Macoupin County Genealogical Society - "They Were In Macoupin"
©Cindy Leonard

30 May 2001

After a short absence, I am again writing a column about Macoupin County. The Macoupin County Genealogical Society is starting a new membership year as of June 1st. If you have not paid your dues, please do so now.

We have received more donations to our microfilm reader/printer fund. Memorials from families and members are greatly appreciated. This project is apparently going to take some time. We have tried to get grants, have asked area politicians for help in gaining funding, to no avail. I would guess that somewhere out there is the answer to our request for this equipment. The idea is to help researchers who visit Staunton Public Library from all over the country by being able to make copies of the pages of microfilm they are reading at the time. As it is now, we either must hand copy, type into the computer while reading the film, or request a copy from the state - if they have the newspaper on microfilm. My plea this time is if you know of any sources of funding for this project, please send the information to: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, Attention: Lillian Ashley, Archivist, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.

On May 12th, Staunton Main Street USA, Inc. hosted their 2nd Annual Heritage Day. Among the activities of the day were horse-drawn trolley tours past some of the historic, architecturally unique homes in Staunton. We really had a good time with that tour and many people added information about other houses along the route. Also that day, Mrs. Gail Scheller and members of the Staunton High School Art Club were on hand showing their video they produced: Staunton: The Early Years. It was a true delight! The students worked hard and their efforts show in the finished product. For those of you who were unable to view the video or want your own copy, you can order one! Proceeds will benefit the Staunton High School Art Club. The cost of the video is $10.00 (plus $3.50 postage if mailed). Please make your check payable to: Staunton High Art Club and send to: Staunton High Art Club, Staunton High School, 801 N. Deneen Street, Staunton, IL 62088. Include your name, address, phone number, and total number of videos you are ordering.

Our Archivist, Lillian Ashley manned the society s table at the event. She has put together a lot of newspaper articles and stories about Staunton. Many people stopped to browse her table full of information on Staunton and Macoupin County. Macoupin County author Tom Emery, of History in Print in Carlinville, was also on hand to autograph his booklets on events and people of Macoupin County. Sometimes it seems that our local authors do not get the attention they deserve for their efforts to preserve and print Macoupin County history. He is asking for information regarding the #6 ball field in Staunton. I hope some of you will offer him assistance. Compiling the information to produce these publications is very time-consuming as many of you who are working on your personal histories well know. Once again I have to say that I believe genealogy is the listing of names and dates and places, but true family history is the research of the times and events of your ancestor s lives. The pictures, the family stories, the newspaper items are what adds life to your research.

If you would like more information about our society, please contact us at: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088. Gift memberships or purchases of our publications make great gifts for your family members who are interested in researching their family history.

HOORAY!!!I just had to say that. It is now official. The Macoupin County Board purchased the former Carlinville Public Library building and it will become the Archives for Macoupin County records. Thanks to the efforts of several members of both the Macoupin County Historical Society and the Macoupin County Genealogical Society, the aging, deteriorating records housed in the dome of the courthouse in Carlinville will have a temperature-controlled home. The group of volunteers are busy installing shelving and the process of moving the records is scheduled to begin the week of March 26th. As more details become available, I will share them with you. If you want to volunteer your time to this project, please contact Linda Kmiecik, 3040 West Lake Drive., Girard, IL 62640-7063; <tonky@ctnet.net> for information on work schedules. She will be happy to add you to the “Dome List” and send you e-mails if you have an e-mail address to keep you posted. Thanks to all of you who worked so diligently to accomplish this feat! I will try to make a list for a future column of the very dedicated and active members of the Dome Committee.

In the past few months I have been discovering that many of our Macoupin County towns have begun forming their own historical groups. If you have an organization of this type in your town, would you send me details for inclusion in a future column? I have knowledge of the Bunker Hill group but no real details. I believe Benld is also working on a historical group. I am sure there are groups in many of our towns and I would be happy to share this information with others who read this column. Remember, your hometown newspaper also travels around the country to former residents and they appreciate knowing what is happening “back home” in Macoupin.

