Research Materials

Genealogical and Historical Information

AVAILABLE FOR IN-HOUSE RESEARCH
Can’t get to us?   Mail or e-mail your queries to us and our volunteer staff will do the research for you

Lateral Files

Our lateral files contain information from various sources on many subjects, such as Agriculture, Business, Churches, Events, Government, Hospitals, Industry, Military, Organizations, Parks, Police & Fire Departments, and more.

Donated Family Genealogies / Stories

  • ADAMS, Family history of Christopher & Mary Barbara Reff-Adams
  • ALLEN-FLAGSTAD Family History
  • ALVESTEFFER, Family history of Bernard & Edith Brunk Alvesteffer
  • ALVESTEFFER, George & Clara (Lohroff) Lineage (Albersdoer Anderson Family)
  • ALVESTEFFER, Joseph & Florence Alvesteffer family
  • ANDERSON, Story of the the Oliver Anderson family
  • ANDERSON, Descendants of Peter Anderson
  • ANDERSON & VAN WICKLE Families
  • ARROL – ARROLL – ARRELL Families
  • ATHERTON COLLECTION – 25 Volumes – contains Many Shelby area family genealogies
  • ATHERTON, Descendants of Joseph & Hannah (Farnsworth) Atherton
  • BARBER, LEWIS, JOHNSON & McREA Families
  • BARLOW Family
  • BARRETT, Fredrick Barret & his descendants (1893-1968)
  • BARRETT, Fredrick Barrett & Hazel Edna (Somers) Barrett and their descendants (1893-1968)
  • BARTON Family, Volume 1 (1801-1941); Volume 2 (1942- )
  • BATCHELDER GENEALOGY Descendants of Rev. Stephen Bachiller of England & Joseph, Henry & John Batcheller
  • BAXTER GENEALOGY (1839- )
  • BENDER, Bender Book of Memories
  • BENNETT, Ruth Pearson Bennett Family Memories
  • BERRY, Descendants of Joseph & Sarah (Shaffer) Berry & James & Sarah (Crume) Hasty, 1795
  • BETTS Family History
  • BEVINS, Shepherd the Love of Emeline, 1800’s
  • BLADES, The family Register, 1786-1918
  • BOWDEN History, 1880-1989
  • BRIMMER Family, 1795-1950
  • BRIMMER Family Reunion Secretary Notes, 1945-1962
  • BUCHANAN, The life of Alexander Buchanan, Q.C., 1769
  • BUCHER Family
  • BUNTINGS of Walkerville MI
  • BURMEISTER-BEHRENWALDE, The Burmeisters-Behrenwalde to Benona, 1880’s
  • BURR-HOBBY-GILLAN Family Tree, 1630
  • CADY Family
  • CARBINE 1575-1945
  • CARPENTER, Nine of the 13 children of Robert Carpenter & Phebe McNair Carpenter
  • CHADWICK, Harvey J. Chadwick
  • CHAPIN-WILSON Book
  • CHEEBER Family
  • CHEEVER Family
  • CHRISTIAN, Maxime & Caroline Christian
  • CHRISTIAN, Henry & Emma Christian
  • CHURCHILL, Gerry’s Family Trees
  • CODY Family Directory, 1927
  • COLE, Livilla Gleason Cole
  • COMPTON Family
  • DAVISON, Descendants of William Dean Davison & Matila Power, 1800’s
  • DEPUY-DEPUE, Nicholas DuPui & Catherine Renard
  • DICKINSON, Descendants of William Dickinson, 1819
  • DOANE-EMMONS,LINDER,RONEY-& STOUT Families, 1800’s
  • DOTY-CONVERSE & PUTNEY Families (copy 1 & 2)
  • DOWNING-CAMPBELL-AGAN-RILEY Familes
  • DRAGOO Family Tree
  • DRESSEL, Hazel Johnson Dressel
  • EBY, History of the Eby Family, 1800’s
  • EDWARDS, see Lowndes-Taylor-Card, 1500’s
  • EISENLOHR,Genealogy of the descendants of Heinrich (Henry) Eisenlohr, 1800’s
  • EISENLOHR Immigrants & Migrations
  • ESTABROOK, Excerpts from the Autobiography of Harvey Estabrook
  • EVANS Family
  • EVANS, Doris & Marion Evans
  • EVANS, Russell Bell Evans
  • FARMER Family
  • FAUROT, Milo Edgar Faurot 1861-1946 & Descendants
