In searching through various on-line scanned newspapers, I run into the problem of time. Do I look trough each page of each issue (like I do with microfilm)? Or do I use the search engine? Well...I have been using the search engine. BUT...I have found that in order to access the most death entries possible, I must use multiple searches. The following are most of the terms and phrases I have searched by:
buried
casualty
casualty list
cemetery
deceased
death
death report
demise
died
drowned
eternal rest
funeral
funeral home
grim reaper
interred
killed
life eternal
mortuary
murdered
obituary
passed away
probate
report of deaths
suicide
undertaker
Showing posts with label death records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death records. Show all posts
15 October 2011
30 January 2010
Logan County Record of Poor Persons
I just finished entering records from the Logan County Commissioners Record of Poor Persons. This is a single volume of records of poor people whose care was under the auspices of the Logan County Commissioners. From this book I extracted information on individuals for whom Logan County paid for coffins, burial services, cemetery lots, etc. In all there are 125 entries. Not a "major" source of pre-1920 burials, but an important one none the less.
The oldest record is for Edward Taylor who died 11 Jan 1892. John Cheatham was paid for providing a coffin. The last record is for Mrs. Dan Daniels age 74 who died 11 Mar 1903. Mr. West was paid for providing a pauper's grave. Unfortunately, there are gaps in the records from 1896 to 1900 and from 1900 to 1903. Most of the entries are for Blacks. And many of these were buried at the Cimarron River Bridge Cemetery (north of Guthrie). Others were buried in the Winsor/Windsor Graveyard. From what I've been able to determine, neither of these cemeteries are still in existence.
So here we have 125 entries for people who died in early Oklahoma Territory, but for whom it is unlikely there is any other record of their deaths. Nor is it likely that there is a marker for their grave anywhere. How many other county court houses have records like this sitting on a top shelf, in a corner, or in the basement, and no one knows about them?
I am always on the look out for burials of Civil War veterans. As a member of the Nation Graves Registration Committee for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), I enter information on any Civil War veterans graves that I come across. From this record of Logan County Poor Persons I found Andrew Hendricks, male, age 62, Black, died 2 Oct 1894; his coffin was provided by Mr. Porter. A subsequent check of the Civil War Pension Index resulted in finding Andrew Hendricks whose wife filed an application for pension dated 12 Nov 1894. His service was as Private in Company H 3rd US Colored Troops Heavy Artillery. His pension was #64142 and his widow's was #411840. Although the cemetery of burial is unknown, it is likely it was in the Cimarron River Bridge graveyard, along with many of the other Blacks identified in this Poor Persons book.
Moral of this story: Don't overlook the "unlikely" records. Check out your local court house for unusual records. Record information they contain. Publish on your own, on the internet, or in a genealogical journal! So many records are overlooked. So many records are unused because no one is aware they exist!
The oldest record is for Edward Taylor who died 11 Jan 1892. John Cheatham was paid for providing a coffin. The last record is for Mrs. Dan Daniels age 74 who died 11 Mar 1903. Mr. West was paid for providing a pauper's grave. Unfortunately, there are gaps in the records from 1896 to 1900 and from 1900 to 1903. Most of the entries are for Blacks. And many of these were buried at the Cimarron River Bridge Cemetery (north of Guthrie). Others were buried in the Winsor/Windsor Graveyard. From what I've been able to determine, neither of these cemeteries are still in existence.
So here we have 125 entries for people who died in early Oklahoma Territory, but for whom it is unlikely there is any other record of their deaths. Nor is it likely that there is a marker for their grave anywhere. How many other county court houses have records like this sitting on a top shelf, in a corner, or in the basement, and no one knows about them?
I am always on the look out for burials of Civil War veterans. As a member of the Nation Graves Registration Committee for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), I enter information on any Civil War veterans graves that I come across. From this record of Logan County Poor Persons I found Andrew Hendricks, male, age 62, Black, died 2 Oct 1894; his coffin was provided by Mr. Porter. A subsequent check of the Civil War Pension Index resulted in finding Andrew Hendricks whose wife filed an application for pension dated 12 Nov 1894. His service was as Private in Company H 3rd US Colored Troops Heavy Artillery. His pension was #64142 and his widow's was #411840. Although the cemetery of burial is unknown, it is likely it was in the Cimarron River Bridge graveyard, along with many of the other Blacks identified in this Poor Persons book.
Moral of this story: Don't overlook the "unlikely" records. Check out your local court house for unusual records. Record information they contain. Publish on your own, on the internet, or in a genealogical journal! So many records are overlooked. So many records are unused because no one is aware they exist!
20 December 2009
Introduction
For over 25 years I have been collecting information on people who lived in the Payne County and North Central Oklahoma area. Most of the information I have gathered centers around cemeteries, obituaries, probate records, etc. In other words, I find out about dead people!
If you have done genealogical research in Oklahoma for any length of time, you recognize the tremendous lack of official State of Oklahoma Death Records. "Officially" they started by law in 1908. But various sources states that "regular" reporting didn't start until 1912 or 1918 or 1936 (or pick any other year after 1908). This dearth of official death records in Oklahoma causes problems for genealogists. Added to that, the State of Oklahoma refuses to release an index to the records they DO have. So we as genealogists and family historians are screwed!
Therefore....I have decided to compile my very own Oklahoma Death Index. It will cover all of time up through 31 Dec 1919. I have no idea how big/extensive this will be, but I would guess that the "final" total will near the 1 million mark.
The purpose of this blog will be multifold:
• To keep readers up to date on my Oklahoma Death Index progress;
• To provide information on records that are available;
• To provide my perspective on genealogy in Oklahoma;
• To identify mistakes genealogists make when checking records;
• To identify unusual records and repositories of death information;
• To provide insight on why you, as a genealogist, are unable to find the records you seek;
If you would like a search of the index for a specific name, the cost (at least initially) is one dollar per name. Please e-mail me at paynecounty@hotmail.com with the name/date/location and I will send you information on how to pay for the service and obtain information.
If you have done genealogical research in Oklahoma for any length of time, you recognize the tremendous lack of official State of Oklahoma Death Records. "Officially" they started by law in 1908. But various sources states that "regular" reporting didn't start until 1912 or 1918 or 1936 (or pick any other year after 1908). This dearth of official death records in Oklahoma causes problems for genealogists. Added to that, the State of Oklahoma refuses to release an index to the records they DO have. So we as genealogists and family historians are screwed!
Therefore....I have decided to compile my very own Oklahoma Death Index. It will cover all of time up through 31 Dec 1919. I have no idea how big/extensive this will be, but I would guess that the "final" total will near the 1 million mark.
The purpose of this blog will be multifold:
• To keep readers up to date on my Oklahoma Death Index progress;
• To provide information on records that are available;
• To provide my perspective on genealogy in Oklahoma;
• To identify mistakes genealogists make when checking records;
• To identify unusual records and repositories of death information;
• To provide insight on why you, as a genealogist, are unable to find the records you seek;
If you would like a search of the index for a specific name, the cost (at least initially) is one dollar per name. Please e-mail me at paynecounty@hotmail.com with the name/date/location and I will send you information on how to pay for the service and obtain information.
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