genealogy, computers, pets! Get your Freepages account today: >http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Does anyone know if there are copies of the Stephenson Co. Probate Records in the Freeport Library? Thank you, Sharon Kafer Researching: HATHAWAY, BROWN, WOOTAN, JAMESON, HUBBARD, KNECHT(KNIGHT) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

then we will start genealogy chat on Wens. nights tonight and if others want to stop in tommorrow night that will be OK. I will not be home until late next Wens. so will have to depend on all of you to chat without me. Lou Cook -- http://www.freeportillinois.com/index3.htm > Wednesdays (after Thanksgiving) would probably be better for me. > > Sam Brown > Benbrook, TX > > > ============================== > FREE UNLIMITED Web space at RootsWeb! > Any subject: genealogy, computers, pets! Get your Freepages account today: > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi >

Wednesday would be great for me. Jana Knopf cook.lou@worldnet.att.net wrote: > I am wondering if Wensday night might be a better night > to meet for genealogy chat? Please let me know. I will > be here on Thursday night for chat this week. Maybe a > bit late, but you all go on in to the chat room and make > yourselves at home. Just let me know how you feel about > Wensdays. Hope to see you here after 8pm CST this > Thurs. Lou Cook > > -- > http://www.freeportillinois.com/index3.htm > > > > > > > > ============================== > RootsWeb.com now offers UNLIMITED Web space for FREE! > Sign up today for RootsWeb's Freepages program: > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi

I just joined your list. Can you give me some info on your genealogy chat ? Thanks, Debbie

Wednesdays (after Thanksgiving) would probably be better for me. Sam Brown Benbrook, TX

Wednesday nights are ok with me too. Are we starting this tonight?? Julie

Yes, Wednesday night would be better for me personally. I work 9 til 9 on Thursday and never have been able to join the chat. Mick Rybolt

I am wondering if Wensday night might be a better night to meet for genealogy chat? Please let me know. I will be here on Thursday night for chat this week. Maybe a bit late, but you all go on in to the chat room and make yourselves at home. Just let me know how you feel about Wensdays. Hope to see you here after 8pm CST this Thurs. Lou Cook -- http://www.freeportillinois.com/index3.htm

Roger, Thanks for the info about the death certificates. I noticed that you sent this message to Stephenson Co., IL and to Franklin Co. PA, and to the PA Dutch lists. I have PA Dutch ancestors born in Franklin Co. PA, that came that to Stephenson Co. IL in 1854 as part of a Brethren Church group. I was wondering if your people could have been part of the same community group? My Franklin County ancestors were BRANDT and CROUSE. Thanks, Jana Knopf gerCubs@aol.com wrote: > I saw this message on the Illinois mailing list: > > Roger Cramer > Peoria, AZ > > >>Did you know that you can get free uncertified death certificates from the > state of IL from 1916-1949 by emailing secryan@ccgate.sos.state.il.us > Just send the person's name and if you know the approximate date and county > via email with your address and they will send the information within 3 > weeks for free.<< > > ============================== > Free Web space. ANY amount. ANY subject. > RootsWeb's Freepages put you in touch with millions. > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/acctform.cgi

In a message dated 11/2/99 7:58:45 AM Pacific Standard Time, Marshfox1@aol.com writes: << Roger I tried this address and got "Not Found" - sounds great, if it would work. Did you possibly copy it down wrong? Rita Peoria, IL (All good people live in Peoria!!!) >> Are you looking for a web site or sending e-mail? This is an e-mail address. Yeah, but the weather in Peoria, AZ is nicer!! Roger

In a message dated 11/2/99 7:58:45 AM Pacific Standard Time, Marshfox1@aol.com writes: << Roger I tried this address and got "Not Found" - sounds great, if it would work. Did you possibly copy it down wrong? >> This is an e-mail address and not a web site. Roger

In a message dated 11/2/99 8:33:10 AM, you wrote: <<secryan@ccgate.sos.state.il.us>> Roger I tried this address and got "Not Found" - sounds great, if it would work. Did you possibly copy it down wrong? Rita Peoria, IL (All good people live in Peoria!!!)

I saw this message on the Illinois mailing list: Roger Cramer Peoria, AZ >>Did you know that you can get free uncertified death certificates from the state of IL from 1916-1949 by emailing secryan@ccgate.sos.state.il.us Just send the person's name and if you know the approximate date and county via email with your address and they will send the information within 3 weeks for free.<<

Very helpful!!!

