This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/lRB.2ACE/830.2 Message Board Post: On 1/25/05 (4:48:04 PM MST), in a posting to the Nassau County Ancestry Board that was 'gatewayed' to NYNASSAU-L@rootsweb.com, Tom Lutz (tjlutz@chicagonet.net) asked, "Looking for information, preferably obits for two Joseph Lutz's who died in West or South Hempstead, Nassau Co, NY. One was b.20 Feb 1890, d.West or South Hempstead in Mar 1976. The other was b.10 Jun 1907 in Sheboygan, WI and died in W.Hempstead on or about 10 Jan 1988. Any help, especially with obituaries would be most appreciated. Thank you." As you're looking for information in two separate communities, I am posting two separate replies. Reply number 2 of two replies is for South Hempstead: South Hempstead is in the service area of two separate libraries, so for questions such as yours, you may want to contact either the Rockville Centre Public Library or the Baldwin Public Library (the library can suggest which local newspaper might have this information and other possible sources of information): Rockville Centre Public Library 221 North Village Avenue Rockville Centre, NY 11570 Tel: 516/766-6257 Fax: 516/???-???? eMail: rvc@nassaulibrary.org http://www.nassaulibrary.org/rvc/ Baldwin Public Library 2385 Grand Avenue Baldwin, NY 11510-3289 Tel: 516/223-6228 Fax: 516/623-7991 eMail: bapl3@lilrc.org http://www.nassaulibrary.org/baldwin/ South Hempstead is one of those many communities on Long Island where none of the places in South Hempstead have a "South Hempstead, NY" mailing address. The pertinent geography: South Hempstead is a hamlet (an unincorporated area) in the central section of the Town of Hempstead, in the southwest part of Nassau County. There are 22 villages (municipal corporations) and 36 hamlets all or partly within the Town of Hempstead. There are 2 cities and 3 towns in Nassau County. (I'm including after my name a NYS Geographic Glossary with the NYS definitions of county, city, town, village, hamlet and postal zone.) Beginning on its northern border and proceeding clockwise, the Hamlet of South Hempstead in the Town of Hempstead is bordered on the north by the Village of Hempstead; on the east by the Hamlet of Baldwin; on the south and west by the Village of Rockville Centre. And, as occurs in all but one of Nassau County's 136 communities (2 cities, 64 villages and 70 hamlets), the Hamlet of South Hempstead has a different border than does the postal zone that services its area. In this case, there is no "South Hempstead, NY" postal zone. .................................................acres ....Hamlet of South Hempstead.......370 ....South Hempstead, NY ?????....none While most places within the Hamlet of South Hempstead are in the "Hempstead, NY 11550" postal zone, some are also in the "Rockville Centre, NY 11570" or the "Baldwin, NY 11510" postal zone. For those who have their copy of the 2003 or earlier editions of the LI Population Survey or have already downloaded the report from the Long Island Power Authority web site (eMail me directly if you need instructions on how to access and download the report), you'll find the Hamlet of West Hempstead in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County on pages 5 & 8 (map) and 9 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Regards, Walter Greenspan Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Postal Zones in New York State New York State is divided into counties. County A county is a municipal corporation, a subdivision of the state, created to perform state functions; a "regional" government. All counties are divided into cities, towns and Indian reservations. City A city is a unique governmental entity with its own special charter. Cities are not sub-divided, except into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Town A town is a municipal corporation and encompasses all territory within the state except that within cities or Indian reservations. Towns can be sub-divided into villages and hamlets. Village A village is a general purpose municipal corporation formed voluntarily by the residents of an area in one or more towns to provide themselves with municipal services. The pattern of village organization is similar to those of a city. A village is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Hamlet A hamlet is an unincorporated area in one or more towns that is governed at-large by the town(s) it is in. A hamlet is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Postal Zone "City" and "Town" A postal zone "City" and "Town" is an administrative district established by the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Postal zone "City" and "Town" may not (but are encouraged to) conform to municipal or community borders. Thus, postal zone location does not always determine city, village or hamlet location. Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located.