Now HERE is a link I JUST came across and COMPLETELY wish I would've had a LONG time ago when tracing some Dutch roots for my step-father. Online-Cemetery records for burials in Grand Rapids, MI cemeteries!! That DOES NOT include privately owned cemeteries or those affiliated with a church. It is those owned, maintained, etc by the CITY of Grand Rapids :)
Use it. Cemetery records are AMAZING tools:)
Grand Rapids Burial Records
Showing posts with label genealogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genealogy. Show all posts
GREAT Cemetery Website for Iowa!
So, as I was plugging along on the information from my last post, I came across a website *HAVE* to share!
Iowa WPA Graves
If you have roots in Iowa, this is a MUST BOOK-MARK website. Supposedly, these are pretty complete records...more than what you will find a Find-a-Grave, etc...and so far, I've had a TON of luck!! Just plug in whatever information you know and hit search! If there is a match, the results will come back giving you full name (on record), dates of birth/death, cemetery, and location. That is awesome! I've even seen a few records where people can put sticky-post-it notes!
Bookmark it....do it now! :)
Iowa WPA Graves
If you have roots in Iowa, this is a MUST BOOK-MARK website. Supposedly, these are pretty complete records...more than what you will find a Find-a-Grave, etc...and so far, I've had a TON of luck!! Just plug in whatever information you know and hit search! If there is a match, the results will come back giving you full name (on record), dates of birth/death, cemetery, and location. That is awesome! I've even seen a few records where people can put sticky-post-it notes!
Bookmark it....do it now! :)
Obituaries, Headstones...and how they can work for you!
As I was sitting here working a line for a friend of mine, I came across a situation where I had to "think outside of the box" a little bit to get the information I needed.
I knew from a marriage record that the main person I was working on was married once, but didn't know about a second marriage until I came across his headstone as his headstone does reflect a different spouse.
That is why you've GOT to love cemeteries. They do NOT lie.
Headstone:
With that in mind, I decided to do a search for Mary L. Brand.
VOILA. Because the dates matched the headstone, I knew I had the correct person:
Mary Louise Brand, 97, of Oskaloosa, formerly of Fremont, died Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008 at Crystal Heights Care Center.Open visitation will be at the Fremont Funeral Chapel 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Fremont Funeral Chapel, Rev. Todd Holman officiating. Interment will follow at Cedar Township Memorial Cemetery (South) in Fremont. Memorials may be made in her name to the Fremont Fire and Rescue.Mary was born May 21, 1911 in Kirkville to William Boyd and Mary Elizabeth Walker Nash. She graduated from Fremont High School in 1929 where she held the honor of being Valedictorian, a title she maintained for several years.She was united in marriage to Carl Anderson May 21, 1930 in Eddyville. He passed away in 1952. In 1952, Mary started working at the telephone company in Fremont as a switchboard operator and was employed there until retiring when the business closed. She also helped at the Fremont Funeral Chapel for many years. She was united in marriage to Vernal Brand in 1964. He passed away in 1983.Mary enjoyed gardening, building doll houses, raising fowl, reading, word puzzles, current events and college basketball, especially the Cyclones. She never missed attending the Fremont School Alumni Banquets until her health prevented her from going.She is survived by her sons, Rex (Dee) Anderson of Rose Hill, and Clair Anderson of Albany, Ore., 12 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; both of her husbands; a son, William Charles Anderson; a daughter, Joy Lee Anderson and two grandsons, Allen and William Todd Anderson.Fremont Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements.Obituary may be viewed at: www.legacy.com/ottumwacourier/Obituaries.asp
Look at ALL of that information in that obituary!!!! It's CHUCK FULL of good stuff!
We know Mary's parents (and her mother's maiden name). We know where she was born. We know where she went to school. We know she was married previously and we know her kids from her previous marriage!
Utilize cemeteries if you are able to. Most cemetery offices are very willing to look up a person for you. If you aren't able to find cemetery information, call the funeral home. If you don't know that, call more than one. It isn't like there are hundreds of funeral homes in any given city, realistically. :)
The information *IS* out there to be found :)
I knew from a marriage record that the main person I was working on was married once, but didn't know about a second marriage until I came across his headstone as his headstone does reflect a different spouse.
That is why you've GOT to love cemeteries. They do NOT lie.
