Amy and all I recently subbed to the ILWoodford list, thanks for the reminder about the obits.on microcfilm at the Illinois Prairie District Library. I have used Ancestry for a couple of years and have subscriptions to the census and england databases. I went to the IPDL free database and found about 30 obits right away, relevant to my search! in May of 2000 I took my grandfather Cliff Clanin (born 1912 in Lacon, Ill) back to Washburn, where he graduated high school in 1932.. in Eureka, Ill he married Serena Gill in 1933 we went to the courthouse there and the kind folks there let us visit the judges chambers where they were married. We were able to obtain birth certificates of 4 his children including my moms. (My mom had passed away earlier that year) We visited the Washburn high school and a couple of students took us on a tour... we then visited the home where my maternal grandmother Serena lived as a child with her parents Henry Gill and Bertha Preston Gill. My mother was born in that house also., From there we visited Mt Vernon Cemetery and he told me about a lot of his aunts and uncles.....it seemed that I am connected to most buried there... if any one has a history of Mt Vernon Cemetery on Washburn -Eureka Rd. I'd like a copy, Grandpa says the land the cemetery is sitting on was once homesteaded, then donated by ancester John P. Black or one of his sons, I'd like to verify that for my research. My mother's first cousin still lives in Wenona, Ill. We visited there for a day, and she shared what she had found on my grandmothers maternal side, even giving me copies of old pictures and a hat pin and cross stitched wall hanging that was my great grandmothers! This year in May we will be celebrating the 90th birthday of my grandfather Clifford Clanin. in Columbus, OH.! I would love to return to Woodford co Ill ,for another visit with him while he is still able to travel. I am researching Robert Alex Black and Eva Bauman and descendants, All the Clanin surname, John Gill and Rachel Heyes Gill, Henry Gill and Amanda Rose, James Sylvester Preston and Eliza Reed. Thomas B. Reed and Francis Wilkinson(pioneer settlers in Illinois) Anyone connecting with these names? Sherrie R. (Neal) Neff (I am in the middle of divorce and will be reverting back to maiden name of Neal) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Amy Robbins-Tjaden" <atjaden@mindspring.com> To: <ILWOODFO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 12:17 PM Subject: [ILWOODFORD] obit index at Ancestry > The Woodford Co, Illinois obituary index for the years 1887-2000 is a free database at http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/6109.htm I found 19 obits listed that I was interested in and sent the list and a check to the Illinois Prairie District Public Library in Metamora 13 Feb 2002. I received copies of those obits from them 27 Feb 2002 and couldn't be more pleased. I'm already compiling another list (this one will be much longer) to send to them. I just wanted to share my experience concerning that database and with the great people at the Metamora Library. I would recommend it to anyone interested in people whose obits might have been published in the Metamora Herald. > > Amy Robbins-Tjaden > atjaden@mindspring.com > amy@tjaden.com > > > > > > > > > ______________________________