  • FICK, History & genealogy of August & Anna Fick & Dorothy Stoehr, A Pioneer Family, 1790-1996
  • FICK Family History
  • FIELD Family Roots, 1819-1995
  • FLEMING Family Descendants of Jarvis & Catherine
  • FLORY Family 1842 – 1962 – 34 Volumes covering genealogy & family events
  • FRANCE, Clememt Ashton France – Josetta Ann Green France Family, Genealogy & Memory book, 1800’s
  • FREELAND Family History, Volume #1 & Volume #2
  • FREY Ancestry & Posterity of Gottfried Frey Books I & II
  • FULLER, Descendants of Elijah Fuller
  • FULLER, Family history & genealogy Vol. I & II
  • GAYLORD Family
  • GILLAN Family Tree
  • GILLAN, Charles Westly Gillan Family Genealogy
  • GODFREY, Family of Leander B. Godfrey
  • GOFF, Family genealogy of Dewitt Clinton Goff
  • GOODRICH Samuel
  • GREEN Descendants of Jonathon V. Green
  • GREINER, John & wife-Margaret Smith Greiner
  • GREINER, Guide to Greiner ancestry in America
  • GRIFFIS, Records of the ancestors of Betsy Carpenter & Thomas Griffis
  • GRINWIS and Related Families
  • GRISWOLD Family – England & America
  • GROVER, Our Thomas Grover Family Vol. I, 1600’s
  • GROVER, Directory compiled by Paul & Freda Grover of Benona Vol.II
  • GROVERS of Maine – Paul & Freda
  • HALL, Family history & genealogy, 1600’s
  • HAMILTON McKinley (1900-1958) & Descendants
  • HANER/HAYNER Family in America, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
  • HARRINGTON Ancestors & Descendants
  • HARRIS, James of New London & his descendants, 1640-1878
  • HAWLEY, Descendants of Henry Charles Hawley, 1800’s
  • HAWLEY Family Tree, 1800’s
  • HEIMLER Family
  • HENDERSON Family
  • HENRICKSON Family Tree, 1800’s
  • HERIN-ROWE-POTTER-CONROY-BENNITT Genealogies (on different shelves)
  • HEYDENBERK, Johannes Heydenberk
  • HICKOK Lucille: Daughter’s Memories
  • HIGHLAND Webster Thaler Highland Sr., 1882-1956 & Descendants
  • HOBBY-GILLAN Family Tree 1st Ed.
  • HOBBY Family 1st & 2nd & 3rd editions
  • HOEKERT Family, 1800’s
  • HOPKINS Genealogy (request from the Rare Book file; not on the shelf)
  • HOUGHTALING, William Henry Houghtaling History, 1800’s
  • HUBBARD Family
  • HUFTILE, My Huftile Family Connection
  • HUFTILE Mary Freelan HUFTILE, handwritten biography (born 1870)
  • HURTUBISE, Clement Hurtubise Descendants
  • JACKSON, The Descendants of Charles & Mary Maltby Jackson, 1783-1970 (2 books)
  • JACOBS, Moses Mordeci Jacobs history, 1800’s
  • JENSEN, Jensen family register, 1800’s
  • JOHNSON, Supplement for genealogy, 1800’s
  • KEEN Family Record
  • KLUDY Ray & Olive
  • KOKX
  • KROEPEL Arthur “Pete” Family History
  • KROLLS
  • LACEY-LACY Family
  • LaFEVER, History of John & Mary Belle LaFever, 1800’s
  • LAMPAMS in American
  • LAMPHIER Family Tree, 1800’s
  • LANKFER Genealogy
  • LATHERS-MacMULLAN History, 1725
  • LATTIN, Family history, photos & documents & pedigree chart of Leila Pearl Lattin
  • LATTIN, Ancestors & descendants of the Lattin-Gilbert & Sherman families, 1800’s
  • LAUBER, Mennonite Family History
  • LEWIS Roots
  • LOHROFF-KOKX & ALVESTEFFER, 1800’s
  • LOHROFF, August, James, Frank, Augusta-Shaner
  • LOHROFF-JOST, 1800’s
  • LOHROFF, Joseph & Wilhemina (Winser) Family history, 1800’s
  • LOWNDS-TAYLOR-CARD also Edwards-Milton-Vanduzen, Van Hoosen Families, 1500’s
