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

	This article describes a collection of historical records available at FamilySearch.org.
Access the records: Illinois, Tazewell County, Obituary Card Index from the "Pekin Times", 1914-2007 . CID1447328 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}

Record Description

The collection consists of a name index and images of an obituary card index at the Pekin Public Library. It covers the years from 1914 to 2007.

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

Record Content

• 

  Index Card

Obituary Index cards may include the following information:

• Full name of deceased
• Date of birth
• Date of death
• 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
• Identifying information such as the approximate death date or the person’s last known residence

Search the Collection

To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image.
⇒Select "Browse" link in the initial search page
⇒Select "Surname 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.

With either search 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.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article [FamilySearch Tips and Tricks].

Using the Information

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 the residence and relative’s names to find the family in census, 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.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

• Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
• Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.
• Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Related Websites

Pekin Public Library

Related Wiki Articles

• Illinois Obituaries
• Tazewell County, Illinois
• 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:

Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

When looking at a record, the citation is found below the record. You can search records in this collection by visiting the search page for Illinois, Tazewell County, Obituary Card Index from the "Pekin Times", 1914-2007.

Image Citation
This template has been deprecated and is no longer used.

When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. You can browse through images in this collection by visiting the browse page for Illinois, Tazewell County, Obituary Card Index from the "Pekin Times", 1914-2007.