I caught the genealogy bug from my great-grandmother, who took very careful notes and kept records of everything under the sun! I have been working on my own family history for around fifteen years.

I have recently begun the project of trying to completely cover the Astoria, Illinois cemetery, combined with researching the corresponding obituaries in the local newspaper archives, as I have access to the microfilm records of the Argus-Searchlight and Astoria South Fulton Argus.

I am also in the process of transcribing and uploading the archived obits from that microfilm to the website of the Argus, www.kkspc.com/argus. It's a slow, one-person project — and I can only work on it when I have time — so unfortunately the online archives are far from complete. If there are any obituaries listed in their index that are not online, there is also public access to the microfilm at the Schuyler County Museum in Rushville, Ill.

I run a weekly newspaper column in the Argus compiling newsy tidbits from the historical archives, and it was a natural progression to study the local people themselves. In a way, it helps to bring the history to life!

PS. I just want to add … I stepped away from my cemetery project for a couple years, and my email box is crazy-full, so many deep apologies if you have tried to contact me and I have not responded. If there is any info you need corrected, or memorials transferred, please email me again and I will try to do better, I promise!

I caught the genealogy bug from my great-grandmother, who took very careful notes and kept records of everything under the sun! I have been working on my own family history for around fifteen years.

I have recently begun the project of trying to completely cover the Astoria, Illinois cemetery, combined with researching the corresponding obituaries in the local newspaper archives, as I have access to the microfilm records of the Argus-Searchlight and Astoria South Fulton Argus.

I am also in the process of transcribing and uploading the archived obits from that microfilm to the website of the Argus, www.kkspc.com/argus. It's a slow, one-person project — and I can only work on it when I have time — so unfortunately the online archives are far from complete. If there are any obituaries listed in their index that are not online, there is also public access to the microfilm at the Schuyler County Museum in Rushville, Ill.

I run a weekly newspaper column in the Argus compiling newsy tidbits from the historical archives, and it was a natural progression to study the local people themselves. In a way, it helps to bring the history to life!

PS. I just want to add … I stepped away from my cemetery project for a couple years, and my email box is crazy-full, so many deep apologies if you have tried to contact me and I have not responded. If there is any info you need corrected, or memorials transferred, please email me again and I will try to do better, I promise!