Researching at Midwest Genealogy Center

If you are in the Kansas City area a must is to go and research at the
Midwest Genealogy Center
3440 S. Lee's Summit Road
Independence, MO 64055-1923
Phone: 816-252-7228
Hours: Mon - Thurs 9-9; Fri 9-6; Sat 9-5; Sun 1-5
This is a fantastic place to do family research. The libraries holdings make it well worth the trip. If you are looking for family in Missouri or other states they have the resources to help. They have All available U.S. federal population census schedules 1790 - 1930, including Soundex/Miracode indexes. They have reference books for the states. You don't need to have ancestors from Missouri to benefit from this library, it is well worth the trip for the census of every state alone. They also have classes to help you start or learn more on how to do genealogy. The next class being offered according to their website is June 24, 2010, Thursday at 7:00 PM
Finding Your Pioneer Ancestor along the Oregon-California Trails you can register for this class as well as the others by going to their website. They have the Kansas City Star and Times Newspaper and the Independence Examiner newspaper. You really must come to this library when in the area. Their website is
http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/genlh/mgc.htm I hope you check it out.
I have used this facility for many years to do research. The books of the different county histories from all over the US as well as the cemetery books from MO have been a great help for me in my research. I highly recommend you use this resource.

Memorial Day Trip to Cemetery

Memorial Day we went to put flowers on the graves at the cemetery again. As we went to the different graves Mike and I discussed how many graves go undecorated or attended. We can no longer go to one cemetery here in town that has my great grandparents and other ancestors in it because of the area it is in and also the disrepair. The last time we were there headstones had been taken or moved or broken and the graves themselves, in some cases, had sunken in. When I first started doing genealogy many years ago and could get to this cemetery I never thought about taking a picture of the headstones or rubbings because we went every year. Now that I can no longer get there and the records are not good, or in most cases, non existent I wish I had thought to do the pictures back then. I guess what I want to convey is always go prepared to take pictures or rubbings of the headstones when you go to a cemetery. Don't be left wishing you had like I am now. This year we took pictures of the headstones we go to every year and I will share them here. Most bigger Cemeteries will give you a map showing where your graves you are looking for are located and it is always a good idea to get one if possible to include in your cemetery book of your ancestors. If it is a smaller cemetery or one that doesn't offer this then walk the cemetery find your ancestors graves and make your own map. It will help when you return to that cemetery or want to share with someone else where the ancestors are buried.

Pictures of headstones for Bilyeu Family at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Kansas City,KS Wyandotte County located in the Old Rugged Cross Section
Memorial Day 2010:

George and Sophia Jones Bilyeu


Cline and Marie Outlaw Bilyeu with son Terry





Clarence and Helen Bilyeu and James and Opha Bilyeu Smith

Jesse and Gusta Bilyeu Jester

Wm Clay and Josephine Bilyeu


Robert and Barbara Bilyeu

I took some pictures of the full headstone followed like in Wm Clay and Josephine's with a close up of names and dates where both can be seen. I a cemetery book for each family try to get both pictures so that you have it for later reference. This is just one area in one cemetery that had most of my Bilyeu side of the family that I am using as an example.
Most important is to make sure you visit the cemeteries and record all the info you can.