by Rocky Macy
Obituaries can be a gold mine of family history. They are, in fact, mini-biographies of the deceased that give important insights into the lives of our ancestors. Many area newspapers maintain microfilm or microfiche files of old issues that may be searched by those with patience and good eyesight, and obituary files are also being created and maintained by the genealogy departments of many of our local libraries.
Dixie HAASE (Rt. 1, Box 1057, Granby, MO 64844) is building an obituary file on people who lived in and around Granby or who were involved with the mines. She would like for our readers to send her copies of any obituaries that would tie into her file.
Dixie reports that she started her obituary file over five years ago, and she now has over two thousand entries. She calls the collection "From Bare Tracks to Dear Tales."
Some of the types of information that Dixie HAASE has gleaned from her obituary file include complete names, maiden names, spouse, marriage date, date and place of birth, names of parents and siblings, names of children and grandchildren, occupations, hobbies, military history, residences, length of illness and cause of death, church affiliation, friends, pallbearers, educational history, club memberships, location of relatives, nationality, nicknames, funeral home, and place of burial. Those tidbits offer dozens of leads into other research channels.
Dixie said in her letter that a few weeks ago she added an obituary to her collection that saddened her heart - that of her brother, Opal McDANIEL. We mourn her loss as well.
Doris FRANCISCO (628 S. Oronogo Street, Webb City, MO 64870), one of the hundreds of descendants of William Carroll ROARK and Comfort POE, wishes to correspond with anyone who is researching the surname GLAZEBROOK. Doris has forwarded quite a collection of material on ROARK history that we will digest and try to print in a future Rootbound.
Nancy FOLEY JOHNSON (1097 Chinoe Road, Lexington, KY 40502) is helping with research for a book about the descendants of Abraham SALLE (born 1674). Abraham was a French Huguenot immigrant who fled France for England sometime after 1685 and then brought his family on to America in 1700. Soon after arriving in this country, he settled in Virginia. Abraham SALLE had six children, many of whose descendants moved on westward to Kentucky and then fanned out across the Untied States. Today there are descendants of Abraham SALLE (now spelled SALLE, SALLEY, SALLE, SALLY and SALLIE) in almost every state. Those who might tie into this French lineage should contact Nancy FOLEY JOHNSON so that their material might be included in the book.
Kathy BARTON (8751 Sharon Drive Derby, KS 67037) is seeking information on Timothy C. SMITH (born circa 1837, TN) and his wife, Margaret (Mary) V. O'DELL (born circa 1837, GA). They were married near Greenville in Wayne County, MO, around 1867. Their children were John, Leona, and Rutha. The couple lived in Ozark County, MO, in 1910.
Another couple that is of interest to Kathy BARTON (above) is David HALE (born circa 1823, TN) and his wife, Mary (possibly O'DELL) (born 1842, TN). They came to St. Francis township, Wayne County, MO, between 1844 and 1846. Mary died between 1870 and 1880 at Greenville in Wayne County. Their children were William, Greenberry, Martha, James, Sarah, David Alexander, Rejana, Lysander, John H., Mary, Allisone, Annie, and Johnathan Anderson. Are descendants of any of these folks still in the Ozarks?
Rootbound's stack of unanswered mail continues to shrink. If you are sitting out there with a question to ask in this column, now would be an excellent time to send it in. Just mail those queries to Rootbound in the Hills in care of this newspaper. And then sit back and wait for the answers to come pouring in!
Happy hunting!
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