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

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)

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


 * The person’s name
 * Identifying information such as the approximate death date or their last known residence

Search the Collection
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 each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this 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.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * 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

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Related Websites
Decatur Public Library

Related Wiki Articles

 * Illinois
 * Macon County, Illinois

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation: Image Citation