The monthly meeting of the Northwest Iowa Genealogical Society will be held on Saturday, October 18 at 1:30 PM in the fourth-floor study hall of the Plymouth County Historical Museum, 335 1st Avenue SW in Le Mars. After introductions and a brief business meeting, featured speaker, Ray Scott from Darlington, Wisconsin will give a PowerPoint presentation titled “The Adventures of Finding a Family’s life through a Tombstone.”
Ray first spoke to the group in 2021 when he shared his findings on his Scott family history. In another presentation two years later, he detailed what he discovered about his family’s connection to the Shade family of Kingsley. His findings for both are tied to a family photo of a home built in Marcus by E.J. (Edward John) Edmonds in 1898 – the house still stands today. Recently, Scott found the limestone tombstone of E.J.’s father Henry Edmonds at the Central Community Museum in DeWitt, Iowa. Henry Edmonds, who died in 1860, is Ray’s second great grandfather.
During his program, Ray will display and discuss pictures, news clippings, and fascinating stories related to the Edmonds family saga, and how it affected the growth of western Iowa. It will include events and adventures he experienced in bringing this story to life. As well as his genealogy, his extensive research yielded surprising stories about notable folks who hailed from Northwest Iowa, including Le Mars.
Anyone delving into their own family history will appreciate and benefit from learning about Ray’s adventure stemming from a tombstone. The event is open to the public, and there is no charge for admission. Following the program, all in attendance can enjoy light refreshments.