Oklahoma birth and death records are now searchable online at Ok2Explore

Ok2Explore is a free searchable index of births and deaths that occurred in the state of Oklahoma. Included is limited information on births occurring more than 20 years ago and deaths occurring more than 5 years ago. Indexes are updated each month.

The State of Oklahoma began filing records in 1908, however it was not required by law until 1917. 

Births The earliest birth record on file is 1865.

Deaths The earliest death record on file is 1908.

Visitors to the site may search the index using any combination of the subject’s name, date of event (birth or death), county of event, and sex of the subject.If you find a record of interest you can order a copy online.

 

Finding Answers to Old Family Mysteries

"Growing up, Lisa Smith shared a room with her grandmother Maurine Chaney Everette in the family’s home in California. Her grandmother, Smith said, was like a mother to her. She was there to cook and bandage scraped knees. But there were things she rarely talked about — her scar, details of her childhood spent in an orphanage in Oklahoma. When Maurine died in 1992, she took much of her past with her."

All Lisa knew of her grandmother's past was that Maurine grew up in an orphanage in Oklahoma, she'd been involved in a train accident, and she had a brother. Searching online quickly provided Lisa with clues and then to connections with new-found cousins.

From there she was able to find a newspaper story of the 1918 train accident in which Maurine's father, mother and baby sister were killed. Read the full story In search for lost relatives, Nebraska woman uncovers truth about long-ago tragedy in the Omaha World Herald

100 Year Old Hidden Blackboard Drawings Discovered

This is a fascinating glimpse into school blackboard writings from 100 years ago.

Read more at Haunting chalkboard drawings, frozen in time for 100 years, discovered in Oklahoma school

Mystery Marker Found in Wagoner Oklahoma Cemetery

The Three Forks Genealogy Society recently unearthed a mystery marker at Elmwood Cemetery  in Wagoner Oklahoma. The marker, found buried in the earth, read

 "The Year of Our Lord 1919, Bethel Hill A.M.E. Church." It listed the pastor as William J. Stanley and the church trustees as A.J. Foster, A.L. Rollins, R.A. Montague, J.L. Rollins, and J.H. Montague. 

Members of the Society have so far been unable to find out exactly who these individuals were and are asking for help from the public.

Continue reading this story at Group asking for public's help to identify mystery marker found in historic Wagoner cemetery

Credits: "Research" by jscreationzs on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Update on WW2 American Soldiers Letters Found

1944 Dale Harvill

 Thanks to reader Lee Simons we now have photos of Eural Dale Harvill from the Drumright Oklahoma High School Yearbooks of 1944 and 1945.

Still looking for a family member so his WW2 letters to his parents can go home. 

 This morning I found the obituary of the brother's mother Josephine

Tulsa World (OK) - Friday, September 26, 1997

Deceased Name: Drumright -- Josephine Thiry Harvill

1945 Drumright High School

Drumright -- Josephine Thiry Harvill, 96, homemaker, died Thursday. Graveside services 2 p.m. Saturday, Drumright North Cemetery. Michael's.

 I was hoping it would provide details on her sons and possible grandchildren but no luck. Perhaps there are obits for the brothers or their father. It does provide a maiden name for their mother so it is possible that cousins could be found for the boys
 
See the original blog post at

Looking for Family for World War II American Soldiers' Letters Found in Hatbox

If you can spare some time to have a hunt for descendants of Robert Duncan Harvill (1922-1990) or his brother Eural Dale Harvill (1927-1980), please leave a comment on this blog post with anything you find.

'Century Chest' Time Capsule Opened In Oklahoma After 100 Years

The Century Chest has been buried under 12 inches of concrete, in the basement of Oklahoma City's First Lutheran Church for the past 100 years.

When it was opened this past Monday, many historical treasures were found including the April 22, 1913 issue of The Daily Oklahoman, a 1913 telephone, examples of women's fashions of the day, Native American artifacts and a pair of women's shoes

As well the chest contained a pen used by President William McKinley to sign the 1900 Free Homes Act for Oklahoma, and a phonograph record featuring voices of people from that era.




One woman's dream came true when her great-grandmother's book of family stories was revealed. Virginia Weinmann always knew that these items were included and hoped she would live long enough to see them. Inside was also a photo of her mother.

Read more and watch the video of the opening at 100-Year-Old Time Capsule Opened

William Potes Tombstone Goes Home

The tombstone of Oklahoma pioneer William Potes spent decades in places it didn't belong.

Originally stolen from a cemetery in rural Murray County, it was discovered in an abandoned Texas college dormitory in 1982 and spent the last 26 years in the back yard of amateur genealogists Mike and Donna Ballard of Krugerville, Texas.

Donna Ballard said her research indicated the tombstone went missing around 1950. A security guard at Texas Woman's University in Denton discovered it when some old dorms were being razed to build new ones. He took it to the Ballards in
1982 and asked them to help solve the mystery.

Continue reading Tombstone Finds Its Way Home