TSGS Web Site

It has been some time since I mentioned our TSGS web site here on the blog.  On 14 Dec 2008, we began using a new counter with a cool world map that maintained some interesting facts about where many of our visitors to the site were checking us out.  The counter is named ClustrMaps.  Since we began its use, we have gotten 13,926 hits from all over the world.  In addition to the United States, we have been visited by at least one person from 46 countries with Germany leading the way, 42 hits; next is Canada with 31 visits; 25 from Taiwan; United Kingdom (GB) had 19; and Ireland finished the top 5 with 10 hits!

Over the last three years, we have had a total of 9,953 hits around the world, of these the United States had 9,731 with Indiana getting a huge bulk of these visits (4,192).  The other two states in the Tri-State area were Illinois with 598 hits and Kentucky had 572.  These were the top 3 and the following are the remainder of the top 10: California 492, Texas 312, Michigan 310, Florida 256, Ohio 248, Missouri 209, and Tennessee with 171.

When you go to our web site - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~intsgs/index.html 
scroll to the bottom center and click on the map to see graphically on a world map where our visits are located and a list of states and countries with their totals.

The wide spread of these hits explains why we have so many TSGS members scattered all over the U.S.A.

- Compiled by JGWest

Old Unknown Cemetery Found

An old cemetery has been discovered on the grounds of the State Hospital... this is not the first discovery of unmarked, forgotten graves on these grounds.  The Evansville Courier is reporting the discovery: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2013/jan/14/no-headline---pedestrian_bridge/

Read the article and let us know what you think about the story and what you remember of past stories similar to this one.

TSGS Hall of Shame - Destroyed Cemetery

From the Minnesota Public Radio web site:
MOORHEAD, Minn. — The last time anyone was buried in the Boerner family cemetery in Grant County was in 1892. For about 20 years before that, it was where early settlers laid at least 10 family members to rest. A small grove of trees at the cemetery was gone. When investigators got a search warrant they found evidence of what Minnesota's state archeologist says is a growing concern, the destruction after years of abandonment of one of the state's thousands of small cemeteries.  The farmer whose field included the cemetery acknowledged clearing the cemetery... damaging a cemetery can be a felony under Minnesota law even if it's abandoned. Even though the farmer owns the land, the cemetery is protected.

 

Top left cluster of trees has been removed in the lower photo... the Boerner Cemetery WAS in those trees!

Photo below are photos of grave markers that were in this cemetery!!!

 

 

Read more about this shameful act of disregard of human dignity and respect:

Pioneer cemeteries fall under plow's threat          by Dan Gunderson,

Minnesota Public Radio                                       

December 28, 2012

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/12/28/human-interest/lost-cemetaries/

TSGS Cruiser Blog reported this article from the Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter (EOGN).

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The Tri-State Genealogical Society wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas!!!

As you visit family & friends today and the days between now and the beginning of 2013, think about getting more information about your more recent family history. 

A great Christmas gift for today or the next few days might be a brief family history from the person you are gifting as far back as you have proven.  Print it out and put it into a loose leaf notebook that you can slide a title page into the front cover of the notebook.  Consider using the clear plastic page protectors so that the pages will last longer... and you will not have to punch holes in the sheets of paper!  I have given several of these as special Christmas gifts over the years, and I will tell you that they were especially appreciated.

John G. West, TSGS Vice-President

TSGS Christmas Social Tonight!

The Tri-State Genealogical Society invites you to attend tonight's Christmas Social.  Everyone is welcome, you do not need to be a member to come and have some refreshments and enjoy other family historians company.  Tell each other your problems in your family research.  Tell others about this year's adventures finding new information about your ancestors.

Come & go as you please anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 PM.  Indiana Bones is expected to show up.  Santa has said he will show or send one of his representatives.  Bring your camera and have your photo taken!  Ho! HO! HO!

Christmas Social - 11 Dec 2012

TSGS hopes you can attend our 2012 Christmas Social at Willard Library on the second floor.  If you want, you can bring a snack for everyone to enjoy.  There will be snacks & refreshments available.  You do not have to be a member to attend... so, come one, come all!!!

