Illinois, Macon County, Decatur Public Library Collections - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1879 to 2007.

The collection consists of images of card indexes from the Decatur Public Library. The records include:


 * Obituary indexes (1879-2007) - Arranged by year
 * Military indexes (1917-1919)

Newspapers included obituaries from their beginning issues.

For a list of record categories currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
These obituaries generally contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Residence
 * Date and place of burial

The World War I Soldiers Cards contain:


 * Names of soldiers and enlistees
 * Death information

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select "Record Catagory" ⇒Select "Record Type, Volume, and Year Range" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * The person’s name
 * The approximate death date
 * The person’s last known residence

Once you have located your ancestor’s obituary, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These records are often brief so it can be easy to confuse individuals. Compare what information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the obituary for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use the birth date or year to search for birth records.
 * Use the birth date along with relative’s names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the locality and relative’s names to locate church and land records.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * If the person was in the military use the listed information to locate their military records

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Related Websites
Decatur Public Library

Related Wiki Articles

 * Illinois
 * Macon County, Illinois

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.