  • LUTHER, Early pioneer history of Hart
  • LYDENS Genealogy
  • LYTTLE, Alfred, WWI Veteran (died in Russia)
  • MAY-FOX Families
  • McCRELESS Family
  • MILLER-YOST Family
  • MILTON, see Lownds-Taylor-Card
  • MOORE-BICKLE, John Jacob Moore & Catherine Bickle Family
  • MORLAN Family
  • MORAVEC Family
  • MORTON-HUGH Descendants
  • MUNGER Family History
  • NEAR, John Near Family History
  • NORBERG History of the Norberg Family
  • NORTON & GEARHART, Genealogies with Related Families
  • OSBORN, William Osborn family
  • PAQUIN, Genealogy of Cecelia Paquin (1877-1946) & Edgar Eugene Squire (1861-1945)
  • PAYNE, Ida Payne Family Genealogy
  • PEARSON, Ole Pearson Family Genealogy
  • PETERSON Family
  • PETERSONS, Family record beginning with Francis Peterson
  • PONTIUS Family Tree
  • POPIOLEKS Family Tree
  • POSTEMA, Genealogical record & descendants of Ano & Marie Postema
  • POWERS Family
  • POTTER (Request from the Rare Book Collection; not on the shelf)
  • PRANGER, Genealogical record & descendants of Gilbert & Catherine Pranger
  • PURDY, Ancestors & descendants of Willis Purdy by Stella Purdy
  • PUTNEY, First known ancestors of the Putney family in America
  • QUINN, Richard Quinn, 1878-1910, biography
  • RECKLEY, Family descendants & history
  • RECKLEY Family Memory Album, 2nd Editon
  • RECKLEY, The ROECKLE known as Reckley family tree
  • REEDS-CARGILL-FETTERS-KEECH Genealogies (located on different shelves)
  • REFF-ADAMS Family
  • RICHMOND, Notes of Richmond-Huston-& Linscott families
  • RICMOND-HUSRON-LINSCOTT Families
  • RICKETSON Genealogy
  • RIGGS, The Heart of the Matter
  • RIGGS, Family yearly newsletter
  • ROBINSON, A History of the Robinson & Hawley Families
  • ROTH Genealogy
  • SANFORDS, My Frasure Family Connection & Sanfords
  • SAYERS, John H. Sayers
  • SCHILLER Family Tree
  • SCHMIEDEKNECHT Family
  • SCHMIEDEKNECHT, I Remember When by Ruth G. Bean
  • SCHRAMM, The Richard Scramm & Marilyn Mae Isley Family Tree
  • SCOFIELD & SHOGREN Family History
  • SENECAL Henry & Emma (see Christian, Maxine & Caroline)
  • SETTLER-COLE Family History
  • SHAFER, Descendants of John Shafer
  • SHELDON, Allan David Sheldon, The Trail of an Extraordinary Man
  • SHINN Family History
  • SHOGREN Family History
  • SIBLEY, Genealogical tree of Jonathon Oscar Sibley (1817-1875) & Louise E. Hatch (1823-1875)
  • SIBLEY, Leonard Sibley Family Ancestry
  • SNELLENBERGER Family History
  • SOUTHWICK, Lawrence & Cassandra
  • SQUIRES, Genealogical Tree of Joseph Wilcox Squires (1826-1864) & Phoebe Olmsted (1830-1866)
  • STILES Family of Connecticut
  • SUNDELL Family History, Sundell Roots
  • SUTHERLAND Family
  • TAYLOR Family Tree
  • TRUE, Some descendants of Thomas True & wife Mary Elizabeth Mercer True
  • WARTENBE Genealogy
  • WIEGAND’S
  • WIJBENGA, JanJansWijbenga-Willemke Klazes Vlasma genealogy
  • WILCOX-CALEB, John O. Rooke & James G. Blowers, Early settlers of Newaygo & Oceana Counties, MI
  • WILDER, Descendants of Harvey Wilder
  • WILDERS The Book of Wilders
  • WILLIAMS, The family of Richard Williams & Cynthis Parks
  • WING, Samuel Wing Family
  • WOODHOUSE, One Woodhouse Family
  • WOODHOUSE Descendants
  • WYNS, Frank & Gladys Wyns Descendants
  • YAPPLE Family in American
  • YAPPLE Family History, Volume #1 & #2
  • YARROW Family History

