Elk County Historical Society

[Roma Jean Turner]

I was able to rearrange some things next weekend, so will be attending the Historical Society
Meeting in Moline.  Bev Leffingwell is coming down from Wichita.  I look forward to meeting some of you there. 

[genealogynut]

I am glad to read that you've changed your plans for next weekend.

I am wondering what the feasibility would be of having the Historical Society expand to include a Genealogical Society, and if enough people would be willing to donate countless hours in reading all the cemeteries in Elk County.  I see a great need for both of those, along with other projects as well.

Does anyone else out there have ideas they would like to share?

[Wilma]

Millie Martin did an extensive survey of the cemeteries and all her findings are now either at the library or at the courthouse.  Someone else could tell you where it is.  It needs to be put on line so that it is accessible to everyone.  I know there was lots and lots of notebooks as they were still here in the house when we looked at it.  She had shelves on one wall of the bedroom and mostly filled with her cemetery work.  Her daughter was considering where they books should go and I think she decided on the library.  Neva Walters at the courthouse could tell you.

I would be interested in reading an account of the meeting if any of you would like to report on it.

[genealogynut]

Yes, the Millie Martin collection is in the library, sitting on the shelf, UNIDEXED.  I tried to find something in it, but it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.  That is one project that needs to be done (indexing the collection).  That is a huge collection.  Yes, Millie read some of the cemeteries, and I may be wrong, but I don't believe all of the cemeteries were read.  And that was over 20 years ago.  Lots of people have died since then. 

Originally, I had the same thoughts as you about putting all the cemetery transcriptions online, but that would be a gigantic undertaking.  In the Register of Deeds office, the Howard Grace Lawn cemetery transcriptions alone, (up to 1985) consists of 150-200 pages.  In transcribing all that, a person is bound to make several mistakes, unless a person could somehow get all that scanned onto the website. So, at this point, that sounds unlikely.

Putting the cemetery readings into a book and making it available to area libraries, individual researchers, etc. would be  one way for a genealogy society to raise necessary funds. I have noticed on other genealogy websites, where many people inquire wanting cemetery information, transcriptions, obituaries, etc. from Elk County. And there are no "researchers for hire" in Elk County. So I believe there is a real need for this sort of thing.

It is true that Neva Walter, Register of Deeds, has been a valuable asset, but all that is available to her, is what is in the courthouse, but  not all genealogy data is in the courthouse. (Neva also tells me that she only researches wills/probates that are less than 40 years old, and there are many people who are wanting information on wills/probate that are older than that.)

Yes, you will probably read something about the Historical society meeting, afterwards.

Thanx, Wilma, for giving me a chance to get on my soapbox, again.

[Roma Jean Turner]

Speaking of cemetaries.  I want to find the Turner graves at the Howard Cemetary.  I found my great great grandfather Henry DeWhitt's grave and little white headstone for Laura DeWhitt (a child) was propped up against his. My great great grandmother Elizabeth Kelly Palmore DeWhitt should have been buried right there as well, I would think.  The area where is grave is looks like that perhaps some stones are missing.  Anyway, I was to tired that day to try to find the Turner's.  Who has the index? for that cemetary.  I would think someone would have a list of the
graves and the grave numbers.

I can certainly type things from here and put info on the Internet if that helps.  I look forwarding to discussing some of these things with you.  I'll be glad when I can afford to spend less time making money and more time doing geneology.  Ha, ha.

[Wilma]

I found when looking for graves at Olpe, that some of our graves had no markers.  There are records indicating that they are buried there, but no markers.  We have put a stone on the most recent ancestor that had no marker and are working on another whose stone is a slab of cement with the information scratched in.  It is deteriorating so that it is hard to read the information.  Two others that would logically be with a parent have no markers in that area.  The Lyons County Historical Society has been very helpful with information on these ancestors.  Volunteers do the work but do ask for a donation to the Society.

[W. Gray]

There is an alphabetical index of the Howard Grace Lawn cemetery graves and their mapped location contained in a notebook in the covered area at the entrance to the cemetery. I guess that covered area is for services during inclement weather.

At least the notebook was there was two months ago. There is a sign that says do not take from cemetery so hopefully it is still there.

[Janet Harrington]

That notebook is still there as far as I know.  The covered area is indeed for inclement weather or for graveside services where you don't necessarily want your relatives and friends sinking their high heels into the ground or everyone one seeing your loved one off is as old as dirt.

The American Legion Carter-Rader Post #149 built the building.  It is really nice to have it.

[genealogynut]

The "shelter house" is really a nice one.  The last time we were there, we noticed how beautifully landscaped it was, and with a side walk  , we thought we were "walking in tall cotton!" Having the shelter house makes it so nice to be able to get out of the blistering hot sun in the summer time, when there are graveside services, and to get out of the blustery north winds during the winter.

[Teresa]

Speaking of The American Legion Carter-Rader Post #149 ...
If you have not heard Janet play Taps on her trumpet at funerals..then you have indeed missed something.
She does a marvelous job and every time I have heard her do it.. I have to swallow and blink a whole bunch of times to keep the flood of tears under control.
That is such a haunting tune.................and she does it justice.