tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50387039195318136462024-02-20T19:03:34.797-06:00Oklahoma Death IndexThis blog will provide information on records of deaths in Oklahoma, types of records, location of sources, and description of the records. Send search request to mahlone@hotmail.com. If the information proves useful, a donation would be appreciated. I will provide my mailing address in return email.Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-442287273104666612017-06-04T14:48:00.000-05:002017-06-04T14:48:16.488-05:00UPDATE: Blog and Indexing are Back on Track!It has been a Whirlwind past 20 months...one lay off followed by 3 job changes and one retirement from a profession. Now that I have my feet fairly firmly set again, I will start posting again to this blog.<br />
<br />
During this time period, I did NOT stop extracting records for my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index. Today I added 4400+ more entries from:<br />
- The Daily Ardmoreite (1910-1913)<br />
- The Cherokee Advocate (1882-1906)<br />
- "Fatalities in the Coal Mines of Indian Territory and Southeastern Oklahoma 1885-1962" by <br />
Thurman Shuller (NOTE: this includes records from churches in SE Oklahoma)<br />
- Woodward News 15 & 24 June 1894<br />
<br />
This brings the total of the dataset to 539,363 entries!!<br />
<br />
In the next queue I already have:<br />
- 150+ entries from the Altus Times (1907-1909)<br />
- 17,000+ entries from OK2Explore for 1908-1909-1910<br />
- 5000+ entries from OK2Explore for 1915<br />
<br />
I will not be adding the OK2Explore records to the database until I have finished all years 1908-1919.<br />
<br />
That will be a total of 125,592 records, all from the "official" OKlahoma State Department of Health's Index of Deaths (which is available on-line, but has TONS of mistakes in it).<br />
<br />
Hopefully I will have them all done by the end of 2017.<br />
<br />
My plan is to add a new blog post every Wednesday. <br />
<br />
So until next time...Good Hunting!!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-49132007510551970382016-03-31T20:12:00.002-05:002016-03-31T20:12:22.803-05:00Recent Progress...Another 5,488 Records!!Over the month of March 2016 I have added another 5,488 records to my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index. This includes:<br />
<ul>
<li>Daily Ardmoreite 17 Jan 1910-16 Feb 1910 (62 records)</li>
<li>Daily Ardmoreite 30 Nov 1894-26 Aug 1895 (289 records)</li>
<li>Cherokee Advocate (Tahlequah) 5 Jan 1883-21 Oct 1893 (363 records)</li>
<li>Creek Equalization Records Creek #8279-#9290 (2,451 records)</li>
<li>Harvey Funeral Home (Ardmore) 21 Sept 1898-7 Nov 1904 (1,185 records)</li>
<li>J. Wood Taliaferro Funeral Home (Ardmore) 31 May 1918-31 Dec 1919 (96 records)</li>
<li>St. Clair Funeral Home (Lawton) 2 Aug 1916-26 Aug 1918 (617 records)</li>
<li>South Cemetery (Ardmore) Sexton's Records 1900-1905 (410 records)</li>
<li>Woodward Star 1 June 1894 & 29 Aug 1894-19 Sept 1896 (15 records)</li>
</ul>
My plans for the next several months are to focus on:<br />
<ol>
<li>Daily Ardmoreite obits and Harvey Funeral Home records (Ardmore area deaths); </li>
<li>St. Clair County Funeral Home records, Ritter-Gray Funeral Home records and Highland Cemetery records (Lawton area deaths); </li>
<li>Creek Equalization Records (Creek Indians, but also quite a few Seminoles); </li>
<li>Cherokee Advocate obits (Tahlequah)</li>
</ol>
I am making a list of sources as they become available and/or as I "discover" them. <br />
<br />
This brings the total to 530,439 death references!!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-36767933985029822202016-02-11T19:42:00.002-06:002016-02-11T19:42:51.994-06:00Status Update: 4637 New Records added!As of 31 Jan 2016 my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index has 520,739 total entries, up 4637 from Dec 2015!<br />
<br />
Record sets I am currently working on are:<br />
<ul>
<li> <strong>Creek Full Blood Equalization Records</strong>...This data set is amazing in the number of deaths recorded. I am roughly 2/3 of the way through the complete file and have over 10,700 pre1920 death references. Many of these are multiple entries for the same person from the proofs of heirship for different individuals. Sometimes the dates match, sometimes they don't. In all cases though, death dates or year are provided for many Creek Indians whose deaths are unlikely to be recorded anywhere else.</li>
<li><strong>J. Wood Taliaferro Funeral Home</strong> of Ardmore OK starting in 1901. So far I have added years 1901 through 1907. These records vary greatly in the information provided. When researching early funeral home records, one must remember that the purpose of the records was not genealogical, not was the purpose medical. The purpose was to make sure information was recorded so the funeral home could collect payment for services rendered. So keep this in mind when you come across very incomplete information. I get frustrated with this data set since often only a month and year is recorded for the death. Also, often the name of the deceased is NOT recorded, only the person or group who ordered the service. On another somber note, I have extracted obits from the Daily Ardmoreite for this time period. Of the 397 records from 1901 through the end of 1907, only 35% have the death referenced in the Ardmoreite.</li>
<li>The <strong>Daily Armoreite</strong>...I have now extracted obits from July 1894 through 25 Oct 1909, and 1 Sept 1918 through 1 Feb 1919. In all that is over 8400 death references in that one newspaper for the 15 year period.</li>
<li><strong>Sac & Fox Estates</strong>...These records are very time consuming to go through. I have extracted death information through late 1914. I probably have another 2 months of Saturday research to finish this data set. I have put it "on the back burner" until I have finished the Taliaferro Funeral Home records.</li>
<li>I have just turned over the "old records" index I created for <strong>Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Home</strong> in Oklahoma City to the Funeral Home. There are over 30,000 entries covering 1894 through 1966. By indexing ALL their old records, I will likely gain access to the early records held by another funeral home in the OKC metroplex. Combine those records with the Oklahoma Death Register records of 1908 through 1920, then I will have the most complete death index for Oklahoma City with all records in one place.</li>