Some of you may be wondering whatever happened to the January newsletter. Take heart - it is on its way. And with any luck at all, the April issue will be on time. Remember, we are a volunteer group here and we proceed at the best pace possible.

Archivist Lil Ashley is organizing work sessions to cut up old newspapers that were returned to us after microfilming. She can usually be found at our archives in the Staunton Public Library. You can call and leave your name & number to volunteer for this project. The number at the library: 618/635-3852.

Our society will display books, pictures and stories during the Heritage Day celebration on Saturday, May 12th. As usual, volunteers are always appreciated for that project. You can leave a message at: 618/635-8506 if you are interested in helping. Or you can e-mail me at: <cclcl@madisontelco.com> and I will forward your message to our archivist.

We have received more donations for our microfilm reader/printer project.Seems like our library is one of the very few (if not the only one) in the county without this equipment and we have as much, if not more, information on microfilm as the other libraries in our area. If I understand things properly, other libraries purchased their equipment through per capita monies or grants. If I am wrong, and there is yet another way for Staunton Public Library to provide the patrons with this equipment, please let me know via the society’s address.

If you want more information regarding our society, write to us: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.

P.S. - Editors: As in the days of yore: Exchange - please copy.

February 12, 2001

Once again, we have sad news that we have lost one of our charter members, Vera Butler Ruffini Dietiker. Mrs. Dietiker was a vital member of our society in its early days and she and her husband John Dietiker kept their membership even after they were unable to attend our meetings. Vera and I once went on a mission to find the burial place of Telemachus Camp and we found him in an abandoned cemetery in Cahokia Township. It was one of our more adventurous trips in search of Macoupin County’s early residents. I’m happy to say I still have pictures and the story to go along with that adventure.

Since my last column, our society has been receiving donations to help us purchase a microfilm reader/printer for our genealogy room in Staunton Public Library. Your donations are greatly appreciated! Maybe this time we will actually be able to get the equipment! We have contacted several agencies in hopes of assistance to purchase the reader/printer. With the ever-expanding collection of materials on microfilm, it really is an important tool.

I notice in the recent newsletter of the Macoupin County Historical Society that mention is again made of the “Dome Project”. I would assume that means I can also mention it here. This project involves members of both the Historical Society and the Genealogical Society. The purpose of the Dome Committee is to work with the County Board to find suitable storage for the old records of Macoupin County that are stored in the dome of the courthouse where there is no heating or cooling. The surprising number of records that are stored up there and risk complete deterioration due to the conditions in the dome make this an important project. Among the possible solutions to the storage problem is purchasing the old library building in Carlinville. This decision is under consideration by the County Board and may be decided in the next month or two. I hope to have more details next month.

Among the items recieved in our mailbox this past month is a flyer for a program “How to Trace Your American Heritage” and is sponsored by The Red Eagle Alliance, a non-profit American Indian Association. The program will be held Saturday, March 31 at Mt. Vernon, IL, City Park Community Building. There are 2 sessions planned for that day: one at 1 p.m and one at 7 p.m. The speaker is Mr. Bob Blankenship, author of: “Cherokee Roots”, “Dawes Roll ‘Plus’ of Cherokee Nation ‘1898’”; “Guion Miller Roll ‘Plus’ of Eastern Cherokee East & West of Mississippi 1909.” For more information, you can contact: Melinda at 618/985-6586 or e-mail Iris at: ICREASY@HOME.COM I mention this program in particular because we have so many requests for information on American Indian research. I don’t know anything about the Red Eagle Alliance or Mr. Blankenship, I just wanted to make this information available to others who might be interested.

I also want to take a little space to thank our Archivist, Lil Ashley for all her efforts in helping others research their family information. Without her assistance and determination, many people would never know what information is available to Macoupin County researchers. She has also gone the extra mile in several cases and I thank her for taking the extra research questions during the past 6 months when I have been unable to follow up. It’s always nice to know someone is there to help if you need them.

If you want more information regarding our society, write to us: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.
P.S. - Editors: As in the days of yore: Exchange - please copy.

Happy New Year everyone. How were your holidays? I'm ready for a break from all the gatherings and over-eating.

