The Obituary Index and the People Behind It

Just the other day, a Boy Scout visited the Tennessee Room with a sheet of questions to ask, all centered around the usage of indexes for genealogical research.  It is sometimes easy to take resources for granted, but it is always important to consider not just the work done, but those behind it. One such index that was compiled by staff and volunteers of the Tennessee Room is an obituary index of The Jackson Sun, a project that began with the work of Jimmy Wilkins, a former Tennessee Room staff member.  

L-R: Jimmy Wilkins, former Tennessee Room Assistant; Evelyn Keele, Tennessee Room Head Librarian. Chester County Independent, June 14, 2018, p. 12-A.

Chester County Independent, June 14, 2018, p. 12-A

The obituary index is an ongoing project; even after Jimmy Wilkins retired, a number of Tennessee Room volunteers have continued the work he began and expanded the index beyond the original scope, 1936-1954.

Do you want access to the obituary index? Simply visit the main page of the website and, from the Departments tab, select Genealogy, then Obituary Index from the drop-down menu.
(note that, as an ongoing project, the work performed by volunteers may not be immediately accessible from the publicly available index on the library website. Dates prior to 1936 have been indexed by other sources)