On 10 February 1908, the Hancock County Sheriff said that my great-grandmother “could not be found in Hancock County, Illinois” and left a summons with her husband, Charles. This post concludes the series on where I think Fannie was in 1908. While it is possible that she was out of the area (perhaps visiting a pregnant […]

The problem with court records is that while they provide significant detail into our relatives’ lives, they often leave out details. We’ve seen that Fannie Neill “couldn’t be found” when the Hancock County Sheriff came knocking in 1908 to give notice that the farm she was renting from her father’s estate was subject to a […]

It struck me as odd that great-grandma Neill could not be found by the Hancock County Sheriff in February of 1908 when he came to their residence in Walker Township. It seemed odd that she’d be off helping a sister with a baby or something and leave her husband behind with two children under the […]

This sale referenced in this sale bill was the result of a 1908 Hancock County, Illinois, court case involving the widow of Riley Rampley and his children. Riley had died in 1893 leaving a farm, a widow, eleven children, and no will. His estate was never brought to probate and in 1908, this partition suit […]

[this was posted on our old blog and we’ve decided to post it here for those who missed it–gotta love court records] On 10 February 1908, Carl Bertschi, Hancock County Sheriff went to the farm of Charles and Fannie Neill in Walker Township. The problem was that Fannie was no where to be found and […]