Robyn
asked
Amy Stewart:
I have loved each of the books in the series about the Kopp sisters and anxiously await the next! My grandmothers were born in the same era. I think of them when reading the books. One was the Post Mistress of the tiny town of Colchester, IL. I wonder where you started in finding your factual information? I would like to learn more about my grandmothers in their earlier years. Thank you.
Amy Stewart
Hi Robyn! OK, now I want to know about your grandmother who was postmistress of a tiny town. Did she by any chance solve murders in her spare time? Just thinking.
So--I would start at your local library. They probably have access to some newspaper databases that you would otherwise have to pay for, such as Newspapers.com or ProQuest. It could be that the local paper in Colchester has been digitized on one of those sites for the years you'd need. OR--even if it hasn't, it's possible that stories that involved your grandmother could have been picked up by the wire services and run in other papers that have been digitized.
Your library probably also has a subscription to Ancestry.com and a few other such sites so that you can find her in census records, etc. Don't forget to look for other people working on the same family tree. You might find a long-lost cousin who has the same interests and has already gathered some good information!
It is also possible to hire a professional genealogist in that part of IL to go looking in courthouses, etc for records such as birth and death certificates, property deeds, wills, and other such things. You'd be surprised at the family secrets that can turn up in such seemingly mundane places as a property deed! To find a professional genealogist, you could search online for the IL state association of genealogists, or check with the local historical society for that county. The county library reference desk might also know some people who do that work.
Oh, and--the local library there in Colchester might have additional records that are not online. A reference librarian in that library could probably tell you what might be available (such as newspapers on microfilm, maybe an obituary index, local history books, etc) so you'd know whether it was worthwhile to make a trip.
Don't hesitate to ask reference librarians questions like this! It's what they're there for!
Good luck,
Amy
So--I would start at your local library. They probably have access to some newspaper databases that you would otherwise have to pay for, such as Newspapers.com or ProQuest. It could be that the local paper in Colchester has been digitized on one of those sites for the years you'd need. OR--even if it hasn't, it's possible that stories that involved your grandmother could have been picked up by the wire services and run in other papers that have been digitized.
Your library probably also has a subscription to Ancestry.com and a few other such sites so that you can find her in census records, etc. Don't forget to look for other people working on the same family tree. You might find a long-lost cousin who has the same interests and has already gathered some good information!
It is also possible to hire a professional genealogist in that part of IL to go looking in courthouses, etc for records such as birth and death certificates, property deeds, wills, and other such things. You'd be surprised at the family secrets that can turn up in such seemingly mundane places as a property deed! To find a professional genealogist, you could search online for the IL state association of genealogists, or check with the local historical society for that county. The county library reference desk might also know some people who do that work.
Oh, and--the local library there in Colchester might have additional records that are not online. A reference librarian in that library could probably tell you what might be available (such as newspapers on microfilm, maybe an obituary index, local history books, etc) so you'd know whether it was worthwhile to make a trip.
Don't hesitate to ask reference librarians questions like this! It's what they're there for!
Good luck,
Amy
More Answered Questions
Judy
asked
Amy Stewart:
I enjoy the Kopp Sisters series so much. I am on the last one now. I listened to the audiobooks, and the narrator is just amazing! I also appreciate that the characters are based on real women and their fascinating lives. Will we be able to see them on television in a series in the future?
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