Breathe Life Back into Your Research

No birth, death or marriage records? No problem!

We have all been there…. You need a vital record but you can't seem to find them on Ancestry and FamilySearch or the records were not kept for that time period. 

There are many other ways to find this information. It may not be a government-created record, but these resources can still be helpful in answering those vital date questions and maybe a little more.

Cora Munson, Medina County Historical Society

Let’s use Cora (Munson) Blakeslee, a life-long resident of Medina County, Ohio, to show how using different types of resources will help fill in Cora’s vital dates and places and even some interesting information that will help her “come to life”.

We know that Cora was born in 1857 and died in 1956 in Medina County, Ohio. In Ohio, no government office kept birth records for this time period. 1956 Ohio death records exist, however they are not available digitally online and there is a fee to obtain them from the state or from Ohio History Connection.

Here are a few vital record substitutes you can turn to in order to find and confirm your ancestor's vital information. 

Newspapers are one of the best sources to search when coming up empty using the typical online family history search sites. Always check the local libraries and archives to see if they have digital images of their local newspapers. Some libraries have databases, such as Newspapers.com & Newspaper Archives, which you can use either in the library or at home with your library card. 

Since Cora lived most of her life in Medina County, searching the Medina County newspapers is a good place to start. The Medina County District Library has a searchable Digital Archives of the local county newspapers. You can learn more about the archives in this blog spot "Introducing the Digital Archives of MCDL" .

Cora’s obituary was found in the Medina County Gazette, 18 February 1956, page 6.

Look at all the information found in the obituary. 

Her birth date and place:

• 10 February 1857, River Styx, Medina County

Her Father’s name:

•  Albert Munson

Her death date and place:

• 14 May 1956, Medina, Medina County

Her Spouses' name:

•  Charles O. Blakeslee

Her address:

•  233 East Washington

Her political affiliation:

• Republican

Her religion:

• Spiritualism

This obituary is a gold mine of information. Unfortunately, not all of them are this thorough, but there is always something you will glean from your ancestor’s obituary. Even if it is just the date they died. 

Another article about Cora was found in the Medina County Gazette using the NewspaperArchives database

. 

Medina Gazette, 13 April 1979, pg 6

We don't find any dates in this article, but we do learn the Munson family was interested in Spiritualism and Cora would set a place at the dinner table for her father & brother after they were deceased. The Munson family also held séances in their kitchen. 

 

It is also noted Cora married Charles Blakeslee, a choir director from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The article continues saying "...the couple went on a honeymoon and Mrs. Blakeslee returned home alone and Mr. Blakeslee was never seen again."

By using another newspaper database, Newspapers.com, this rumor can be investigated. This database is also available through the Medina County District Library's website. 

The trail of Charles O. Blakeslee can be followed out west and it doesn’t really look like anything nefarious happened to him.

Evening World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska. 8 Oct 1906, p. 8

1906 - Charles traveled from Indiana to Nebraska

Twin Falls (Idaho) Weekly News, 28 May 1909, p.10

1909 - Charles is giving a concert in Idaho

Freeport (Illinois) Journal Standard, 2 Nov 1945, p. 12 

1945 - Charles dies in Rockford, Illinois. There is no mention of Cora in the obituary. Only his parents and sister are listed. It seems he continued his music career even after he and Cora parted ways, for whatever reason.

Find a Grave is another resource that is underused. This is a volunteer-based site, where the volunteers take the photographs and upload them along with adding information to the deceased memorial page. Below is Cora (Munson) Blakeslee's gravesite memorial found on Find a Grave.

Findagrave.com. These are copyrighted images.

Listed here is her birth and death date and where she is buried. Additional images of Cora and a wedding notice for her and Charles' were also added. 

👈 Cora Munson

Local history books are another valuable resource. Since Cora’s father, Albert, was a local judge and successful shop owner, his short biography is found in the History of Medina County Ohio, 1881.

In the Historic Tales of Medina County, Ohio by Stephen D. Hambley, PHD, Cora's photograph is not only on the right-hand-side of the cover, but a whole chapter can be found about her. 

Both  of these books are available at the Medina County District Library. 

 







Along with the local libraries, don't forget to look for Historical & Genealogical societies and archives in the place your ancestor lived. They may have exactly what you are looking for or something you never expected to find. 

Here are just a few items found at the Medina County Historical Society. 

Munson House, built in 1877 (That is Albert on the front stoop)

Munson Papers, Munson Family file, Medina County Historical Society

The Munson Family file contained the following:

• Papers and index cards which give an outline of the lives of Albert, Lyman (Cora’s brother) and Cora Munson.
• A letter talking about the marriage of Cora and Charles Blakeslee.
• A typewritten transcription of Cora’s notes she took during one of the séances held at the Munson home.
• Information on the Munson Home.

Another item found in the Munson file was this book about a spiritualist and his experiences.

 





















These resources filled in Cora’s vital information and quite a bit more. They are just a few of the more unique places to look for vital information. Just remember, not all records are online and do some research on where to find such resources in the area where your family members lived.

Take this time to find these records so you can breathe life into your ancestor’s story.  Life, which according to the Munson family, continues after our time here on earth.

Albert Munson, "Spirit Photo", Medina  County Historical Society.