February 3, 2014 ~ Celebrate Opal Palmer 99th Birthday.

ROLL CALL:  When did you meet Opal Palmer?

 

March 3, 2014 ~ Phyllis Brandes on "Information Each Census Can Reveal."

ROLL CALL:  Tell about kite making/flying you have done.

 

April 7, 2014 ~ Marty Reiken from Oakland Funeral Home.

ROLL CALL:  Who was your favorite teacher?

May 5, 2014 ~ Barbara Butcher on "Archives for Disaster."

ROLL CALL:  How many generations back have you traced your ancestors?

June 2, 2014 ~ Possible work day on military binders.

ROLL CALL:  What is your most-used or favorite website?

 

July 7, 2014 ~ Annual Dinner Party at Golden Corral in Council Bluffs 

followed by visit to the Pottawattamie County Recorder at 1:30 p.m.

August 4, 2014 ~ "Timeline of Epidemics" by Helen Williams.

ROLL CALL:  Do you subscribe to any mailing lists?  Which ones?

September 8, 2014 ~ "Dredging the Nishnabotna River - 1910-1912" by Chuck Eyerly.

ROLL CALL:  Are any descendants named after any of your grandmothers?

October 6, 2014 ~ "Orphan Stories" by Pam Paulson.

ROLL CALL:  Are there any given names that appear several times in your family?

November 3, 2014 ~ "Grandma Carlisle's Journal" by Loree Hamilton.

ROLL CALL:  Are there any common birthdays in your family?

December 1, 2014 ~ Christmas Party; Not a Dinner.

 

Gift or Memorial Suggestion:  Suggest the giver make a donation to Botna Valley Genealogy Society in your name. 

 

Volunteers Needed:  Don't forget to spend some volunteer time in our genealogy room.  If nothing else, we need to be there in case someone comes in looking for information.  Look around and become acquainted with all of our resources.  Read some of our magazines or newsletter we get from other organizations.  Or, spend some time reading newspaper microfilm and extracting obituary information for our records.  Please remember to "sign the calendar" when you volunteer in the room.

 

Others items that could be worked on include:  Typing "Obituary Cards after 1990" index.  Index "Funeral Memorial Cards" in three-ring binders that have not been indexed.  "Obituary Card Files" need to be checked and out-of-order cards put back in alphabetical order.  Scan more recent obits not done.  Add information to our military binders from our microfilmed newspapers.

Wednesday ~ 12:00-5:00 p.m.

Thursday ~ 12:00-7:00 p.m.

Friday ~ 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Saturday ~ 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

 

 

Doug Boleyn of Oregon is interested in any information concerning his ancestor Oliver H.P. Shoemaker who was a doctor with a practice in Avoca between 1869 and 1878.

 

Kristin Way of Virginia stopped in looking for info on family members Thomas B. Way, William Jefferson Way, George Putnam, and Carl Head. 

 

Marilyn Rehling is looking for information (obits) on members of the Mullen, Fitzpatrick, and Dermody families.

 

Lynn Watson is looking for information (obit) on his grandfather Abraham Watson.  We have sent him some probate information concerning who was named in Abraham's will.

 

We have mailed obits for Robert/Catharine Harrison to Julie Christensen.

 

We have been able to help member Darlene Ross locate obits and burial place for William Whitsett and wife!

 

Frank Health of Grinnell, IA was interested in a photograph of an Oakland Town Band.  We found him one taken in 1910 with identifications of the members.  He is interested in any other Town Band photos.

 

We have located obits for Kenneth Riley of Robert Graham and his wife and daughter. 

 

Dee Boldra of Wisconsin is interested in finding info on G. Ferd. Dethlef and his bowling alley in Oakland possibly in the 1930's.  We sent her an obit and a newspaper advertisement for "Oakland Recreation Center" started in 1936.

 

Rachel Rising of Oakland is researching Perdue and Harris.

 

Marvin/Kay Scott of Ames are researching A. Lincoln Clark, Bertha Perkins Clark, and Serilda Perkins.

 

New member Carl Deal is researching the Colwell and McSweeney surnames.

 

John Dumonceaux of Minnesota stopped in our Genie Room looking for information on the Carse name. 

 

Doug Beezley from western Nebraska stopped at the Genie Room June 25th for information on his Beezley family.  We found numerous obits for him plus other information on his Beezley family.

 

Recent research done by Loree Hamilton has been with the DeVOLD surname.  Barb Butcher has located a probate record for the HOTZE surname.

 

Gary Lane was interested in an obit for Samuel M & Julia HILDEBRAND who died in 1913 and 1927.  We found good articles and obits on both of them.  We also found two lengthy articles on the 3rd great grandfather of Samuel plus three photographs which Gary was happy to receive.

 

We have located quite a bit of information for Carrie Sauter on Anthony & Mary Jane (B/Lake) Orr who are buried in the Belknap Cemetery.  We were unable to locate an obit for Anthony Orr who died March 16, 1898 because we do not have copies of The Oakland Acorn for that time period.  If anyone reading this can help us, we would be most appreciative.

 

Belma Dorsheimer is researching Mary Jane LaFOLLETTE who married Rev. Abraham STANLEY.  Any information on these people would be greatly appreciated.

 

Tommy Biehn stopped by our genie room looking for some REYNOLD and WILSON obits and is interested in Wheeler Grove.  We welcome him as a new member!!

 

Sheryl Fritz continues to work on her HUNDT/ECKERT families.  We are trying to find an obit or newspaper item for little William Frederick Hundt who died in February 1909.  We are also trying to place his parents Ernest & Christina Fritz Hundt in the early 1900's.

 

Rita Lafferty is looking for the German town of birth for Henrietta KIRCHOFF and Herman W. FROMMACK who lived in Lewis, Iowa and died there.

 

Email query from Richard KINKEAD.  He is looking for information on the family of William Davis KINKEAD specifically his grandson William Judson KINKEAD who lived from 1882-1948.  He is also interested in information on Chester Merrill CLARK.  He plans to visit us during Memorial Week.

 

Letter query from Mili GERKEN.  She is interested in the BIRD and ETCHISON (ATCHISON) families who lived around Oakland.  Her great grandmother was Mary Emaline (Etchison) Bird.  We have sent her some information, but also know we have members who are connected to the BIRD/ETCHISON lines. 

 

Letter query from Allen OHRT.  He is interested in finding information on Georgiana MARQUARD who married Frank C. RINEHARDT. 

 

If any of you have connections to any of these people being searched, please check the letters in our Query File for specifics.  If you do not have access to our Library, please send us an email or regular mail.  We would love to help these people in their research!