where2look4ancestors

Month: March 2016

  • Mystery Monday: Death Certificate 6839

    Who were Anita’s parents? Calvary Cemetery in Evanston is a distance from Aurora Illinois. Why wasn’t Anita buried closer to home? And Calvary is a predominantly Irish cemetery, so what was it that drew a French family there?     Follow up: Thanks to blog follower Jim C., we know more…

  • Looks Can Be Deceiving

    You know what they say about assumptions, right? Guilty as charged. In July of last year I was in Chicago’s Rosehill Cemetery taking headstone photos for Find A Grave, when I stumbled upon this: Of course I assumed the overturned headstone belonged to Scott M. Jones. After all, written in…

  • Thoroughly Modern Memorial

    We tend to assume, do we not, that headstones are erected soon after the deceased is laid to rest. In some cases however, a descendant has a headstone put in place long after the death occurred. And this dear readers, is a wonderful clue that another family historian may be lurking about. So when a headstone looks…

  • Mystery Monday: Death Certificate 6711

    What was Mrs. Looby’s given name? And where is she buried? My search in the Illinois deaths database on FamilySearch wasn’t much help. And I couldn’t find her on Find A Grave. I’m not related to Mrs. Looby, but I would like to solve her mystery. Can you help reunite her with her family here…

  • Chicago Obituaries: March 15, 1892

    From page 9 of the March 15, 1892 issue of the Chicago Daily News; “BAGNALL-March 14, 1892, ROY, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Bagnall, aged 5 months. Funeral Wednesday at 2 o’clock p.m.” “CAHILL-March 13, 1892, JOHN, beloved husband of Katheran Cahill (nee Morgan), aged 60 years. Funeral from…

  • Marriage Announcement of Sorts

    Politically incorrect to be sure, but this newspaper notice is quite the genealogical treasure: And for the official record:  

  • We Miss Thee Everywhere

    John Gillis’ obituary appeared on page 8 of the Chicago Daily News on March 5, 1892: “GILLIS-JOHN, beloved husband of Adelaide Lee Dunbar Gillis and father of Grace and Sedric Gillis, aged 52 years. Funeral Sunday, March 6, at 2 p.m., from his late residence, 2952 S. Canal-st, by carriages…

  • Mary A wife of Phil Runser

    Mary Runser’s headstone stands among a number of old memorials in Riverside Cemetery in Black River Falls Wisconsin.