I started this day figuring I would go to Peoria and do my last few things there, head back, grab some lunch and then pack. Then I started to think about CB Keller again, and decided to skip over to the library here in Lincoln first, and see if they had a microfilm of the Middletown Ledger for the date he died. They did! I found his obituary easily, and it was quite a bit more expansive than the one in the Lincoln Courier. It included the fact that he was buried in the Irish Grove Cemetery. So, of course, I had to go there. Unfortunately there was no-one there to help locate him, and although it is a small cemetery, it is still quite a project to walk through it all looking at every gravestone to see if it was him. I made it through most, leaving the obviously newer area alone, but did not find him. (I was very thankful for my "cemetery bag", which stays in the car and contains, among other things, bug spray, sunscreen, a hat and a whisk broom, all of which I used!) I have sent a couple of emails to people on one of the Menard County websites to see if there is a listing of where people were buried, and if so maybe I can find someone who would make a trip out there and photograph the grave for me. At least I know where he is.
So there went the morning! A little after noon, I pulled out of Middletown and headed to Peoria. I made it to the courthouse (for the third time!) and looked at the death registers to see if a name change from Gustav Winter to August Winter would make a difference in that search. It did - or at least there was an August Winter listed late in 1899, which is in the time range I have for his death. So I ordered it - should have it in 2-3 weeks. I'll let you know!
Then I drove around the city trying to locate the few addresses I had for the family. They were all such sad properties (and some I really don't think were correct) that I didn't have the heart to photograph them. So I drove by the river, and across a couple of bridges, said good-bye and headed back. By the time I got back, after a stop at Walgreen's for a case of water for the trip home, it was 3:30 and I was starving - no lunch! So I headed across the parking lot to Cracker Barrel, and had breakfast for dinner, or lunch, or whatever it was. It was yummy! If anyone is near a Cracker Barrel, try the Apple Streusel French Toast Breakfast. It rocks!!
So here I am, typing up the last entry for Illinois, doing laundry and packing up for the return trip. A couple of days ago I would have said I was ready to leave, but now as I am packing, I want to stay. Driving out in the country today I really felt a connection to this land, and I truly love the fields, barns, and farmhouses that make up most of the area. I will be sad to leave tomorrow. This has been a great experience, and I am glad I made the trip.
I have updated the cemetery page again with pictures of Irish Grove, if not CB's stone. It is a lovely cemetery, out in the middle of nowhere, tucked in next to a farm. I will continue to update the blog on the way home, and then will continue, probably weekly, after that, with much more focus just on genealogical finds, rather than travelogue. I hope that those of you who followed the blog to share the trip will continue to check it out once in a while to see what new finds have been made. If you have any friends/family interested in genealogy, please feel free to share the blog site.
Tomorrow - St. Charles, MO! Yes, I am going to try to find the Popcorn Shoppe!
No comments:
Post a Comment