Headstone:
With that in mind, I decided to do a search for Mary L. Brand.
VOILA. Because the dates matched the headstone, I knew I had the correct person:
Mary Louise Brand, 97, of Oskaloosa, formerly of Fremont, died Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008 at Crystal Heights Care Center.Open visitation will be at the Fremont Funeral Chapel 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Fremont Funeral Chapel, Rev. Todd Holman officiating. Interment will follow at Cedar Township Memorial Cemetery (South) in Fremont. Memorials may be made in her name to the Fremont Fire and Rescue.Mary was born May 21, 1911 in Kirkville to William Boyd and Mary Elizabeth Walker Nash. She graduated from Fremont High School in 1929 where she held the honor of being Valedictorian, a title she maintained for several years.She was united in marriage to Carl Anderson May 21, 1930 in Eddyville. He passed away in 1952. In 1952, Mary started working at the telephone company in Fremont as a switchboard operator and was employed there until retiring when the business closed. She also helped at the Fremont Funeral Chapel for many years. She was united in marriage to Vernal Brand in 1964. He passed away in 1983.Mary enjoyed gardening, building doll houses, raising fowl, reading, word puzzles, current events and college basketball, especially the Cyclones. She never missed attending the Fremont School Alumni Banquets until her health prevented her from going.She is survived by her sons, Rex (Dee) Anderson of Rose Hill, and Clair Anderson of Albany, Ore., 12 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; both of her husbands; a son, William Charles Anderson; a daughter, Joy Lee Anderson and two grandsons, Allen and William Todd Anderson.Fremont Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements.Obituary may be viewed at: www.legacy.com/ottumwacourier/Obituaries.asp
Look at ALL of that information in that obituary!!!! It's CHUCK FULL of good stuff!
We know Mary's parents (and her mother's maiden name). We know where she was born. We know where she went to school. We know she was married previously and we know her kids from her previous marriage!
Utilize cemeteries if you are able to. Most cemetery offices are very willing to look up a person for you. If you aren't able to find cemetery information, call the funeral home. If you don't know that, call more than one. It isn't like there are hundreds of funeral homes in any given city, realistically. :)
The information *IS* out there to be found :)
So you want to trace your roots?
I've always been interested in my roots...ever since I was in high school, but it wasn't until the age of the internet did I really start researching. It was, mainly, through trial and error and just plain DOING IT that I learned where to look, what to look for, and all that good stuff to get the information I sought.
Whenever I am getting started tracing for someone else, I always gather as much initial information a person can give me. This includes parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and MAYBE great-great grandparents. Information I request outside of names include approximate birth years, places lived, and any siblings.
Why so much? Well, generally, I don't always need great-great grandparents (depending on the age of the person requesting the research) or siblings, but if you get a name like SMITH, JONES, etc...all information you can get, the better off you will be.
EXAMPLE:
John Smith's great-grandparents are John and Jane Smith. EXACTLY. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! But, we also know that John and Jane Smith had kids: John Jr., Charles, Mary, and Courtney. All common names, but COURTNEY (at least back in the times we are referring to). SO, if you come across a household in a census with a COURTNEY in it, chances are, it's GOT to be the family you are looking for. VOILA. Thank GOODNESS you had sibling names, etc :) You've found your family :)
MORAL OF THE FIRST ENTRY: gather as much basic information as you can!
Whenever I am getting started tracing for someone else, I always gather as much initial information a person can give me. This includes parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and MAYBE great-great grandparents. Information I request outside of names include approximate birth years, places lived, and any siblings.
Why so much? Well, generally, I don't always need great-great grandparents (depending on the age of the person requesting the research) or siblings, but if you get a name like SMITH, JONES, etc...all information you can get, the better off you will be.
EXAMPLE:
John Smith's great-grandparents are John and Jane Smith. EXACTLY. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! But, we also know that John and Jane Smith had kids: John Jr., Charles, Mary, and Courtney. All common names, but COURTNEY (at least back in the times we are referring to). SO, if you come across a household in a census with a COURTNEY in it, chances are, it's GOT to be the family you are looking for. VOILA. Thank GOODNESS you had sibling names, etc :) You've found your family :)
MORAL OF THE FIRST ENTRY: gather as much basic information as you can!
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