Storme Funeral Home Volume 2 Published

Our society recently published Volume 2 of Storme Funeral Home records from Herrin in two books covering the dates from October 1920 to January 1959. The references are available for viewing at the historical society and the indexes are currently being prepared for online access. Volunteers Colleen Norman, Ursula Richey, Ann Gammon and Sharon Vansaghi spent countless hours prepping these books for publication.

Eight New Book Indexes Added

The indexes to eight local reference books have been added as follows:

Two book indexes added to the Master Newspaper Index:

Obituaries Book One, 1879-1945, Williamson County Illinois, transcribe by Mary Jo Moore.
Obituaries Book Two, 1927-1945, Williamson County Illinois, transcribed by Mary Jo Moore.
Contains obits taken from funeral cards and misc. newspapers.

Six book indexes added to the Master Misc. County Records Index:

Williamson County Illinois Death Records, Volume 1, 1877-1886, by Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
Williamson County Illinois Death Records, Volume 2, 1885-1903, by Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
Taken form County Clerk’s office. (Supposedly required on Aug. 30,1877)

Williamson County Coroner’s Inquest Vol 1, 1900-1904, by Mary Jo Moore
Williamson County Coroner’s Inquest Vol 2, 1889-99, Mary Jo Moore

Williamson County Guardian Book A 1860-73, by Mary Jo Moore 
Taken from County Clerk records

Williamson County Commissioners Order Book A, 1839-48, by Charla Murphy & Helen S. Lind

Membership Meeting Held Jan. 21, 2018

George Mavigliano talking about the Federal Arts Program under the WPA

A membership meeting of the Williamson County Historical Society was held on January 21st, 2018 at the Williamson County Museum located at 105 S. Van Buren St in Marion. President, Sam Lattuca, spoke to the membership about projects that are in progress and recently completed. The society is in the process of publishing the funeral home records of the Ozment Funeral Home in Marion that cover the years 1914-1945, the Storme Funeral Home from Herrin covering the 1920’s and a transcription of the Lakeview Cemetery Interment records from Johnston City covering the years 1917-1963.

In addition, Lattuca, announced that two room renovation projects are in progress at the museum. One is the county jail display cellblock that housed local criminals and gangsters from 1913 to 1971 and the other is the Native American room. When completed, the museum will be displaying Native American points, projectiles and primitive tools all found in the county with some dating back 10,000 years.

A program was conducted by George Mavigliano, retired emeritus professor of Art History at SIUC. His books and articles follow his life-long research into the workings of FDR’s New Deal programs, the WPA, and specifically, the Federal Art Project conducted through the 1930’s and into the early 1940’s.

The museum is under its winter hours of operation and is currently open on Saturday only from 9:30 till 3 Pm until March 1st when it will resume its Monday through Saturday schedule.