New Obits added to the index

I added 218 more obits to the index. I plan on adding 100-200 per week. I am also looking into ways of putting my pictures database online. I am scanning in the pictures that Thelma Landrum had (even though they will be scanned from photocopies). This will allow everyone to search for pictures by a persons name. Have to work out the logistics but will keep everyone informed.

Clemmons Family Reunion 2006

We are less than a month away from the annual Clemmons Family Reunion down in Lebanon, TN.

Saturday, July 1st, 2006
From 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
at the
Jimmy Floyd Family Center, Multi-Purpose Room
Lebanon, TN
(off I-40 US 70 W Exit, keep right, follow Baddour Parkway
to Castle Heights Ave North
Turn Rught)

Last year we had over 75 people attending. This is a family affair. There are indoor and outdoor pools and other activities in which to participate. Bring your swim suits if you wish to swim.

I am putting together the 2006 Newsletter and if there is anything you wish to add, please let me know.

Champion Laboratories Moving Jobs Back From Mexico

This is about a month old, but the Wayne County Press printed an article (5/4/06) about Champion Laboratories Moving 100 jobs back to West Salem, IL from Mexico. They would also be closing the plant in Mexico. This is good news for people looking for work down in southern Illinois. For those of you that don't know, my grandfather, Harry Clemmons, was one of the 4 original founders of Kleen Pak Manfuacturing (which is now Champion Labs).

When the four founding members got together, my grandfather was already doing this as a business. He and his brother, Howard, would go around to filling stations and take their old oil filters, take them back to the shop, clean out the cotten and then repack the filters and resell them. Harry and Howard started this business with only $14 back in 1948/49. In 1956, Harry went in with three others to form a new company. Harry's 25% contribution was the equipment and existing clientel. They moved the operation to West Salem. A few years later, they aquired Champion Labs.

Here is the short story from the Press:

100 Jobs - Champion Closing Mexico Plant, Moving to Albion
State Senator John O. Jones says there is some good news for southeastern Illinois as Champion Laboratories, Inc. plans to close its facility in Mexico and move those jobs to the Albion location.

Champion Laboratories, Inc. will close its Mexico plant on June 1. The move is expected to create about 100 new jobs at the Albion facility.

"Most of the time we read about how companies are moving jobs and opportunities to foreign countries," Jones said. "Herre, we have a company that is moving those jobs back to Illinois. We are talking about a substantial number of good-paying jobs coming to southeastern Illinois. After seeing so many companies leave this state, finally we have some good news."

Champion Laboratories, Inc. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of automotive and heavy duty filters. The company has been in business for more than 50 years. Their filters can be found in heavy-duty trucks construction equiment, mining equiment, and marine and farm machinery.

New place to do genealogy.

Carmel (in Indiana) is building a new 146,000 sq ft facility that they see as a "hub". This facility sits on the Monon Trail which is a long walking/biking path. Inside, it will have a family pool, a vortex pool, computer rooms, three full sized gyms, child care center, pottery for kids, and a genealogy room. It is suppose to be ready next spring. I need to find out who will be in charge of the genealogy section.

Wayne County Gen Web Updates

Diana over at the Wayne County IL Roots Web site has updated thier Delayed Birth Index's.

"During the 1940s when the Social Security Administration started. Many court house did not have records so the 'Delay of Birth Certificate' began. In order for a person to get one, they had to have a relative sign and document that the person who he/she was and their date of birth. Besides the normal information on a Birth Certificate, sometimes it gives other helpful information for your research."

Wayne County IL Obituaries

I have been working on a project for the past couple of months. The project is to compile an index of obituaries that are published in the Wayne County Press. You can search the obituaries by clicking on the link to the right or you can just click here. At the moment, I have about 1800 obituaries in the database and have several hundred more about ready to go in.

I got the idea to do the index when I visited the Anderson Public Library in Anderson, IN. They have a number of books that are just indexes to obituaries and I found them to be very, very helpful.