</ul>
In future post I will provide a complete list of sources I am currently researching AND sources on my future "To Do" list. Until then...Be sure to check every source available in your genealogy research!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-5793043747857587872015-12-26T20:48:00.000-06:002015-12-26T20:48:12.813-06:00End of 2015 UPDATE: 516,102 entries!!!Tonight I added new entries to my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index:<br />
<br />
Cherkee Advocate 23 Dec 1881 through 22 Dec 1882 (131 entries)<br />
City of Tulsa's Oaklawn Cemetery Report surnames T-Z (351 entries)<br />
Creek Equalization Records Full Blood #4059 through #5965 (3072 entries)<br />
Daily Ardmoreite 16 Apr 1908 through 8 Dec 1908 (608 entries)<br />
Daily Ardmoreite 21 Jan 1919 through 28 Jan 1919 (39 entries)<br />
Sac & Fox/Shawnee Estates 1911-1919 [finished 1911-1913] (183 records)<br />
<br />
This is a total of over 4000 more death records/references, bringing the grand total to 516,102 records!<br />
<br />
I have finished the records for Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa.<br />
<br />
I continue working on extractions from Creek Equalization Records, SacFoxShawnee Estates, Daily Ardmoreite and the Cherokee Advocate.<br />
<br />
Recently I traveled to the Lawton Public Library. There I found funeral home records for Lawton, Burial records for Lawton's big Highland Cemetery, and a funeral home record book for Tahlequah OK. Lawton's library has a fairly large collection of Oklahoma records, so I will be making periodic trips there to make extractions. <br />
<br />
Tulsa's Hardesty Library also has a large genealogy collection with many books not easily available elsewhere. So I will be making quarterly trips to that Library.<br />
<br />
The Native America Collection at the Oklahoma History Center is unrivaled! Ancestry has copied and made available SOME of the collection, and SOME records are on Fold3, but the best complete set of records is at the OHS. I continue to head there just about every Saturday morning to work through the records available.<br />
<br />
The Downtown OKC Public Library also has a great Oklahoma genealogy/history collection. Due to construction and parking issues, I have not availed myself of their collection the past year. When those issues are solved, I will be there once a week looking for records unavailable elsewhere.<br />
<br />
So my "project" is progressing. I have set a goal of 565,000 entries by the end of 2016. That will be a tall order at over 4000 records per month, but is doable. So until next time....May your research result I break throughs!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-8733159122068556122015-07-05T19:33:00.000-05:002015-07-05T19:33:39.185-05:00Blog Update: 495,148 EntriesIn the past 5 months, I have been active extracting information for record sources and entering that data into my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index. I've also given talks to the Cleveland County Genealogical Society (at Norman), the Garfield County Genealogists (in Enid) and the Edmond Genealogical Society.<br />
<br />
This morning I updated the database and added 4,267 entries. Those entries came from these sources:<br />
<ul>
<li>Creek Equalization Records (1646 entries)</li>
<li>Choctaw County Probates (1192 entries)</li>
<li>Tulsa's Oaklawn Cemetery burial printout, surnames A-E (830 entries)</li>
<li>Tulsa's Rose Hill Memorial Park tombstones from the east half of cemetery (7 entries)</li>
<li>The Cherokee Advocate newspaper (283 entries)</li>
<li>Edmond's Gracelawn Cemetery tombstones (316 entries)</li>
<li>Blue County, Choctaw Nation probate records (238 entries)</li>
<li>Cheyenne/Arapaho Agency Deaths, Births, Adoptions and Guardianships (209 entries)</li>
</ul>
In total, this represents about 100 hours of work, including extracting and entering.<br />
<br />
I will continue extracting records. Over the next few months I will be researching how to get this database on-line. My plans are to have it available on a subscription basis. I have consulted with a few librarians on what they see as a reasonable/viable price point. I'd like to hear from some individuals on what you think would be a reasonable subscription price for individuals. What would be a reasonable yearly price? Should I also offer a monthly price? Or even a one time/daily price?<br />
<br />
Currently the database has 495,148 entries. At my current extraction and entry rate I should have about 505,000 entries by the end of the year.Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-78767172745738834152015-03-08T19:34:00.000-05:002015-03-08T19:34:08.618-05:00Native American Death RecordsIt is interesting that I have been told for the past 39 years of doing genealogy that "You just can't find any vital records for Native Americans (Indians) before statehood in Oklahoma". I have talked with officials at the Iowa Tribe (when working on my Payne County OK Cemetery Index) and the Pawnee Tribe (when working on my Pawnee County OK Cemetery Index) and in both cases was told that no vital records were kept for their tribes.<br />
<br />
Well...for the past 2 years or so I have spent one to 2 hours just about every Saturday at the Oklahoma History Center reading page by page through microfilmed records of the various Indian Agencies. And you wouldn't believe the types and wealth of vital records! Since I'm interested in deaths, here are some of the types of records microfilmed:<br />
<br />
Kiowa Agency correspondence regarding cemeteries<br />
Pawnee Agency Death Record books<br />
Kiowa Agency Report of Death cards<br />
all Agencies: Correspondence on Deaths<br />
all Agencies: Census records (usually list death date if died during census year).<br />
- these were taken somewhat <u>yearly!</u><br />
Cheyenne Register of Families<br />
Sac & Fox Record of Births and Deaths<br />
Sac & Fox Estates<br />
Pawnee Guardianships<br />
Ponca Births and Deaths<br />
Pawnee Estates<br />
Pawnee Record of Deaths of Allotees<br />
Otoe Estates<br />
Kaw Agency Deaths<br />
Pawnee Agency: Indian Service Book for Deaths and Births<br />
<br />