Some of you know that in addition to my volunteerism in the genealogy group, I also serve on several other boards. One of them is the Staunton Main Street USA, Inc. group. My contribution to the group is mostly of the historical nature. I have a small collection of pictures of early Main Street that the group is using to plan a walking tour when warmer weather arrives. I have done walking tours in years past. There are several proposals in progress to accomplish the walking tour for the Heritage Day celebration in May. And to step back in time, there is a possibility of a horse-drawn buggy ride on a route that includes several of Staunton's older, architecturally unique homes. As details are finalized, information will be published in area newspapers. It may develop in the future that you would be interested in sharing information about your house and any restoration work you have done with others in the community who are considering projects on their homes. Document your progress in pictures. Let us know you are interested in helping others.

This brings me to my topic for the month: What is the history of your home? Do you know when it was built? Who were the first owners? Who lived in the house down through the years? Do you have pictures of your house when it was originally built? Do you have pictures of your house at different times or showing changes made in the house?

When you are compiling your family history, a history of the places you lived including pictures is always an added touch to your finished work. If you have the abstract to your property, you can often find a lot of history about your home. Sometimes people even include names of neighbors in their abstract information. (I don't exactly know why, but I have seen this before). If the property changed hands between relatives, sometimes this is indicated in the abstract and their relationship to one another. You might be surprised to find these strangers who owned your house were actually cousins or aunts, uncles.....it is an interesting document, that property abstract. If you have no idea of the previous owners, perhaps a check of local city directories will help you find out more.

And if you are the very first owner of your house, have you checked to see if there was a dwelling on your property before you bought it? One suggestion if you are the first occupant is that you take pictures and write the story of your house to pass on to the next owner. You see, genealogy is not just a list of names, dates and places, it needs stories, pictures, history....

If you want more information regarding our society, write to us: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.

P.S. - As in the days of yore: Exchange - please copy.

November 18, 2000

The year 2000 is closing soon. I wonder where it went - like many of you probably do this time of year. It’s been a busy time for many of our members and we’re still trying to catch up on a lot of correspondence and newsletters. A correction to last month’s information: please correct the e-mail of Carolyn Hoffman who is researching Tietze/Lupinschek of Staunton to read: carolyn.hoffman@gte.net

Our microfiliming project of the back issues of the Staunton Star-Times newspapers is, I believe at last complete. This will be a great addition to our collection. Unfortunately, our library still does not have a microfilm reader/printer so we cannot make copies of pages at the library. We DO NOT circulate our microfilm collection due to the high cost of the films. Our society purchased the microfilms prior to 1992 and many of the copies cost $60.00 per roll. Too expensive to let out of our room. I don’t know the solution to this situation. I wish I knew how the other libraries in the county manage to acquire & maintain this type of equipment for their collections. Maybe some of you can share that with us for a future column.

My family is now in the same position my cousin was in last month: dealing with a lifetime of collections my parents have. We have found so many bits and pieces of our parents’ life together for over 58 years and many things they saved about us throught the years. We were completely surprised by some of the information and items they saved; others have brought back a smile and fond memory of days gone by. Many of the books, notes & pictures my mom & I worked with when tracing our family history need to be organized and shared with other family members. Mom has pretty much retired from the family history projects - I think I have inherited that task for the future. I’m not sure I can do the job as well as she has, but I’ll do my best. My suggestion to others who leave the family research to one or two family members: Jump in & help! If you are asked for information for family history, please reply to the request. If you have family pictures without identification, PLEASE identify the people. Just because you know who they are, doesn’t mean everyone else in the family will know them.

Our society doesn’t meet in December, so we wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. Don’t forget to update your family tree during this time as your families gather for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.

If you want more information regarding our society, write to us: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.

P.S. - As in the days of yore: Exchange - please copy.

We are at last caught up with our newsletters for the past year. October is a work in progress. Thank you for being so understanding of a situation beyond anyone's control.

I have several pieces of correspondence to share with you. If you can provide information, please contact me and/or the person listed.

