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Archiver > NEPLATTE > 2004-07 > 1089431904


From: "Thomas E. Lassek" <>
Subject: Fw: [ILLIVING] LONG EMAIL - CHATSWORTH ILLINOIS
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 22:58:24 -0500


Let me forward this to the list. Several of our ancestors who eventually settled in Platte County "lumbered" around Illinois a bit prior, so perhaps someone may pick up some information on this posting. Chatsworth Illinois is listed in several of the old Centennial books in Platte County and it's listed in 'Jesuit's in the Midwest' as well, if my memory serves me well.

My Lasek ancestors were located in Chicago when they heard about the possibility of work to be had in Chatsworth as major companies were set to "start mining operation" at several sites "just any day now". They advertised in Chicago and many immigrants traveled there for the work. Unfortunately, the mine's never did come in and the immigrants went their own way. A group of Poles eventually made their way to Platte County from there.

Tom Lassek
Eufaula Albama

----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas E. Lassek
To:
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 9:05 PM
Subject: [ILLIVING] LONG EMAIL - CHATSWORTH ILLINOIS


"Hi Thomas,
Yes that may help. I don't know what religion George Williams family was,
but if what you say is true there is a good possibility that they were
Catholic. I think George was a farmer, but could have been drawn to the area
by the mine opening. I would very much appreciate the information you have
mentioned. I would very much like to locate George Williams' cemetery
information. Thank you for responding and for any information that might
help me find them.

Carolyn Whatley"

- - - - - - - - - -

Hello Carolyn ...
Sorry for taking so long on this, but I suppose better late than never. This is gona be a longer than normal email so I can include everything that may be of some value to you.

This is all extracted from my notes when I researched this part of the world, so there's no real order to it. One thing ... everyone there is big on phone call's as opposed to writing letters, so I listed them for you. I wish you the best of luck.

NOTE: I'M GOING TO PUT THIS NOTE HERE AND IT'S BELOW AS WELL. VERY IMPORTANT - YOU ALMOST HAVE TO WALK THE CEMETERIES. ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS USUALLY PROVIDED ON THE INTERNET AND IN CHATSWORTH'S RECORDS DEALS WITH THE CEMETERY PLAT. THE PLAT IS ABOUT 12 FOOT BY 12 FOOT AND THE OWNER OF THE PLAT IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE ONLY NAME LISTED. EACH PLAT CONTAINS UP TO 8 GRAVES. HERE IS WHERE THE RESEARCH IS REQUIRED BECAUSE EVERYONE I TALKED TO IN THIS AREA OF THE WOODS TOLD ME THAT IT WAS/IS VERY COMMON TO BURY FAMILY, FRIENDS, A NEEDY SOUL HERE AND THERE AT THE REQUEST OF THE CHURCH AND OR FAMILY, ETC, ETC.

Saints Peter and Paul/St. James, Father Dick Brunskill, PO Box 546, Chatsworth Illinois 60921 - Phone: 815-635-3127. Email:

In a letter, Father Brunskill tells me that they only have a few burial records in the 1860's. Saints Peter and Paul started in 1877. Prior to 1877, the church was called St. Patricks from 1861-1877. In the early times, all were Irish, then the German people settled in the area which prompted the name change to the Church. He also say's that occasional Masses were held in Chatsworth by priests out of Pontiac or Fairbury.

My Note: Chatsworth was more or less split down the middle with Irish on one side of town and the Germans on the other: Time period about 1867. Lot's of Slavic peoples living and working in "Germanville Township", right near Chatsworth.

Chatsworth Library: . Phone 815-635-3004. Chatsworth Bank: 815-635-3134 (They have the microfilm reader for the town here).

The Plain Dealer Newspaper of Chatsworth has microfilm 1875-1988. Most of the time the microfilm is located in the bank since that's where the town microfilm reader is.

Old St. Patricks cemetery records were available for lookup from Francis Haverkorn from the Chatsworth area whose brother is a genealogist. Francis tell's me that he knows the location of all the old cemeteries in and around the area. Call 815-635-3086. He'll go with you to point them out, plus he has the plat book to take along.

St. John the Baptist Church, 110East Ash Street, Fairbury Illinois 61739, Father Scott L. Archer, M.A. is the point of contact at 815-692-2555. Here is where the very early records of Chatsworth (Catholic) are entered prior to the activation of the Catholic church in Chatsworth. He also tells me that the "Mission of St. Rose" in Straw Illinois was affiliated with St. John's in the very early years as well. They will also have sacramental records of the area. He further tell's me that St. John's was the Missionary Center of Livingston County for a very long time and that a pastor of St. John's, Father Fanning, built the current Catholic Church in Chatsworth.

"Tidbits on Fiarbury" http://www.fairburyil.org/tidbits_on_fairbury.htm .

Chatsworth public library, 432 East Locust, PO Box 638, Chatsworth Illinois 60921
Ms. Donna Aberly

Chatsworth Cemetery point of contact. Mike Kessinger at 815-635-3879 who is a wealth of information. He pointed out a fact to me I did not know about all the cemetery plots in the area .... and this is very important. It'll necessitate your actually walking the cemeteries in the area and finding out where the records are kept that actually show who is buried in these Plots. He tells me, all plots are 16 foot by 16 foot. So if you look up a name, all you are gona get is the owner (or the past owner) of the plot, however, each plot can bury up to 8 people (8 graves). So, I'm not so sure that internet lookups are truely accurate ....

Mr. Harold Dassow, 506 South 7th, Chatsworth Illinois 60921(815-635-3403) is, if I recall correctly, the maintenance supervisor for the cemeteries in the Chatsworth area. He's especially knowledgeable about the Germanville Township Cemetery which was "open for business" somewhere around the early 1860's. He tells me that in the old days in Germanville, there were two churches. One was Evangelical and the other Luthern. You can contact the public library there and the lady that works there is Luthern and know's about the early history. Neither the Luthern nor the Evangelical churches exist today.

Harold Hornickel, Gary Kahle, Melvin: 815-688-3322, Chatsworth courthouse.

David Hornickel, 2130 North 3300 East Road, Chatsworth Illinois 60921. 815-688-3322. Knowledgeable of old cemeteries in and around Chatsworth. He has access to some early records.

Graceland Cemetery Association, 109West Walnut St. Fairbury Illinois 61739. Joanne Steidinger, 815-692-3424, has records for in and around Chatsworth and Fairbury which is right down the road.

Chatsworth Charlotte Township Cemetery, Larry Gerdes - 35915 East 800N road, Chatsworth Illinois (Dont know ZIP) has early and later year records.

Mr. Lawrence Beck of this email list has knowledge of Chatsworth and Germanville plus he has access to a 1940 plat book.

Books at the Chatsworth Library and elsewhere:
Sands of Time - Louise Stautemyr 1991
The History of Livingston County 1878
History of Chatsworth Illinois (no date) as seen by L.J. Haberkorn
Written account of Germanville by Adam Ruppel 1941

Livingston County war History and record
http://www.crtelco.com/~annette1/civilwarpage.html

Tom Lassek
Eufaula Alabama







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