This is just the tip of the iceberg. I still have hundreds of rolls to go through, but suffice it to say that for pre1920 Indian (Native American) deaths in Oklahoma, the record appears to be much more complete that for pre1920 "white" pioneers and settlers!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-28980584609917917562014-11-14T16:41:00.000-06:002014-11-14T16:41:23.904-06:00Database Progress Update: 479,660 Entries!!<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> Yesterday I uploaded 5,411 more entries into my Pre-1920
Oklahoma Death Index database. The grand total is now 479,660 entries! </span></span></div>
<span style="color: red;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">New entries from these sources:</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Mills Funeral Home Records, Grant Co. OK 1916-1956</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><u><span style="color: black;">Panhandle Pioneers</span></u><span style="color: black;"> v6 1976</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">The Geronimo
Advocate</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">Jan 1907-Aug 1912</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Early Cemetery found near Wetumka, Hughes Co. OK ©1977 by
Teressa Tyler Daniel</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><u><span style="color: black;">Ottawa County OK Families</span></u><span style="color: black;"> v1 ©2008, v2 ©2006, v3
©2007</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• “1</span><sup><span style="color: black;">st</span></sup><span style="color: black;"> Baptist Church Kiowa-Rainey Mountain” (on
OHS microfilm)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• “Henryetta Cumberland Presbyterian Church, register of
communicants” (OCR#4)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• “ 1</span><sup><span style="color: black;">st</span></sup><span style="color: black;"> Presbyterian Church of Henryetta” (OCR#4)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">The Goingsnake
Messenger</span></i><span style="color: black;"> Feb 1984 v1 #1, Sept 1984 v1 #2, Mar 1895 v2 #1</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><u><span style="color: black;">A History of Tulsa OK: A City With a Personality</span></u><span style="color: black;"> v2
© 1921</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Custer County Probate Packets #418-#1321</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(1910-1922)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Major County Probate Packets #1-#587</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(1907-1921)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Woodward County Probate Packets #1-#478</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(1890s-1914)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Tecumseh Herald</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">17 June 1893-16 Sept 1893</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">The Shawnee News
Daily</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">2 Feb 1898-24 Mar 1898</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Mulhall Enterprise</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">5 Oct 1895-25 Sept 1903 and 9 July 1909-22
Dec 1911</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Britton Weekly
Sentinel</span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">13 Mar 1908-25 Dec 1909</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Estates (in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: US Indian Service 1900-1909
allottee deaths (in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Estate/Death Documents (in
PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Affidavits as to Lawful Heirs
(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Correspondence</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Affidavits of Heirship (in
PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Notices of Hearing to Determine
Heirs (in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Letters of Administration (in
PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Estates Book US Indian
Service</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">2 Feb 1915</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Ponca Agency: Wills</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• US Indian Service Book for Deaths and Births
1890-1893</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Vital Statistics (Kaw &
Tonkawa deaths)</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Vital Statistics (Tonkawa, Kaw
& Ponca correspondence)</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies:</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Kaw Vital Statistics 1904-1924</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies:</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Otoe Estates 1911-1915</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;">• Pawnee & Subagencies: Otoe Vital Statistics 1910-1919:
Deaths</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;">(in PA#51)</span></div>
<span style="color: black;">
</span></span><br />Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-89514167936600638722014-10-21T16:55:00.000-05:002014-10-21T16:55:24.288-05:00Back On-Line!...Probate Extraction Progress
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In August of last
year my daughter went to France for a year’s study abroad. We bought her a new
laptop and I inherited her “old” laptop (5 years old). Before then, my laptop
was a Mac that was about 8 years old. So with a “new” computer, I set aside my
Mac and started using my daughter’s old PC. Unfortunately, the PC died earlier
this year (in early June). So I have gone back to my old Mac. Unfortunately,
the operating system is not supported by many web sites and web browsers, nor
is it upgradable. But I continue using it for lack of another computer to use
at home.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Murphy would
have it, on my old Mac I cannot access my blog for updates. So I am now using
my work computer. The next several posts will be updates of the progress I have
made in accessing and abstracting records of deaths in Oklahoma prior to 1920.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oklahoma probate
records are available on FamilySearch for all but 14 counties in Oklahoma. For
the past two years I have been going county by county through those records.
