Genealogical society publishes Highland Cemetery book

The Larimer County Genealogical Society recently released the book "Cemeteries of Larimer County, Colorado, Volume VI: Highland Cemetery, Wellington and Other Small Cemeteries." The book is designed for use by family historians and genealogical organizations worldwide.

Volume VI contains burial records for Highland Cemetery, which is located about 1 mile north of the Wellington exit on the east side frontage road of Interstate 25. It is supported and maintained by the nonprofit Highland Cemetery Foundation.

Barbara Graham, a Wellington native and genealogical society member, made the original contacts with the cemetery for the book project. Arlene Ahlbrandt, local author, supplied historical detail about Wellington. Mary Joy Hauk, project coordinator, along with Sonja Mehaffey and Evelyn Haynes, society members, researched the project, which involved the use of original cemetery records and verifying the cemetery plots.

In addition to the Highland Cemetery, Volume VI contains listings of other small cemeteries in the county. Previously, the society published volumes containing the larger cemeteries, such as Grandview in Fort Collins and Lakeside in Loveland. No comprehensive listing had ever been made of burials in small or family plots throughout the county.

The Volume VI cemetery listings also benefited from the efforts of Duane and Susan Kniebes, local volunteers, who are involved in a project begun by the Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies and the U.S. Geologic Survey through their Geographic Names Information System.

The project began several years ago as a cemetery location project in which CCGS volunteers visited Colorado cemeteries, took GPS satellite readings and confirmed cemetery names. Due to budget constraints, the project became a volunteer effort. Eleven counties in Colorado have been completed, and about 20 other counties are being processed. The Kniebes have discovered about 160 burial sites in Larimer County, some with only one grave, and more are believed to exist. Many of these graves are in inaccessible areas, requiring long hikes and horseback rides.

The Larimer County Genealogical Society is selling the publication for $10.

Another recent project of the society is the publication "Larimer County, Colorado, Divorce Application Index 1875 to 1950." The divorce application index is a compilation of Larimer County District Court Records. It is a record of divorces filed, but not necessarily finalized. Researchers can review the case numbers listed in the index, and if divorces are finalized, can request copies of divorce files from the Clerk of the District Court in Fort Collins.

The divorce application project required volunteer researchers to search handwritten court ledgers containing not just divorces, but all court cases. After the records were abstracted, they were digitized and alphabetized for easy access.

Complementing that publication is "Larimer County, Colorado, Marriage Index, Volume II 1910-1950." The marriage index is a continuation of previous work done by the society. Volume I contains marriages prior to 1910. Volume II makes it possible for researchers to check for marriages in Larimer County through 1950 before requesting searches by the county recorder's office. This saves the researcher and the county time and money. If a marriage listing is found in the volume, copies of the certificate of marriage can be ordered from Larimer County Public Records.

The marriage index required transcription of handwritten ledgers, which were often difficult to read.

The Larimer County Genealogical Society engages in projects that benefit genealogists, historians and the community. Monthly meetings are open to the public. Speakers present lectures on various genealogy subjects. The next meeting is set for Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m., at the Fort Collins Main Public Library. The topic is "Church Denomination Archives" to be presented by Valerie Eichler Lair.

For information on the publications and society activities visit www.jymis.com/~lcgs.