Carolyn Hoffman, 232 S. Bentley Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90049 writes: "I am seeking any information on Edward Tietze/Titze and/or Julia Ann Lupinschek, both of whom lived and died in Staunton. These are my husband's (Edward J. Hoffman) grandparents. His mother is Marcella (Tietze) Hoffman. Marcella has told me that Edward, her father, changed the name from Titze to Tietze......I have found Emil Lupinschek, Robert Titze and Edward Titze, Jr., in the 1917 military service enrollment, but don't know if Robert is Edward's brother. My e-mail address is: carolyn.hoffman@get.net

Debbie Webster, 3121 N. Meadowlark Drive, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 writes: "I'm so excited that I don't quite know where to start. I'm writing to this particular genealogical society because it seems my heritage is largely from this county. After my mother passed away, I inherited many personal items one of which was a copy of her family tree history. There is a written passage at the top of the tree about my great-great grandparents, Nicholas and Nancy Challacombe.....Nicholas Challacombe was the son of John and Elizabeth (Parmnter) Challacombe. He was born at Buttercom...Down, Devon, England, June 19, 1824. His father and family arrived in America at New York in Sept. 1833. They first settled at a place about forty miles east of Buffalo, NY. But in the fall of 1840 they came to Illinois and settled in Macoupin Co. - 3 miles southwest of Carlinville. In Feb. of 1845, Nicholas acquired the "Locust Hill Farm" in Chesterfield Township (about 3 miles north & 2 miles east of Medora) from the heirs of Dr. Gideon Blackburn (founder of Blackburn College, Carlinville, IL)..."

Bill C. Macy, 531 Birchwood Dr., Lincoln, NE 68510-2504; BCMLNKNE@msn.com writes: "I am searching for birth and death records on relatives from Macoupin Co. I was wondering what information exists regarding the births and deaths of individuals born as early as 1849 and dying as early as 1852 and after? If any records such as newspapers and or birth & death records do exist, can you advise me of the best place to do the research? I have attached individual summaries as an example of the information for which I am searching..." Surnames include: HOCKENSMITH (in Scottville area); PARK; and BARNGROVER.

Roy Allen, #8, 220 Bow Ridge Ct., Cochrane, AB T0L 0W5; rj.allen@home.com writes: "My research on James and Delia Allen indicates they lived in Macoupin Co. in the early 1800s and were born in Kentucky & Virginia respectively. They had a son name John, b. 1838. This info is derived from an 1860 census.I have found my ggf, John Davis Allen in the 1880 census and he was b. in 1838. I have record from the Carlinville library indicating the cemetery that Delia was buried in Macoupin Co. but have nothing further on James. I would like to establish whether or not James & Delia were in fact my gg grandparents....John Davis Allen m. Eliza Jane Gore and they had 10 chyildren, 8 boys & 2 girls, 7 of which were born in Macoupin Co., in or near Carlinville. The last boy and the girls were born in Johnson City, Missouri which I believe has disappeared as a suburb of St. Louis. The family moved back to Carlinville around 1890 and eventually ended up on a dairy farm just west of Morris in Grundy Co......"

I can't let this column close for the month of October without commenting on a personal experience recently. My cousin and family spent the past 2 weekends emptying out the family homestead. I was there for a bit to help with what little I knew to do. The collection of a lifetime of memories, carefully packed away in the attic, is now passed to the next generation. My aunt always thought her sons wouldn't be interested in a lot of the family history, but when it came down to it, I found out it meant more to them than probably they realized until this past year. The picture of Andrew Jackson Scoggins in the old oval frame struck us all with his stern face covered by a full beard & mustache. My uncle's collection of Custer & Crazy Horse materials were boxed and will be enjoyed by yet another generation. A generation yet to amass their own attic full of memories.

If you want more information regarding our society, write to us: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.

P.S. - As in the days of yore: Exchange - please copy.

Well, after yet another long absence, I'm going to try to continue this column for a few more months. Our new membership year has started and we hear from a lot of people who have roots in Macoupin County. Many of you are probably wondering where your July newsletter is. Well, it's late as has been the case since our newsletter editor lost everything in a house fire just before Christmas. They STILL aren't in their new home and thus Mary has no computer to work on the newsletter in the wee hours of the morning as she & I like to do. She has to work around the hours at the library to use the society's computer there. But I KNOW she's working on it as I just visited the library earlier today and she was busily putting materials together. Any of you who would like to contribute neat, clean, typed information for the newsletter are encouraged to send the materials to the society at our address at the end of this column.