This is very time consuming and slow, but very beneficial in the information
encountered. So far I have finished 26 counties:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Adair<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Custer<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Okfuskee</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beaver<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Dewey<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Okmulgee</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beckham<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ellis<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Roger Mills</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blaine<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Harmon<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rogers</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Canadian<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Harper<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Texas</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carter<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Haskell<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Wagoner</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cherokee<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Major<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Washington</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cimarron<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mayes<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Washita</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cotton<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>McIntosh<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently I am working on
Tillman and Woodward Counties. Since I cannot access FamilySearch at home, I am
extracting info for an hour before work, a half hour during lunch, and a half
hour after work, each day. I can finish one county a month in this fashion. As
I said, slow going, but lots of good info. Occasionally I check entries against
findagrave and okcemeteries.net and notice that about 15% of extracted probate
entries are for people who have no tombstones marking their graves. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Next report: Newspapers: Death Notices and Obits.</span></div>
Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-60620138973190706102014-03-16T20:34:00.000-05:002014-03-16T20:34:11.273-05:00Probate Records Part 2: Special Oklahoma Related Statutes Each state in the Union has its own unique probate laws and statutes. Records sometimes appear where you least expect them. Fore example, one of my Swedish immigrant ancestors was naturalized in the Cook County (IL) Criminal Court. Oklahoma has its own unique situations, mostly related to our having been the "Twin Territories" of Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory AND due the way part of the state was opened to settlement.<br />
<br />
The Dawes' Commission spent many years "enrolling" Indians who resided in Indian Territory (and elsewhere, in some cases). A multitude of records exist purely as a result of Federal Laws and Dept. of Interior regulations that determined who would be enrolled. Even more records were created during the adjudication of disputes/appeals/ ect. to the rulings of the Dawes' Commission, Dept. of Interior, Tribal authorities and courts.<br />
<br />
It kind of reminds me of when I first started playing card games with my older siblings. It seemed that just as I got the hang of a game, my siblings would add a new rule. Multiple new rules. All very confusing and sometimes contradictory. Once Indian rolls were closed, "New Born" rolls were established. Inter-marrieds were allowed citizenship...then disallowed...then re-allowed. At least this is how the Daily Ardmoreite described it.<br />
<br />
Of importance regarding probate records are the following:<br />
1) At the turn of the century (1900-ish) Indians were not considered capable of legally taking care of themselves and had to have a legal guardian. Then they were legal if they could speak/write English. Then children were allotted, but could not conduct legal transactions without having a guardian appointed. If a child died, a legal guardian had to be appointed to sell or lease the child's property. All these situations provide legal "fodder" in the form of court cases...many of which are in the form of probate files.<br />
2) Remember that PROBATE includes estate and will, as well as guardianships, curatorships and lunacy/incompetency. (At least this was the case in territorial and early Oklahoma.)<br />
3) Many of these probate records are available on-line at Family Search's website.<br />
4) Most of the Indian records (Dawes' Commission records) are available on Fold3. These can be accessed through many libraries as a library card holder. The Oklahoma Metropolitan Library System allows access to Fold3 by logging in with your library card. And you can do it from home.<br />
<br />
THE other situation I referred to above is related to the way Oklahoma was opened to settlement. There were land runs and lotteries. "Original" settlers were issued land patents (original deeds) after a certain number of years of residence and improvement of there homestead. In many cases the original settler died before the patent was issued and the patent was then issued to the "heirs of" the original settler. This created a cloud to the title if the estate of the original settler was never probated. I have noticed in each western Oklahoma County from which I have extracted probate information a spate of probates from late 1919 to about 1922 for people who died 10 to 30 years earlier.<br />
<br />
Recently I came across a probate filed in Washita County records that explained this. It cited Senate Bill #60 of 1919 Session Laws of the State of Oklahoma...for the Determination of Heirship. I have not been able to track down a copy of the actual bill, but it allowed the current land owner to prove in court the history of the transfer of title back to the original patentee, file for determination of the heirs, and clear title to the land. So you may have had an ancestor who died in, say 1903, and he had filed on land in the Kiowa,Comanche & Apache opening of 1901. His death occurred before the required time to receive a land patent. The patent would have been issued to his wife/heirs if they proved up the property. However, this legally left a cloud on the title. Senate Bill #60 allowed the title to be cleared through the probate process. but only after mid-1919. So his probate file would be dated 1920 or 1921.<br />
<br />
If you are like me, you check the records on about 3 to 5 years on either side of the death. It would be easy to miss the later filings allowed by Senate Bill #60. Nor would you, like me, think to look for a probate file for a deceased infant or minor child. However, if the infant/child was an Indian allottee, there would have to be a probate file to legally transfer title to the land. So be aware of legal issues and laws regarding probates for time period your ancestors lived. They vary from state to state and period to period. But they are a treasure trove of information.Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-25872009594661358212014-01-01T18:45:00.001-06:002014-01-01T18:45:10.149-06:00Probate Records Part 1: Guardianships I've spent a lot of time the past 12 months reading through probate records. I find it interesting the the causes generating probate records can be different whether in Indian Territory or Oklahoma Territory. I will address this in detail in a later post.<br />
<br />
There are three main types of probate records: Administration of Estate, Probate of Will, and Guardianship. Another, less common one, is Adoption.<br />
<br />
It has always been obvious to me that the first two types of records are probates, but I never really understood how Guardianship records were "probate" records.<br />
