where2look4ancestors

  • Cemeteries are Coming Back to Life

    Winter dragged on forever here in the Midwest. I hadn’t been to Lakewood since January when the cemetery looked like this: For months I suffered headstone withdrawal, especially after Mother Nature’s 70 degree tease in late March. But yesterday, after a visit to the dentist, I rewarded myself with a cemetery…

  • Graduate of the Old Sacred Heart Convent

    Celia McNulty’s obituary was printed in the Chicago Daily News April 8, 1913: “M’NULTY-Miss Celia, Sunday night, at her residence, 930 E. 65th, aunt of Dr. Austin A. Hayden, 32 N. State st., born 1850 Shullsburg, Wis., graduate of the old Sacred Heart convent, active for many years with Mrs.…

  • 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.