Maybe you think you don't have any stories worth printing, but that's probably not true. Have any of you come across old letters written to family members regarding events of days gone by in your family? Maybe you have letters to home from military personnel that would have historical or family information.

Marcia Toso, 12540 Poppy Lane, San Jose, CA 95127-1241 writes: "I have just found one of my "lost" family members named as a patron in the '1879 History of Macoupin County, Illinois' I would like to have a copy made of the article as shown on the society website. (Oops, I don't know exactly what she's talking about here). But she is looking for information on Mrs. Susan E. PALMER of Brighton. She was b. ca. 1818 in Mason Co., VA to John Hays PROSSER and Margaret King ISH. After her father died, her mother and her children moved to Morgan Co. IL sometime before 1839. When her mother died in 1854, Susan still signed her name Susan Elizabeth PROSSER. I am assuming that Susan married J. PALMER and lived in Macoupin Co. during or before 1879 when the history was written.....other related family in Macoupin: GRIGGS; MARTIN."

On another note, exciting things are in the works at the Macoupin County Courthouse. To put things in abbreviated form: County Clerk John Saracco has obtained authorization from the County Board to purchase equipment to automate the creation and retrieval of vital records and land records, to be operational in the first part of November. Probably Circuit Clerk Mike Mathis will eventually include the probate, law suits, etc. in this project. According to society member and one of the "Dome Volunteers", Linda Kmiecik, action is developing regarding our old records. For more information regarding this project, watch your society's newsletter or contact LindaKmiecik, 30340 West Lake Drive, Girard, IL 62640; e-mail: tonky@ctnet.net.

If you want more information regarding our society, write to us: Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.

May 17, 2000

Well, I am once again late (a month late I guess) getting this column ready for publication. Since then, a lot has happened. I want to take a few minutes to thank those members who were understanding when our January newsletter didn’t arrive until April? And now the April newsletter is in progress and Mary will have it ready as soon as is humanly possible.

At last those of us who are here and keep the records and data for the society have the same program on our computers. Now when my computer crashes again, we’ll be ready!!! Now to the correspondence received in past months.

Donna C. Matthews of Hastings, NE is researching the LEAGUE and ETHERTON families in Macoupin County. She sent a packet of information and would take too much space. The specific family is George LEAGUE who married Catharine ETHERTON 7 June 1835 in Green County, KY. Their children: Nancy J., Stephen B., David K., William M., Reuben Mixon, Thomas Greenberyy, Mary E., and Sarah A.

Dorothy Schlueter of St. Louis is researching the BENDORF family. She writes regarding the Staunton City Cemetery: I corrected the dates on the stone of Ida Bendorf. On her tombstone the date was 1884 instead of 1885. In this section of the cemetery Theresa Bendorf and Ida Bendorf were buried. Then in the 1930s an Otto Bendorf was also buried on the site. After his burial a stone was placed to mark his grave next to Ida’s and also a new marker was placed on the site of Bernhardt Bendorf’s grave. About 5 years ago I visited the cemetery. The stone marking Otto’s grave had probably sunk into the ground and I couldn’t find Bernhardt Bendorf’s marker either. Could you send me some information about Otto Bendorf? Is there some way to find the date of his death? He was born in 1875 and died in a nursing home out west. His 2 sisters, Emma Schneider and Lena Moehlmann made arrangements for his burial here."

Erma Lawrence of Grand View, ID, is working on MAGOON, FOX, WESTBROOK, BANDY, THOMPSON and BRICKEY families in Macoupin. She also said: "I have an old picture that has Farley Studios on the bottom. Off-hand, have you heard of it, or is it in an old directory?"

If you can help these people in their research, contact the Macoupin County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 95, Staunton, IL 62088.

Macoupin County Genealogical Society Homepage

In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data and images may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or for other presentation without express permission by the contributor.