The following obituaries appeared on page 20 of the November 2, 1912 issue of the Chicago Daily News; “BORCHARDT-Catherine (nee Michel), Nov 1, 1912, aged 56 years 5 months, beloved wife of J. F. and mother of Frank, George, Henry, Joseph and Albert, sister of Mrs. Mary Beutgen, Mrs. Annie Anderson, Mrs. Maggie Gunlach, Joseph…
From the November 20, 1913 issue of the Chicago Daily News, page 1; “E.C. LEWIS DIES IN BATHTUB Coroner’s Jury Declares Business Man’s Death an Accident. Edward C. Lewis, who was 68 years old, was accidentally drowned in the bathroom of his home at 3620 South Michigan avenue late yesterday, according to a verdict returned…
Do you think of a death notice as the last time your ancestor may appear in the newspaper? Think again! Probate and will notices aside, there may be memorial notices posted by grieving family members. While sad and touching, remembrances also provide clues for the family history researcher. How many years after death should a genealogist search? There is…
October is Family History Month. I’m often awed by the genealogical clues hidden in obituaries, which is why I post them here and share them on Find A Grave. The image on the left is a snip from the Deaths column that appeared on page 20 of the Chicago Daily News on October 7, 1912. Most of…
Most obituaries include the name of the cemetery in which the recently departed will be buried. Not always though. And that can be frustrating for genealogists searching for an ancestor’s final resting place. I found a dozen such obituaries recently. I found cemeteries for a few on FamilySearch and added those to Find A Grave. Maybe posting the remaining names here…
I was transcribing obituaries for Find A Grave recently and was once again reminded of all the hidden genealogy gems they contain. How many can you find? From page 7 of the March 11, 1892 edition of the Chicago Daily News; “QUINLAN-March 10, 1892, BRIDGET, the beloved daughter of Patrick and the late Bridget Quinlan, aged 16…
The words “Accidentally Drowned” caught my eye as I read the front page of the Chicago Daily News from September 22, 1879: “At an early hour this morning, Edward Gorham, aged 25, a Canadian, employed in the Life-Saving Service, fell off the pier and was drowned. His body was recovered. He was single, and boarded…
So often we look for the leaves on our family tree on the obituary page of newspapers, but neglect to peruse the other pages in these publications. Even in big cities, neighborhood activities were frequently reported in the newspaper. These brevities give us a glimpse of the day-to-day happenings in our ancestors’ lives. Could one of…
From page 12 of the April 25, 1894 issue of the Chicago Daily News; “SHOT DOWN BY A PRIEST. Mary Gilmartin Is Murdered in Cincinnati by Father O’Grady. Cincinnati, O., April 25.-Mary Gilmartin, a clerk employed by the Pulvermacher Belt company on Sycamore street, was shot and killed to-day while on her way to work. The murderer…
Two stories from the front page of the January 10, 1894 issue of the Chicago Daily News caught my eye: End of Sad Married Life- How the News of Harry Goss’ Suicide Was Received at His Wife’s Home – He had been the victim of morphine – Family and Friends Often Tried to Stay His…
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