This post is part of a series for the April Blogging from A to Z April Blogging Challenge. My theme is Newspaper Clippings in relation to my family history. These have come from both microfilmed and digitized newspapers I've searched over the past 25 years. Click to enlarge any clipping.
Engagement Announcement
From recent newspapers, I have a lot of engagement announcements. It isn't often I've found a clipping of an engagement announcement in old newspapers, but in this case it's the only record I have of the marriage of my Great Grandmother's sister, Merlin Belle Jorgenson to Earl McKee. I don't have an exact date yet for their marriage and I can't find any official marriage license or certificate. I'm not sure where the wedding actually took place.
When I visited the Peotone, Illinois Public Library, I found this on microfilm and searched for an article on the wedding, but couldn't find one. I've also searched microfilm newspapers at the Abraham Lincoln Library in Springfield, Illinois with no success. The paper I needed was almost too faded to read.
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| Peotone [IL] Vedette, August 4, 1911 |
Belle fascinates me and I've written about her before. I've followed her teaching career in the paper. She was also apparently somewhat of an Entertainer and I've found her name in various newspapers throughout her life. The California Digital Newspaper Collection has several articles where she is mentioned by name.
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| Los Angeles [CA] Herald, November 22, 1913 |
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| Los Angeles [CA] Herald, December 20, 1913 |
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| Los Angeles [CA] Herald, March 8, 1917 |
Over the years, I've had family members who ran for public office. The Election results are always printed in the paper. I also have clippings of couples in my family who Eloped. Not everything makes the paper, but you can enrich the stories of your ancestors through newspaper articles. Good luck with your search!
M. Belle McKee lies buried in the Peotone Cemetery (findagrave).
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteElopement! I’m trying to think whether I’ve ever seen that for any of my ancestors. I have a list of kids who excelled in ELEMENTARY school. A very distant cousin was tops in deportment. Oh well, everybody is good at something!
ReplyDeleteElementary's a good E. The thing about doing this by subject is I can put some articles under a few different letters, just had to choose one. I hope you can find an elopement!
DeleteI noticed one of the articles had a Harold proctor- a family name😊
ReplyDeleteIt's still fun to find their names. Thanks
DeleteOne of my favourites could be "entertainment". In the "Old Days" so many parties and functions were written up in newspapers. Love reading about the dresses or "many noted guests" like your example.
ReplyDeleteYes, the details they sometimes included were wonderful.
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