From: NEHGS <enews@nehgs.org>
Subject: NEHGS eNews Vol. 10, No. 24, Whole #378, June 11, 2008
Archives: http://www.newenglandancestors.org/publications/eNews.asp
Spotlight: Wisconsin and New York Library Resources
by Valerie Beaudrault
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Vital Statistics Index
www.fdlpl.org/vital.html
Fond du Lac County is located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago in southeastern Wisconsin. The county seat is the city of Fond du Lac. The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Vital Statistics Index is available on the Fond du Lac Public Library’s website.
The indexing of Fond du Lac newspapers began in 1944, at the behest of the library board. The card index includes much more than vital statistics and covers the period from 1846–1970. Volunteers from the Fond du Lac County Genealogical Society began collecting obituaries during the 1970s and during the 1980s began to develop computer indexes to the library’s card format collection. This online database indexes records from all of these sources. It includes the following vital events: marriages, “milestone” anniversaries, funerals, and obituaries published in Fond du Lac newspapers from 1846 through 1994, and from 2005 forward. Click on the “Fond du Lac newspapers” link in the welcome paragraph to view a chronological list of newspapers and relevant dates for each one.
The database can be searched by last name or first name and can be limited by date (Any, Before, After, or Between). You can search through All Records at one time or limit the search by record type. Search results are returned in alphabetical order by last name and will include all variations of that name. For example, if you enter “Greene” you will first see a list of individuals named “Green” followed by those with the surname “Greene.” Search tips are provided to help with the execution of more advanced searches. You can request a photocopy of the newspaper clipping by mail or email.
