Cemetery Names for Halloween

It made sense to mention a few interesting cemetery names in recognition of Halloween and if you have more, please feel free to add to the list!

We've all heard of a "Hillside" cemetery in numerous locations. People like the pictureque tree-lined hill with rows of neat tombstones along the paved drive through the cemetery. I also found "Beach Grove Cemetery" in Indiana and "Lakeview Cemetery" in Michigan- a better view, I guess?

Then there's "Black Swamp Cemetery" in Wayne, Ohio (I'll bet it's beautiful!) and "Murphy's Graveyard" in Greenville, Ohio, which brings me to question wheteher Murphy's Law applies there or not? But my favorite was "Newcomer Cemetery" in Franklin, Ohio- how long can the corpse stay?

Indiana Marriages through 1850

Marriages as early as 1749 in Vincennes, Indiana are included in this database, useful for online researchers, found at http://199.8.200.229/db/marriages_search.asp

About 330,000 records have been indexed by both bride and groom's surnames. Corrections are encouraged, as the website states, since the original work was done by volunteers over a period of years. Early Quaker marriages are also included and a table listing records available by county is just a click away from this site. Happy hunting!

Clay County, Iowa on the Web

Clay County, Iowa has several excellent web sites to visit and to serve as models for other county website projects. One is the "Clay County, Iowa Biographies", which are indexed, including over 120 individuals such as Horatio Nelson Castle, Adelaide Knight, and Frank M. Tuttle. Several women were included in this 1889 county history, which speaks well to including women's history. The website address is www.rootsweb.com/~iaclay/biondx.htm

Equally helpful are the seventeen county cemeteries indexed and complete with digital images and transcriptions of the tombstones at "Clay County, Iowa Cemeteries". My favorite inscription was for Maggie G. Capstick Austin buried in Fairview Cemetery, who "deserted this life January 11, 1894." Check this site at www.rootsweb.com/~iaclay/cemetery. htm

Indiana Archives

Another online Midwestern site to check is the Indiana State Archives, and while their indices and holdings for family history may not seem as extensive as some of the other sites that I have covered in this blog, every clue is a good clue! The site is at: www.in.gov/icpr/archives

The family history resources include addresses for where to obtain birth, marriage and death records, African American resources, naturalization resources and databases, such as the Fort Wayne, General Land Office and Indian Lands site with over 4800 names. The military records cover all of the traditional engagements and some research assistance, as well as ordering forms are offered.

Moravians in the Midwest

The Moravians, a church group following the practices of John Hus, came to the Midwestern states of Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, Michigan, and Minnesota, seeking religious freedom. Their official name is "Unitas Fratrum" or Unity of the Bretheran, but they are NOT the same as the group called the Church of the Bretheran.

The Moravians claim to be the oldest Protestant church, since they predate the Lutherans by about one hundred years. The Moravians take their name from the province of Moravia, a Czech area, formed before 1722. After 1722, many Germans joined the Moravian church, including my ancestors because the group moved from the Czech provinces to the more religious tolerant German provinces. They first arrive in the U.S. in 1740 and continue to move westward as a missionary force.

The Family History Library Catalog lists some 390 titles connexted to the Moravians, including Brown County, Wisconsin cemeteries, Washington County, Iowa cemeteries,
United Bretheran Church, Alexis, Illinois, church records of the Zion congregation of Jackson township, Will County, Illinois and the Obituary index for Sugar Grove, Illinois.

Encyclopedia of Genealogy

Another online tool that may be helpful to you in your research is the relatively new "Encyclopedia of Genealogy" at http://www.eogen.com

Entries vary from the blank U.S. census exteaction forms, to definitions of terms such as collateral ancestor, the Pennsylvania Dutch and testaceous powders, to a detailed entry on U.S. WWI draft registrations, and a few links to groups such as the German Interest Group in Wisconsin, the Ohio Genealogy Society, and the Wisconsin- Rock County Genealogy Socity. There is also a description of and a link to the Illinois Vital Statistics, which has been mentioned in an earlier blog entry here.

The beauty of the online version is the ability of the whole Internet community to add to, edit, change and modify information in the encyclopedia to make it more useful, current and applicable. Instructions for becoming a contributor are on the site. I encourage you and all of us to add one entry for the Midwest, something specific that you are knowledgable about and help the knowledge base grow!

More Online Resources

Another good research site to assist you with your Midwestern genealogy work:
www.distantcousin.com

Some of the scanned city directories on the site include the 1911 Madison, Wisconsin city directory, the 1900 Cleveland, Ohio city directory, the 1923 Saginaw, Michigan city directory, the 1844 Chicago, Illinois city directory, the 1914 Sioux City, Iowa city directory, and the 1901-1902 Keokuk, Iowa city directory. Again, these databases are of great value inlocating an ancestor in a specific geographic place in time, oftentimes listing the house or apartment address, occupation of the head of household, and occupants.

You can check by state categories on the web site for the city directory availablity, but remember to check back again in the future, as new directories are added regularly. Also check state historical societies and the Family History Library Catalog for those city or farm directories.

