My recent visit to the Geneva History Museum was not my first attempt to find the final resting place of my 3rd-great-grandmother Helena Tolf. I’ve mailed death certificate requests to Kane County on several occasions over the years, each time hoping a different clerk would get the request and find this elusive record. All attempts…
Beginner genealogists are encouraged to start with what they know and work backward toward facts as yet unknown. But in the case of my third great-grandmother, I know more about her 1822 birth then I do about her 1901 death: Lena Stina, or Helena Christina as she would later be known, was born 28 Feb…
Batavia Illinois is a lovely suburb about forty miles west of Chicago. The oldest city in Kane County, Batavia was founded in 1833 and many old buildings remain, giving visitors a sense of the community’s rich history. The Fox River runs through the center of town and shady well-kept parks are located along its banks. The town has…