The whole event is informal... allowing time to socialize, brag about your latest family discoveries, ask others about your "brick walls" in your research.  Remember that someone in the society probably has had to deal with a similar problem you may be experiencing and just maybe - they figured out how to get around it!

The get-together is always a great time to get to know some of the TSGS members.  There is an excellent chance that Indiana Bones will make an appearance!  Who knows, maybe Santa might show-up, too!

President Don Counts & Vice-President John G. West

A Very Vital... Vital Statistic!

Recently, I discovered a cousin that I did not know of before. This cousin, Bart Burke, is descended from my Thomas West, Jr. and from that line is my 6^th. cousin one generation younger than me. However, he also descends from Joseph Phipps and Margaret G. Woodis making him a 3^rd. cousin one generation removed. We made arrangements to meet at Willard Library for me to give him a lot of new information on these lines. While preparing my information & notes, etc. - I remembered some great new information on the Woodis line that I had found, basically by accident.

The incident occurred at least 20 years ago when I learned from Mary Lou Bevers at one of our genealogical meetings – this alone is justification for joining a genealogical society! I often got some great tidbits of information and “secrets” that helped me in my research and especially getting around brick walls. This one was a simple one about all of the Kentucky birth & death certificates available in the State Office of Vital Statistics up to a not so distant date from the current day were listed in large volumes and several counties throughout Kentucky had them available for viewing in the courthouse. Henderson County, KY was one of these wonderful counties which is just across the Ohio River from Evansville where I live. I went rushing over there the next day looking for the death certificate of my great, great grandmother Cincinnati O. Williams the wife of William Ellis West of Christian Co., KY.

She was not listed in any format or variation I could think of. I decided to look up other death certificates for other ancestors. Woodis was always a good one to check first because there were so few of them. The furthermost that I had gone back was Littleberry Woodis and his wife Luvana (maiden name unknown). One of their sons (in my direct line) was William H. Woodis and his wife Amanda. This William was born in 1818 and I suspected that he had died before the 1870 census, since only Amanda and the kids could be found. This William and Amanda had a son William; with this second one having a William, also - making it 3 generations in a row with a William Woodis. In the vital statistics books I found a William Woodis that died in 1913 in Christian County with his death certificate number. Since I was confident that the oldest William had died before 1870 and besides he would have been about 95 years old in 1913! The third William seemed too young and should have lived past 1913... maybe. So, I suspected this to be the middle William that I did not descend, but hopefully he would have his mother's full name (Amanda ?) listed on his death certificate. I sent off for it and was so excited to get it in the mail about a week later. But, when I opened it, I was confused as it said he was born in 1818 and died at age 95 with his father Littleberry Woodis and his mother was Luvana Blalock... this was William H. Woodis who I thought died in 1870 or earlier! Later, I found him in the census in Illinois and back to Kentucky for the other census that he would have been in. He had divorced Amanda Black and married Nancy Cannon before the 1879 Census.

William H. Woodis Obituary: Hopkinsville Kentuckian Mar. 25, 1913 PIONEER CITIZEN

W. H. Woodis Dies Near Laytonsville, Aged 95, among the oldest citizens of the county died Fri. night at the home of his son-in-law W. H. Woodford, near Laytonsville. Death was caused by pneumonia and resulted after an illness of only 5 days. The deceased was born in this county June 9, 1818, and he was therefore nearly 95 years old. His parents were natives of NC . Mr. Woodis had resided in Christian all of his life, excepting about two years which were spent in Illinois. He is survived by three children: Mrs. Woodford, of Laytonsville; W.R. Woodis of Todd Co. and T.A. Woodis of Lewisburg, Logan Co. His wife passed away about a year ago. Mr. Woodis was a member of the Methodist Church, having professed religion during a revival at Vaughn's Grove last summer. He had been twice married, his first wife died many years ago. The interment took place at Ebenezer Saturday.

- Written by JGWest