Library News: Finding the dead among the living

October is American Archives Month. Libraries, museums and archives across the country are planning special exhibits and events to highlight the importance of historical collections—and Marion County Library is no exception!

People come to the local library from all over the United States, looking for their dead relatives. At any given hour you may find someone from any community, city, or state, in the “South Carolina Room” looking … The goal of Marion County Library, during Archives Month, is to highlight the “gems” of our document and historical collections and reach out to our patrons and community.

This room houses a rich variety of genealogical history dating back from the beginning of America. Our collection is focused on Marion County, though we have many other records including a list of all the men who served with Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox. Treasures are waiting for you to discover…

As you look among the collection we have, you will be amazed to find just how much you can learn about your dead. General items used by everyone who comes into the “South Carolina Room” include cemetery records, census records, probate records, maps, plus hundreds of other items including “Sellers history of Marion County. 

The newest addition to the room is a collection of five volumes: The “Marion Funeral Home Records Series” which is dedicated to the late Louis B. Rogers who was instrumental in acquiring the records from the Funeral Homes in Marion.  The series is a compilation of records from Mears Funeral Home, Cox-Collins Funeral Home and Richardson Funeral Home located in Marion County, SC.  This series alone was enough to set the hearts to racing among the S.C. Room staff.

So, whether you need to look for an article which was printed in the local paper many years ago, or check the vertical file for a family or community history, come by your local library and check us out. As you search your lineage, you just might be surprised at what you find.

The cataloging staff of Marion County Library counts it a privilege to be the creator of historical records and to the saving of important evidence of the past. To find out more about Archives Month 2008 special events and exhibits, visit http://scarchivesmonth.palmettohistory.org/ and plan a visit to the Marion County Library where you can find so much history and information about the dead among the living of South Carolina.

Georgia Lee is the Technical Services Coordinator for the Marion County Library.