IN THE LIBRARY AVAILABLE FOR IN-HOUSE RESEARCH

Many of these are available – see our list of publications for prices

BIRTHS

Oceana County Courthouse Records 1867 -1889 (select records)

CAMP HOUK – CIVIL WAR

GAR Encampment 1882 – 1917 (Pub. 1984)

CHADWICK – MUNGER HOUSE *  Story of (1892 – 1986)

CEMETERY CARDS / BOOKS

  • BENONA TOWNSHIP
    • Gardner Cemetery
    • Little Point Sable Cemetery
    • St. Stephen’s Lutheran Cemetery
    • Evergreen Cemetery  aka Stony Lake Cemetery
  • CLAYBANKS TOWNSHIP
    • Flower Creek Cemetery
    • Peace Cemetery
    • Pine Grove Cemetery
    • St. John’s Catholic Cemetery
    • Trinity Lutheran Cemetery aka Bradyville Cemetery
  • COLFAX TOWNSHIP
    • Colfax Cemetery
  • CRYSTAL TOWNSHIP
    • Mt. Ulysses Cemetery aka Mt. Malissa Cemetery, Crystal Valley Cemetery
  • ELBRIDGE TOWNSHIP
    • Elbridge Cemetery
    • Papahmee Indian Cemetery
    • Genereau Methodist Indian Cemetery
    • St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery
  • FERRY TOWNSHIP
    • North Ferry Cemetery aka Rathbone Cemetery
    • South Ferry Cemetery
  • GOLDEN TOWNSHIP
    • Mears Cemetery
    • Round Lake Cemetery
  • GRANT TOWNSHIP
    • Cranston Cemetery
    • Eagles Cemetery
    • Oak Grove Cemetery
    • Assumption Cemetery aka St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Rothbury Cemetery
  • GREENWOOD TOWNSHIP
    • Greenwood Cemetery aka Cushman Burial Grounds
    • Woodward Cemetery
  • HART TOWNSHIP
    • Hart Cemetery
    • Lever Cemetery aka Potter’s Field, County Farm Cemetery
    • North Hart Cemetery
    • Randall Cemetery aka Huftile Cemetery, Cargill Cemetery
    • Prospect Hill Cemetery aka South Hart Cemetery, Starhill Cemetery
  • LEAVITT TOWNSHIP
    • Abson Cemetery
    • Carpenter Cemetery aka Bird Cemetery, Pioneer Cemetery
    • Goodrich Cemetery
    • Fairlawn Cemetery aka Walkerville Cemetery
  • NEWFIELD TOWNSHIP
    • Christ the King Catholic Cemetery
    • Gale Cemetery
    • West Hesperia Cemetery
  • OTTO TOWNSHIP
    • Otto Cemetery
  • PENTWATER TOWNSHIP
    • Pentwater Cemetery
  • SHELBY TOWNSHIP
    • Shelby Township’s First Cemetery
    • Mennonite Cemetery
    • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    • New Era Cemetery
    • Oceana Center Cemetery
  • WEARE TOWNSHIP
    • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    • North Weare Cemetery aka Harding Cemetery
    • South Weare Cemetery  aka Smith’s Corners Cemetery

CEMETERY HEADSTONE READINGS (Available for the following Cemeteries)

  • Eagles Cemetery – read 1983
  • Ferry Township Cemeteries
  • Hart Cemetery – read 2002 (Disk only)
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery – read 2001 (Disk only)
  • New Era Cemetery – read 1983
  • Otto Township Cemetery
  • Round Lake Cemetery – read 2003 Book
  • Round Lake Cemetery – 2003

CENSUS RECORDS

  • Ferry Township Census 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920
  • 1870 Michigan Census Index Vol. 1 thru 10

CIVIL WAR SOURCES Vol. I & II

Oceana County Civil War Sources

CRYSTAL TOWNSHIP HISTORY 1855 – 1970

DEATH RECORDS VOLUME I 

FUNERAL HOME RECORDS

  • Shelby Funeral Home Records 1902-1904, 1905-1907
  • Shelby Funeral Home Records 1915 – 1916
  • Shelby Funeral Home Records 1919 – 1920
  • Shelby Funeral Home Records 1925 – 1926
  • Shelby Funeral Home Records 1915 – 1929

BOOKS 

  • HART – 100 YEARS
  • HART FLOOD – The flood of 1986 when the Hart Dam broke
  • HART LANDMARK TOUR BOOK
  • HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS – A great source for pictures – (list schools & dates)
  • HISTORY OF MANISTEE, MASON, OCEANA COUNTIES Indexed – Illustrations & Biographies. (70+ pages on Oceana County)
  • LITTLE SABLE POINT LIGHT STATION
  • JUNIPER BEACH REMEMBERED
  • MASTER INDEX OF NAMES (CD ONLY)  – Over 250,000 names listed
  • MEARS FIRST CENTURY OF PICTURES
  • 100 YEARS ARE RIPE IN THE LAND OF MEARS
  • MEARS 125 YEARS OF HISTORY
  • MEARS, CHARLES-STATE PARK HISTORY
  • MEARS NEWZ  (World’s smallest news paper)  We have a complete collection of original copies of the Mears Newz

