Grant County, Indiana resource

Here's a resource for those who may have relatives in Grant County, Indiana. Check out www.grantcounty.net and then click on Departments>Health Department>Vital Records and then click on 'Death By Name'. Here you can search for your family members information and there are links to contact the Health Department to obtain a copy of the death certificate.

One thing I noticed was that the database contained final disposition of the body and the name of the informant, something that could provide clues for further research and answers as to where some of the information came from. The database doesn't state the time frame of the data, but I was able to find deaths from the 1930s all the way to the present.

Grant County is where I reside, and while I don't have much family here, I was able to find out information about some collateral relatives who died in Grant County. I searched my RootsMagic database for anyone I could find in Grant County, and was able to add some information.

There are some LeMaster names in the database who are not close relatives, including :

Paul B. LeMaster death date 5/22/1980 Marion, Indiana. His place of birth was not given, but the date was 8/24/1925. His father was Charles B. LeMaster and mother was Clarisse Busheart.

Raleigh K. LeMaster death date 2/25/1994 Marion, Indiana. He was born 4/16/1908 in Flat Gap, Kentucky. His father was Henry B. LeMaster and mother was Vergie Florence Harris.

Stanley S. LeMaster death date 3/2/2001 Marion, Indiana. He was born 4/10/1935 in Paintsville, Kentucky. His father was Ochal R. LeMaster and mother was Ruth G. Lyon

Roba E. LeMaster death date 1/21/1980 Marion, Indiana. He was born 12/2/1898 in West Virginia. His father was John D. LeMaster and mother was Sarah Pratt.

Jewell E. LeMaster death date 12/22/2005 Marion, Indiana. She was born 12/31/1918 in Keaton, Kentucky. Her father was Tommy Bailey and mother was Erie M. Evans.

Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt # 30

Prompt: Write about your experiences with social networking tools for genealogy purposes. Do you use MySpace, Facebook or Twitter? Are you a wiki kind of person? None of the above? Tell readers about your experiences with these tools and watch your social network grow.

I'm not cool, but I don't care.

Social media may appear to be for the young and not the young at heart, but to hear my kids complain about it - now the 'old' people are taking over. I think that it bothers them that I'm on Facebook.

Facebook has allowed me to connect with old friends, relatives and co-workers easily and for free. For the genealogist, social media allows you to connect with fellow researchers and family by sharing your photos and blogs to a wider audience. I've been able to make new friends and trade research ideas, as well as discover a few new cousins online through my Facebook connections.

Because of these Facebook connections, I've been able to share photos of ancestors and tombstones I've taken for Find-A-Grave as well as share memories with living cousins. Fellow genealogists have helped with lookups of information in distant locales after reading my posts and have offered suggestions for further research.

I have my blog posts linked to appear on my Facebook page as 'Notes' so that all of my networked friends will have the ability to read what has been posted without accessing my blog. This exposes my research to my friends and relatives who may not have been aware that I was blogging. Often I use the 'Networked Blogs' application as well to periodically highlight a particular post.

I haven't ventured into the Twitter waters yet, but if I do, I'm sure that I will enjoy that technology as well.

Overall, my experience with social networking and genealogy research has been a positive one. I have been able to expose my blog and my research to a wider audience and have received positive feedback. I've also received research tips and offers of help. Some of my Facebook friends that are not genealogists have asked for tips on how to start their own family history research, and my far-flung cousins are able to read about my research through my linked blog posts.

I would highly recommend using social media as another tool to put your research out there. You never know what genealogical treasure may be turned up through these casual connections, and the friendships that develop can enrich your life and expand your research.

Obituary: Lillie Miller (1873-1937)

Source: Evansville, Indiana, Daily Press, July 29, 1937

Mrs. Lillie Miller, 64, of 719 N. Fifth-av, died Wednesday in her home.

Surviving are: sons, Arthur, Lawrence, Fred and William; daughters, Mrs. Eva L. Dever, Mrs. Sadie Hoover, and Mrs. Helen Miller; nine grandchildren, and a brother, John Schaefer, all of Evansville.

Funeral services will be at 7:30 a.m. Saturday in the home, continued in St. Anthony's Catholic Church at 8 a.m. Burial in Park Lawn Cemetery.

[Ed note: Interestingly, her husband's obituary stated that he was buried in Locust Hill Cemetery, but so far, records from there have not turned up a burial there. More research is needed.]