Illinois, Tazewell County, Obituary Card Index from the Pekin Times - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1914-2007.

Record Description
The collection consists of images of obituaries and a card index from the Pekin Public Library in Pekin, Illinois.

Newspapers included obituaries from their beginning issues.

For an alphabetical list of records currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection
The citation below refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Record Content
The key genealogical Facts in these Obituary Index cards may include the following information:




 * Full name of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Date of Birth
 * Date of Burial
 * Place of burial

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 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.

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
Pekin Public Library

Related Wiki Articles

 * Illinois
 * Illinois Obituaries
 * Tazewell 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 Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for Records Found in a Collection
"Illinois, Tazwwell County, Obituary Card Index from the "Pekin Times", 1914-2007" digital images FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org) accessed 21 March 2012). Mrs. Eleanore L. Engel, died July 21 1912; Ellis, Mary-Fornoff, Albert&gt;Image 256; Pekin Public Library, Pekin, Illinois, United States.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article: Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.