I got this from The Ancestry Daily News (online) for 25 Oct 1999: Sam Brown Benbrook, TX ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ============================================================ "ILLINOIS STATE MARRIAGE INDEX HINTS," by Michael John Neill <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ============================================================ As mentioned in the October 12 Ancestry Daily News (http://www.ancestry.com/dailynews/10_12_99.htm#4), the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index is searchable online at: http://www.sos.state.il.us/depts/archives/marriage.html Two warnings about the index and the nature of the records contained within the index. 1) The index is NOT COMPLETE. Some counties are not yet included and the time span covered varies from county to county. A list of which counties and what years are available is at: http://www.sos.state.il.us/depts/archives/marrlst.html 2) The original records in each county generally do not start with the same year as marriage records in Illinois. They usually begin the same year the county was created, but early records might have been lost or destroyed. The online search interface is different from most. Unfortunately, there is no "standard" online search interface. What follows are some techniques I have used to find names in the index. There are certain to be others. ~ It is not necessary to enter the complete name. This can be helpful when you are uncertain about the spelling of the name or a middle initial. ~ Putting Smith in the groom's name box will locate every groom with the surname Smith. It will also locate every groom whose surname is Smithton, Smithfield, etc. The name must begin with whatever has been entered in the search box. ~ If I'm trying to locate a Julie, Juliana, Julia, Julee, etc. Rucker, as a bride, I can enter "Rucker, J" in the bride's box and every bride with the surname of Rucker whose first names begins with a "J" will be returned. A little search creativity is sometimes in order when using any type of online index or database. I wanted to find a marriage for a George Searle and a Lucina Kile in Mercer County. Typing in their names in several variations produced no results. I then searched for just "searl" as a surname for the groom (statewide). This gave me a listing of marriage entries, all of which had a groom whose last name began with "searl." I then used the find feature of my browser and searched for "luc" deciding that Lucenia could be spelled many ways, but hopefully the majority would contain the letters "luc." The entry was located as: "George C. Searle and Lucenia Eile married in Mercer County in 1872." Of course, I could always have printed out the list and looked at it manually. And looking for "luc" would have done no good had her name been listed as "Lusinda." Always keep in mind what your search is not searching for as well as what it is searching for. A similar approach was used to find an earlier marriage. I was searching for a Sylvester Burnsides who married Catharine Kile in the 1850s. There are two ways I could have conducted this search. 1) Searches of Kile, Kyle, etc. under the bride's name would have eventually located this marriage. 2) A search for burnside as the groom's name would have caught "Burnside" and "Burnsides" as the groom's surname. If I had not known the last name of the bride, my search would have been more difficult. One fast approach would have been to have my browser do a search for the letters "ath" hoping that it would locate Catherine, Katherine, Catharine, Katharine, etc. This approach was successful in this instance and located the couple. Of course if the name did not contain the letters "ath" this approach would not have worked. The difficulty was that the marriage was listed as: Marsellus Burnside and Ann Catherine Kyle, married in 1853 in Mercer County, Illinois. Middle names and variations on names again caused the problem. But if everything was spelled correctly genealogists would not face the difficulties they do. Another marriage I was interested in was that of Samuel Otto Johnson and Hedvig Olson in 1888 in Galesburg, Illinois. Entering the names in that fashion did not produce the marriage entry. I tried another approach. I guessed that the surname Johnson was probably going to be in the index correctly. Olson I had seen spelled many ways and could not think of one "fast and easy" way to search for it. So I opted for trying a search of "Johnson" as the groom and just put "ol" for the bride and focused my search for Knox County. There are alternate spellings of Olson not covered by "Ol" (Ohlson comes readily to mind), but it should catch the majority of them. This search produced nearly ten matches, one of which was: JOHNSON, OTTO OLSSON, HEDBIG KNOX 04/23/1888 This search was looking for any groom in Knox County whose name was Johnson that married a bride whose surname began with "Ol." Three things to keep in mind: 1) Remember, if you find your ancestors in any such index, follow up by obtaining the actual records. At best they might tell you more. At worst they might conflict with the index's information. 2) Remember also that if you don't find someone in the online index the original records used to create the records should be searched. While indexes may be a genealogical godsend, they are not divinely created. 3) These search tips are only suggestions and won't solve every index problem. Good Luck! ************************************************************ Copyright 1999, Michael John Neill. Michael John Neill, is the Course I Coordinator at the Genealogical Institute of Mid America (GIMA) held annually in Springfield, Illinois, and is also on the faculty of Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois. Michael is the Web columnist for the FGS FORUM and is on the editorial board of the Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly. He conducts seminars and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics and contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry and Genealogical Computing. You can e-mail him at: mailto:mneill@asc.csc.cc.il.us or visit his website at: http://www.rootdig.com/ ============================================================