<br />
As I understand it now, reading through thousands of these records, a guardian is appointed to protect the legal interests (estate) of, usually, a minor. Since a minor legally cannot enter into a contract, a guardian is appointed to conduct business for the minor.<br />
<br />
In Indian Territory, guardianships were needed for the majority of enrolled Indian minors. These under age Indians were allotted land, and when it came time to sell or lease the land, the minors could not legally do that. So a guardian had to be appointed to dispose of (sell) the land or lease the land (farm leasing and oil/gas leasing).<br />
<br />
So when you see a guardianship record, DO NOT assume that the minors listed have deceased parents.<br />
<br />
Similarly in Oklahoma Territory, many of the guardianship records were for children who inherited land or money from a relative. For the minor to do anything with the inherited estate, a guardian was appointed as the legal representative of the minor. These records often list the names of the parents and other relatives.<br />
<br />
There are also what I always thought a guardianship was: the parent(s) of a child died and someone was appointed by the court to look after the best interests of and raise the child.<br />
<br />
Another type of guardianship I have seen is when a guardian is appointed for an incompetent person. In reading obituaries of elderly persons who also had guardians appointed for them, I would bet the incompetent persons had old age dementia or Alzheimer's.<br />
<br />
Don't overlook the Guardianship as a valuable genealogical record. It will often give the ages or birth dates of the minors, list the names of the parents and other relatives living in the county that could care for the minors, and give the names and locations of those from whom the minors inherited property. For those with Indian ancestry, these records could be the most valuable record you have missed!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-11782885192431453282013-12-29T17:39:00.000-06:002013-12-29T17:39:13.228-06:00End of 2013 Update 2013 is nearing its end. I've made lots of progress, but the records extraction is very slow going. here are the highlights of the new records added to my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Cherokee County Probate Appearance Dockets v2-5 (1907-1917)</li>
<li><i>Daily Ardmoreite</i> (Ardmore OK) 1 Jan 1906 through 10 May 1906</li>
<li>Ellis County Gage Dist. Probate Packets #225-765 (1896-1921)</li>
<li>Harmon County Probate Case Files #1-193 (1907-1921)</li>
<li>Mayes County Probate Appearance Docket v1-3 (1907-1919)</li>
<li><u>North Central Oklahoma: Rooted in the Past/Growing for the Future</u> 1995 v1&2</li>
<li>Okmulgee County Probate Appearance Dickets v1-2? (1907-1909)</li>
<li><u>Pioneers of the Chickasaw Nation IT</u> 1997 by Nova Lemons v1&2</li>
<li>Rogers County Probate Appearance Dockets v1-5 (1908-1919)</li>
<li>Rose Hill Burial Park (in Oklahoma City) Sexton's Card File A-Z (first burial in 1917)</li>
<li>Wagoner County Probate Appearance Dockets v1-6 1907-1919</li>
</ul>
<div>
Each of these sources requires page by page reading to find the information on early Oklahoma Deaths. Sometimes I find only 10 to 15 per hour. However, from Nov 16th to Dec 29th I have added 4072 entries to the databse.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This brings the grand total to 464,109 entries!!!</div>
Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-68688690642837352302013-10-20T08:00:00.000-05:002013-10-20T08:00:10.039-05:00Progress Update Today I added 1833 new entries bringing the total in my Pre-1900 Oklahoma Death Index database to 458,295. My goal for 2013 was to have 500,000 entries in the database, however, it looks like I will only reach the 470,000 mark. I have exhausted the "easy" sources (indexes) and am now slogging my way page by page through sources that require more intense study.<br />
<br />
Sources consulted for the 1833 entries added today were:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The Daily Ardmoreite (May and June 1905)</li>
<li>The Inola Register (5 Oct 1906 through 29 Mar 1907)</li>
<li>Carter County Probate Packets (1906 through 1909)</li>
<li>Cimarron County Probate Case Files (1907 through 1922, finished)</li>
<li>Harper County Probate Case Files (1907 through 1913)</li>
<li>Texas County Probate Case Files (1915 through 1922, finished)</li>
<li>Oak Hill Cemetery & Mount Calvary Cemetery in McAlester by PCGS</li>
<li>Pioneers of the Chickasaw Nation IT published in 1991 (vol 1 through p257)</li>
</ul>
<div>
For probate records I have been consulting those that are available on FamilySearch. I am concentrating on those counties that do not have any scanned probate indexes. Earlier this year I went through the scanned index books, so am now concentrating on counties that did <b>not</b> have any scanned index volumes. Since I have spent so much time and effort on records from Indian Territory the past two years, I decided to start my way in far west Oklahoma and work my way east. So the Panhandle counties of Cimarron, Texas and Beaver are finished and Harper County is nearly half way completed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Continuing projects include:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Dawes' Roll Enrollment Cards: working on Chickasaw; have completed Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole.</li>
<li>Minor Tribes Census Rolls: currently working on the Kiowa Agency Rolls. These include censuses for the Kiowa, Comanche, Apache and Wichita tribes. So far I have over 500 deaths from the 1879, 1881, 1881-1883, and 1883 censuses.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
The work is "slow going" these days what with reading each page of the sources looking for death information. And I am a "one man show". That is by design. However, the database is now big enough that I have been able to help quite a few people find references to the deaths of people they are searching for.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another update in about two weeks!</div>
Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-59925594505386510172013-10-06T13:14:00.001-05:002013-10-06T13:14:39.534-05:00Indian Census Records Most genealogists are told (and believe) that there are few death records for Indians (Native Americans) who resided in what is now Oklahoma. In fact, I have personally heard librarians who specialize in Indian records state that the only place you <u>might</u> find a death record in the US District Court records and <u>maybe</u> the Dawes' Roll enrollment forms and packets. This, however, is far from the truth!<br />
<br />
On day last year I downloaded the "Catalog of Microfilm Publications" for the Archives and Manuscript Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. I printed it, not realizing that it is a 221 page document. It lists many records, including the microfilmed collections of various tribes in Oklahoma. It is <b>not</b> limited to the Five Civilized Tribes, but includes what are often referred to as the minor tribes.<br />
<br />
Usually the first few rolls of a specific tribe's/Agency's records are what are referred to as Censuses. These are Census Enrollments of Indians living within a specific Agency's jurisdiction. Most are dated 30 June or 1 July of a certain year. The earliest Rolls list the head of household (not always a man) and state that someone in the family died during the year following the census date. Other early forms list head of household and numbers of females, male kids under and over 7 years of age and the same for female children. These early censuses were not meant to be death registers. Yet you can find death information scattered across the pages. Sometimes a name will be crossed out with "dead" written next to the name. Sometimes the 1 for the child will be changed to 0 with a note at the end of the row "dead". More commonly at the far right of the row it will state that the woman or child died on a certain date or just in a certain year. If the male is listed as dead (often with a death date) the name of his "woman" will be listed.<br />
