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

Collection Time Period
This collection covers the years 1879 to 2007.

Record Description
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)

Record Content
These obituaries generally contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Residence
 * Names of family members
 * Cause of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Undertaker

The World War I Soldiers Cards contain:


 * Names of soldiers and enlistees


 * Death information

How to Use the Record
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.

Record History
Newspapers included obituaries from their beginning issues.

Why the Record Was Created
Obituaries were written as a public announcement of death.

Record Reliability
The information is generally reliable, but may contain some inaccuracies.

Related Websites
Decatur Public Library

Related Wiki Articles
Macon County, Illinois

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of information for This Collection
"Illinois, Macon County, Decatur Public Library Collections, 1879-2007." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Decatur Public Library, Decatur, Illinois. FHL digital images, 45 digital folders. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.