Newspapers for Family History

The family and I went to a 100th birthday celebration for Grandma, Great-Grandma, Great-Great Grandma this Sunday in southern Wisconsin. (What a beautful drive, gorgeous weather with all of the fall leaves changing color and the sunshine and almost full moon for a backdrop!) The local paper had a half page write-up about her accomplishment, her life, her family and her thoughts with a very naturally posed photo of her that was wonderful.

It reminded me of all of the great family history "tidbits" I've found in newspapers over the years when I've had the time, ability or the indices to help me track down the migrating families on the move through several states. A photo of a Great-grandfather, for example, because he was a firefighter in Madison,(one of only two photos that I have of him), or a listing of the names and where all of the relatives lived that had come to town for an anniversary dinner celebration. And, of course, my personal favorites, the long detailed obituaries of the small town papers, that gave such richness to the life of an ancestor that I have never met but now felt that I knew because of the article and what was said by others about this person!

Wisconsin Database Online

Another excellent and helpful Midwestern genealogy database site is "Wisconsin Census Records and Databases", including other records, such as church records, farm directories, old settlers' lists, school records, and so forth, at: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/mtoll/wi2.htm

These records are categorized by county, and while I did not see Washington County, where my Jung and Pilger ancestors settled, and Milwaukee County only has one link (which seems incredible for a county of that size and population), one of the Miscellaneous links directed me to the LaCrosse Public Library with an obituary and newspaper index, of which copies can be obtained for the still bargain price of $5 along with a SASE.

Again, all of the online databases surely assist us in our search for our roots!

Another Minnesota Database Online

Another Minnesota database to check out, especially if you have any Rice County, Minnesota relatives is the Dalby Database at www.dalbydata.com.

Over a million records have been indexed and the site says more records are added daily. The Dalbys started the project with indexing and posting cemeteries but have also indexed newspapers, church records, history books and so forth. My grandparents who died and are buried in Meeker County, Minnesota made the database, so it's worth a look for you too.

If you have a favorite Midwestern database not already mentioned in the blog, please share the URL. Networking is the surest path to success!

Military Records

Don't forget possible military service records as a way to fill in data about your ancestors and their male children. The WWI draft registration cards, for example, contain a physical description and a spot for the applicant to list the "next of kin", oftentimes a wife or parent, which can be helpful for the remarried mother whose surname you haven't yet discovered.

Service records from the National Archives will also include more detail on when and where a military man served and what advancements or recognitions may have been earned. Medical conditions are also noted, helping one to prove or disprove the family legend about the "wound" or "condition" that killed Great-Great Grandpa being one he received during his Civil War service. The wait for the record is always worth it!

Cyndi's List Specifically for Midwestern States

We should, of course, mention the great online resource- "Cyndi's List", which I have used for over ten years now myself. In checking the current postings for Midwestern states today, I came up with the following:
ILLINOIS- 247 hits, including the site on the 89th Illinois Infantry Regiment in the Battle of Pickett's Mill of 1864
INDIANA- 224 hits, including a locality listing either at the state level or alphabetical listing by county, to help you locate places of significance in your family history
MICHIGAN- 219 hits, including listings of libraries, genealogical societies, archives and museums in Michigan that may be helpful to your research
MINNESOTA- 205 hits, including cemeteries and funeral homes, as well as obituaries posted online
NORTH DAKOTA- 141 hits, including various state resources and the U.S. Adoption Registry for North Dakota
OHIO- 267 hits, including the Ohio Wills and Obituaries and the Ohio Cemetery Records project, which are so helpful for us with roving ancestors who passed through Ohio on their way further west eventually
SOUTH DAKOTA- 141 hits, including the South Dakota State Historical Society and African Ancestry in South Dakota site
WISCONSIN- 215 hits, including the Catholic Cemeteies in the Milwaukee Archdiocese site as well as the various genealogical societies ready to help you out.

DNA and the 1918 flu epidemic

Interestingly enough, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are publishing their DNA findings of the highly contagious 1918 flu epidemic. Using preserved tissue from a woman in Alaska buried in permanently frozen ground and a soldier's tissue that had been preserved, the scientists demonstrated that it was a bird flu that jumped directly to humans. Over 20 million died worldwide from this flu and over a half a million Americans, including the Minnesota family that I have written about in this blog. Obvious concerns include the newer avian flu in Asia, which has demonstrated a 60% mortality rate in reported cases.

Again, with accurate family history and DNA records, the future holds many fantastic revelations for us as diligent genealogists. We may uncover genetic links and predispositions for diseases and conditions that haven't even been proposed yet.

Illinois Statewide Marriage Index

Another great resource for Midwestern researchers is the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, covering 1763- 1900 (I wonder who the first marriage was?). These statewide indexes save so very much precious research time! You can search by either groom or bride's surname and either by all counties in the state or narrow to specific counties. The index display includes the full names of the marriage parties, the date and specific county. The website is .

Again, be aware that mutations of spelling variations could include your ancestor, so check all possibilities before checking other states along the migration pathway of the energetic ancestors. Happy hunting!