<br />
In later censuses, the Agency superintendent would have the Census Roll typed. These are much easier to read. They are clearly labeled as "dead" and more often than not the death date is listed. These later records are complete lists of household with reference to the family number on the immediate past Census Roll.<br />
<br />
I have spent about 2 to 4 hours most Saturdays since January 2013 reading through these Census Rolls gleaning death information. The numbers listed below are somewhat misleading. If the dead Indian is listed by both Indian name and English name, I include two entries for that person, one under each name. For each entry, I include the alternate name in the relationship/comments column of the database.<br />
<br />
Following is a list of the Census Rolls by Tribe and number of death entries I today added to my master database of pre1920 deaths in Oklahoma:<br />
<br />
* Iowa..............................................................25<br />
* Kaw............................................................308<br />
* Mexican Kickapoo........................................84<br />
* Citizen Pottawatomie...................................154<br />
* Sac & Fox..................................................258<br />
* Absentee Shawnee......................................241<br />
* Miami (and associated tribes)......................180<br />
* Cheyenne and Arapaho(e).........................1144<br />
* Kiowa/Comanche/Wichita/Apache..............332<br />
<br />
Granted, these are not huge numbers, but for a people group for whom most will claim records from the time period do not exist or are rare, this is a lot! And the Kiowa/Comanche/Wichita/Apache Census Roll number listed above is by no means complete. That 332 entries covers only part way through the 1881-1883 Census Roll. I still have 27 years of Census Rolls to go through!<br />
<br />
There are lots of records out there that the average person knows nothing about. Even the "expert" librarians don't know much about these records. So get out there and "dig" through records that might help you with <u>your</u> research! Get excited and have fun!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-52651001936932457092013-10-03T20:50:00.000-05:002013-10-03T20:50:28.404-05:00Government Shutdown, etc...<br />
<ul>
<li>The "government shutdown" has actually affected this project! I was opening the National Archives' Chronicling America page to continue abstracting obits from the Daily Ardmoreite. When opening, an error message stated that until further notice, this page is shut down. This newspaper is also in the digitized newspapers on the Oklahoma History Center's website. However, links from issue to issue do not exist (at least not that I have found). So for the time being, I have started on an Inola OK newspaper.</li>
<li>I uploaded another 2084 records. Some are from a couple of published books (one on Chickasaw Nation, one on Oklahoma South of the Canadian). But the majority are from the Daily Ardmoreite newspapers (Dec 1904 through May 1905) and from the Dawes' Roll Enrollment Cards: Cherokee Doubtful and Rejected. Thus finishes the Cherokee Enrollment Cards. The only Enrollment Cars to finish are the Chickasaw, however, they are very dim and I don't hold out much hope for adding many from this source.</li>
<li>The total for the database is now 454,072 entries. </li>
<li>I started on Texas County Probate Packets and Carter County Probate Packets. It's interesting to come across probate packets for people from the Dawes' Roll Enrollment Cards for the Choctaws and Chickasaws. Some of the probate packets give death information on heirs as well as the person the file is for. In one case there is death info on the deceased, two of her daughters, two of her sisters and three of her nieces/nephews. All in one file!</li>
<li>Progress will continue on Carter County and Texas County probate packets, Chickasaw Enrollment Cards, Apache/Comanche census records, Daily Ardmoreite death notices, and other records I come across. </li>
</ul>
Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-81656859617220985172013-09-22T20:42:00.002-05:002013-09-22T20:42:42.402-05:00Recent Activities: Sept 2013 On September 9th I presented the program "Death Records in Indian Territory and Early Oklahoma" at the monthly meeting of the Oklahoma Genealogical Society. After the meeting a new member asked if I had a suggestion on how to find information on her ancestor who died south of Stroud OK in July 1897. On a lark I looked him up in my index and found an entry for him with the source as the Beaver Herald (in Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle)! My assumption was that one of his children moved out there and the death notice was published for that reason.<br />
<br />
As it turns out, the death notice appeared in the "Territorial News" column. The descendant then checked and found a more detailed death notice in a Guthrie paper relating the details of his drowning. She is continuing to check other newspapers in Oklahoma/Indian Territory (likely Chandler and/or Bristow) for additional accounts. As I related in my talk, these accounts can vary highly in content from one newspaper to another.<br />
<br />
I have my handout available in a four page word document for anyone who would like one. Simply email me and request it. I also have a copy of my personal lecture notes outline (including URLs for source websites). My lecture notes are 12 pages long and are available for a $3 donation to the OGS. Copies will be available at the next OGS meeting (Oct 7th), or email me for directions to send the donation, and once received I will email the notes.<br />
<br />
I just finished going through the Dawes' Rolls Enrollment Cards for the Cherokee Nation. Current ongoing extraction projects include Carter County probates, Texas County probates, and Daily Ardmoreite death notices and obituaries. More to come...Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-73333297245168857072013-08-27T20:45:00.000-05:002013-08-27T20:45:08.635-05:00Progress Update!! I thought I would update the progress of the Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Just finished extracting death information from Canadian County Probate Packets.</li>
<li>Nearing the end of the Cherokee Dawes' Enrollment Cards. I have about 2500 more cards to go through, so should be finished by the end of September. So far I have 23,600 death references from just the Cherokee cards.</li>
<li>When I finish the Cherokee cards, I will go back to the Chickasaw cards. I had stopped working on them when over 50 pages in a row were unreadable (too faint to read). They will probably take til the end of the year to finish.</li>
<li>I finished the following "minor" Indian Census Rolls: Iowa, Kaw, Kickapoo, Miami, Citizen Pottawatomie, Absentee Shawnee, Sac & Fox, and just Saturday, the Cheyenne/Arapaho. I have yet to import these into the database.</li>
<li>Finished volume 2 of "Oklahoma South of the Canadian". This set was published in 1925. I made a decent start into volume 3. It is surprising how many deaths are recorded in the biographical histories!</li>
</ul>
<div>
The database is currently just short of 450,000 entries. For a few people, I now have references to a death notice, obit, funeral home record, cemetery/tombstone record, probate record, pension record, etc. This is the whole purpose: Bring together all available references to deaths in early Oklahoma in order to help people researching their family history.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
More info to come...</div>
Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-5229524572249226622013-08-11T18:44:00.001-05:002013-08-11T18:44:45.978-05:00Indian Census Records: Unusual Names For the past few months, on my weekly Saturday forays to the Oklahoma History Center's Research Library, I have been reading page by page through the microfilmed Indian census records. It is interesting seeing the multi-syllable Indian names, followed by the English name translations. Censuses with both names serve as a type of Rosetta Stone for names of the tribal members for the years on either side of 1900 in what is now Oklahoma.<br />
<br />
One household I find quite amusing and ironic. A 78 year old male named Sweet Water was married to a 30 year old female named Old Woman.<br />
<br />
Another entry from the late 1880s or early 1890s had only the Indian names for each individual. However, I came across twin 18 year old boys who had been orphaned, one of whom died during the year following the census being taken. Their names were Julius Caesar and Roberson Crusoe. I assume that they were named by the superintendent of an orphan's asylum, but that's just conjecture.<br />
<br />
You never know what names you'll come across. But you should enjoy the irony in many of the names. You should also appreciate the ones that make you chuckle and share the reasons for your chuckles with others!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-90338235183177014832013-08-02T21:30:00.001-05:002013-08-02T21:30:18.578-05:00"New Computer", regained access!! Several months ago (in April) my laptop ceased to be compatible with the Blogspot platform, with Firefox and Expolorer, and most other applications. With my daughter going over seas to study for the next year, she received a new computer and I received her old computer. Now that I have become semi-proficient with Windows 7 (after using a Mac since 1982) I have regained access to Blogspot.<br />
<br />
So...I should be posting at least once each week. My "plans" are to post each Wednesday and Saturday, so twice each week. I have come across some interesting records, as well as some funny and ironic records. I'll post about those as well as availability and location of various sources that contain/include deaths of Oklahomans who died before the year 1920.<br />
<br />
I have been asked lately why I don't record obits in Oklahoma papers for people who died out of state. I only include them if the formerly lived in Oklahoma or if they ended being buried in Oklahoma. Since my index as an Oklahoma Death Index, I choose not to enter deaths of those who died out of state and whose only connection to Oklahoma was having relatives in Oklahoma.<br />
<br />
That may seem inappropriate or arbitrary to some, but I had to choose some parameters for my database. They are as arbitrary as choosing 31 Dec 1919 as my cut-off date. But, as my dad who was a geologist would say when showing his maps during the decision making process in drilling wells, "That's my story and I'm sticking by it!"Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-46920938588699668032013-08-02T21:11:00.001-05:002013-08-02T21:11:35.941-05:00NEW UPDATE: 446,493 Entries Since my last post, I have been extracting information from many different sources. I am about a month away from finishing the Cherokee Dawes' Roll Enrollment Cards, half way through Canadian County probate packets, working through "minor" tribes (non-5 Civilized) census records, and various online and in library books/manuscripts.<br />
<br />
The grand total of records in my database is now 446,493 entries! I should hit the 450,000 entries mark by the end of August. Extracting will fall off in the Fall during football season as I work OSU football games and will lose my wonderful Saturday research time at the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Library and Indian Archives.<br />
<br />
More to come....Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-22218298446744854442013-04-22T21:46:00.000-05:002013-04-22T21:46:47.121-05:00Progress UpdateThe Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index is now at 424,116 entries.<br />
<br />
• Just finished extracting death information from Blaine County probate records, about 850 entries in all.<br />
<br />
• Working through the Dawes Enrollment Cards for Cherokees. It will probably take most of this year to finish all the Cherokee cards. I'm including those with death dates AND the deaths of parents and spouses listed as dead (their death listed as pre1900-08, for example).<br />
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* About half way through deaths recorded at the Sequoyah County Court House. These were periodically recorded by doctors and cover time period of about 1908 to 1917.<br />
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• Finished reading through the Beaver Herald, 1895 through end of 1919.<br />
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• Started reading through the Langston City Herald (up to Feb 1896).<br />
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My computer is a several years old Mac laptop. Apparently the operating system is not compatible with any of the current browsers, so I lose ability to post on this blog most of the time. Soon, I will inherit my daughters 2 year old PC laptop, so should be back to normal abilities and displays. Hopefully I will be able to get back to weekly postings! Until then...Good Hunting!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-91325345047213981482013-01-31T16:10:00.000-06:002013-01-31T16:10:03.219-06:00Oklahoma Probate Records Now On-Line!!! Familysearch.org has now scanned and made available on-line early probate records for most of Oklahoma. The amount and types of probate records vary by county depending on what records the LDS Church microfilm crews were allowed to film. Several counties have indexes included in scanned files!<br />
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When looking for death dates, don't limit your searches to just estate and will files. I have found death dates of parents in guardianship files. A death date can also be roughly determined from the Appearance Docket (death before the filing date, but close to that filing date).<br />
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Nearly all counties have SOME scanned files. So below are those counties for which NO files are accessible:<br />
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Coal Grady Love Sequoyah<br />
Craig Johnston Murray<br />
Creek Kiowa Osage<br />
Garfield Lincoln Pawnee<br />
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There is also one county that no longer exists that had files: Day County. This county covered all or parts of Ellis, Roger Mills and Dewey counties before statehood.<br />
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To access these files go to Family Search at this URL:<br />
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<a href="https://familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https%3A//familysearch.org/records/collection/2063710/waypoints">https://familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https%3A//familysearch.org/records/collection/2063710/waypoints</a>Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-5574866675271221542013-01-27T10:36:00.000-06:002013-01-27T10:36:15.212-06:00Oklahoma City Death Record Books Several years ago two volumes of OKC death records were donated to the Oklahoma History Center. The OHS has finally ironed out the problems with digitizing the oversized volumes and have put the two volumes covering 1908 through 1924 onto a single CD. Work is in progress to extract information into a searchable database with basic information from the two volumes.<br />
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The information in records is amazing. Included are:<br />
• Name<br />
• Death location <br />
• Gender and race<br />
• Birth date and/or age (usually age)<br />