NATIVE AMERICAN RECORDS (Material collected & researched by Ruth Ann Kelley)

Mason County Birth – Marriage – Death Indexes/LDS

Oceana County Birth – Marriage – Death Index/Courthouse Records

NEWS PAPERS ON MICRO-FILM

  • Oceana County Journal – 29 April 1869 to 25 Dec 1884
  • Hart Journal – 8 January 1885 to Feb 2 1981
  • Oceana Herald Journal – 21 Feb 1981 to 1995
  • The Courier Tribune – 26 Dec 1916 to Jan 10 1919
  • The Hart Courier – 30 Jan 1920 to Nov 24 1921
  • The Hart Courier – 9 Dec 1921 to May 29 1952
  • Hesperia Union – 1896 to June 15 1917
  • Oceana Times – 20 April 1861 to Nov 4 1870
  • East Shore News – 20 Jan 1871 to Dec 26 1873 (Pentwater)
  • Pentwater News – 2 Dec 1874 to Feb 23 1961
  • Oceana Herald – 16 May 1888 to Nov 29 1981
  • The Argus – Hart 5 Jan 1887 to Jan 1 1892
  • Walkerville News 1892 to 1924
  • Shelby Independent – 19 April 1880 to Feb 9 1884, and Feb 25 1887
  • Miscellaneous Muskegon Newspapers – June 1857 to Jan 1941

OBITUARY FILES

OCEANA COUNTY SCHOOL YEARBOOKS (Some editions missing)

  • Hart High School, 1915 thru 2004
  • Hesperia High School, 1949 thru 1982
  • Ludington High School, starting in 1921
  • New Era High School, starting in 1956
  • Pentwater High School 1940 thru 1997
  • Shelby High School 1925 thru 1997
  • Walkerville High School, starting in 1926

OCEANA COUNTY HISTORY VOL. I – (published1990)

  • Includes histories, genealogies, family photos, memorials & tributes, businesses, clubs,
    organizations, villages, libraries, newspapers, & churches.
  • The history of our county & its 16 townships are included, plus hospitals, railroads, parks, camps, & cemeteries. It contains 636 pages with a complete index.
  • Hard-bound with a gold-embossed cover.

OCEANA COUNTY HISTORY VOL. II  (published 1992)

  • Includes Oceana County miscellaneous histories, anecdotes, photos, 15 pages of early pictures from all over the county. Histories of all one-room schools and early high schools, more family histories, memorials & tributes.
  • 374 pages, completely indexed, and features the same hard binding with gold embossed cover as Volume I

OCEANA COUNTY HISTORY VOL. III (published 2006)

  • Special SESQUICENTENNIAL edition commemorating Oceana County’s 150 years of existence.
  • It features a large photo section, business histories, family histories, memorials and tributes.
  • 404 pages, fully indexed with identical binding and gold embossed cover as Volumes I and II

OCEANA COUNTY PIONEERS & BUSINESSMEN OF TODAY Pub. 1890 – Aticles & pictures

PIONEERS OF FERRY TOWNSHIP 

POST CARDS

OCEANA COUNTY POST OFFICES – “THE EARLY YEARS” 

  • Lists all the Post Offices that ever existed in Oceana County, dates opened and closed, name changes,
    names of postmasters, many pictures

SCHOOLS  (see also, Oceana County School Yearbooks)

  • Crystal Township Schools
  • Girdle Road School
  • Golden Twp. Bicentennial Schools
  • Golden Twp. School Records
  • Hart High School Graduates
  • Hesperia High School Graduates Index (updated yearly)
  • Lakeshore Public Academy Graduates Index (2001-2002)
  • Oceana County Normal 1894-1943
  • Oceana High Graduates Index 1988-2002
  • Pentwater High School Graduates Index (updated yearly)
  • Shelby High School Graduates Index (updated yearly)
  • Walkerville High School Graduates Index (updated yearly)

SURNAME FILE

TAX RECORDS

  • Claybanks Township 1855-1881
  • Grant Township Tax Rolls 1867-1885
  • Otto Township Tax Rolls 1862-1910

VETERANS OF VARIOUS WARS – 5,660 names & growing. Compilation of veterans with ties to Oceana County. When & where they served, rank, etc. Source of information

VOTER RECORDS

  • Ferry Township 1898
  • Weare Township 1882-1895

WALKERVILLE AREA CENTENNIAL 1976  (Colfax, Elbridge & Leavitt Twps)