• Marital status<br />
• Birth place (usually just the state)<br />
• Names of parents and their birth places (states)<br />
• Occupation (usually left blank)<br />
• Death date<br />
• Cause of death<br />
• Contributing cause of death<br />
• Place of burial (cemetery if local, city if elsewhere)<br />
• Funeral Home<br />
• Date record was filed<br />
• Comments column (usually for homicide, auto death, suicide, or WWI service info)<br />
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As you can see, there is a wealth of information in these death volumes. I have extracted information for the 11,638 deaths that occurred before 1920. These records will soon be incorporated into my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index.<br />
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Suprisingly, 40 records were recorded after 1 Jan 1920! Most of these were WWI reburials (disinterred in France for burial in OKC) or disinterments from elsewhere to Fairlawn Cemetery or Rose Hill Cemetery in OKC. Even though entries start on 17 Feb 1908, there are 12 deaths recorded for people who died before 1908. The earliest recorded death is for L.C. Hubbell aged 17y who died 14 June 1893 at Monroe City LA and was disinterred to Fairlawn Cemetery in May 1921.<br />
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Keep a look out for these records to be available at the OHS in the not too distant future. Also, for the time being I am doing free look ups from my Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index which now has over 410,000 entries.<br />
Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-29212801684849914062012-12-31T20:08:00.001-06:002012-12-31T20:09:17.601-06:00Progress at end of 2012 The year 2012 is at an end tonight. I have not made any posts for several months and for that I apologize. No resolutions for 2013, but I do have a few goals for the pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index:<br />
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• Add at least 50,000 more entries.<br />
• Ideally, I'd like to hit 500,000 entries by the end of the year, but 450,000 seems more realistic.<br />
• Blog at least once a week, if not twice a week.<br />
• Post more information on sources of pre-1920 deaths in Oklahoma.<br />
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Here are a few highlights from 2012:<br />
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• Ended the year with 402,442 entries.<br />
• Finished Dawes Enrollment Cards for Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Tribes.<br />
• Finished all cemeteries I have been able to track down on-line and at OHS Library.<br />
• Added thousands from death notice/obit info, mainly from Ardmore, Antlers, and Beaver newspapers.<br />
• Added 8200+ records from the OKC Death Record Volume 1. Only 3100 more records to go!<br />
• Added thousands of records from County Probate Record Indices (available on Familysearch.org).<br />
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Sources I will "attack" in 2013:<br />
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• The rest of the County Probate Record Indices at Familysearch.org.<br />
• Finish the OKC Death Record Volume 1.<br />
• Tulsa Funeral Home records.<br />
• Rose Hill Burial Park (in OKC) sexton's records.<br />
• Finish obits in the Beaver Herald (1915-1920).<br />
• Continue extracting obit/death info from the Daily Ardmoreite (in 1902 currently).<br />
• Find records for or visit missing cemeteries. <br />
• Probate records for counties that do not have indices with years included.<br />
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Let me know what you think of the blog and of the death index! Happy New Year!!!Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-4585741349352320942012-08-29T20:35:00.000-05:002012-08-29T20:35:06.952-05:00What's In a Name? I once heard a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson:<br />
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"I won't trust a man who can't spell his name at least three different ways."<br />
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I guess that kind of sums up most of the problems in genealogy and not being able to find our ancestors. I hear so many people claim that their family was "missed" on the census. I guess they never head this quote!<br />
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In going through the Dawes Rolls Creek packets, I came across an interesting transcript. One of the "chiefs" of a village gave an explanation, under oath, of how names were dealt with. Children were given their father's name if they lived in the father's village and mother's name if in her village. To complicate things more, there were separate rules if the husband or wife was Cherokee living in the Creek nation or vice/versa.<br />
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The most interesting statement I read was the "chief's" identification of a child's father. He gave the father's name he was known by. And then he also gave the dad's Creek name. AND he went on to identify the man's Warrior name. So each Creek male had a "White" name, a "Creek" name, and a "Warrior" name. A genealogist unaware of this naming system is doomed!<br />
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Perhaps the Creeks took Thomas Jefferson's supposed quote too seriously :)Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5038703919531813646.post-64701028632505883572012-08-26T06:02:00.000-05:002012-08-26T06:02:29.159-05:00Duplication of Records???...So What!!! My purpose for the Pre-1920 Oklahoma Death Index database is to accumulate as many references to pre-1920 Oklahoma deaths as I can find. I have been chastised for having duplicate entries, for wasting my time, etc. One person thought it was "stupid" to extract information from a published cemetery book and then go walk the cemetery, including deaths from both sources, most being duplicates. What that person doesn't realize is that although many of the entries are duplicates, many entries have slightly different name spellings or death dates. Often I see new stones for previously unmarked graves and the published book has old stones that have disappeared or become unreadable over time. In Tyner's "Our People and Where They Rest" 12 volume set, most entries have only birth and death year. A reading of the actual tombstone will often add month and day to those years.<br />
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To illustrate what I see as the great value to my database, here are two entries. One entry was added last year from a findagrave.com. The other is from a newspaper article extract:<br />
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Hughes, George Vaughan 32 years buried Coalgate Cemetery (no death date on old stone)<br />
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Hughes, George V. died Saturday at Weston TX. Buried Coalgate Cemetery [from the Wayne OK Gazette 26 Nov 1909 p1 c6]<br />
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Neither source provides the same information. from the tombstone we have an age with no reference point since there is no death date or death year. From the death notice, we have a death date (I would need to look up the paper and see the publication date to determine the death day), death location and burial location. Combine the two and we now have a good idea of the life span of George V. Hughes and a better idea of what records would available on him and which ones to search.<br />
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With my alphabetical death index, I can easily find and match multiple references for one individual. The more sources, the more information and better the information is substantiated.Oklahoma Death Indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14410519119937018871noreply@blogger.com0