As a fellow genealogist, I’m sure you have found and read lots of obituaries for your family. However, have you found one that details when and where a family lived as they moved often? While researching the descendants of Henry Evans and Mary Elizabeth Thompson, I found two such obituaries.

The first was the obituary of their son, Jacob. Not only did this obituary detail the movements of the family but it identified where the family was living in Kansas about the time Jacob’s sister was married.

• 1860 – near Ft. Scott, Kansas
• 1862 – Adams County, Iowa
• 1875 – York County, Nebraska
• 1878 – Furnas County, Nebraska
• about 1880 – Marshall County, Kansas
• 1881 – Custer County, Nebraska

The second was the obituary of their daughter, Lillie Evans Price. Not only does her obituary indicate when the family moved to Superior Wisconsin and when they returned to Nebraska, but it also narrowed down the time they spent in Marshall county, Kansas. This narrower time period might help uncover the marriage of Dora Evans to Silas Doan. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to locate a marriage record.

• 1867 – born in Carroll County, Iowa
• abt 1874 – York County, Nebraska
• 1880 – Married in Custer County, Nebraska
• 1883 – Marshall County, Kansas
• 1886 – parents moved to Custer County, Nebraska
• about 1885 – Lillie and family to Stillwater, Oklahoma (only here 1 year — thus timeline is off or a location is missing)
• 1894 returned to Custer County
• 1915 Superior, Wisconsin
• 1925 Custer County, Nebraska
• 1929 – husband died
• 1930 son, Jesse, died

Mrs. Lillis Price Answers Last Call

Lillie Bell Evans Price, youngest child of Henry and Mary Evans, was born on March 30, 1867 at Carroll, Carroll County, Iowa, and departed this temporal life seven miles south east of Callaway, Nebr. at the home of her son, Edward, on March 22, 1939 at the age of 71 years, 11 months, and 23 days.
When the departed was a child seven years of age, her parents moved to York county, Nebraska where they lived until the year 1883 when the family migrated to Marshall county, Kansas, where they lived for three years. In 1886 her parents came to Custer county and located on a homestead four miles west of Broken Bow, Nebr.
On August 15, 1880, the deceased was happily wedded to Mr. John Husten Price at Broken Bow, who preceeded here in death in the month of April 1929. To this genial and happy union were born five sons and three daughters of whom one son, Jess H. preceeded the mother in death on July 4, 1930 and one daughter, Mary, died in infancy.
After her marriage, she and her companion lived on a farm eight miles west of Broken Bow for five years, when she and her family went to Stillwater, Oklahoma where they lived for one years. In the year 1894, the family returned to Custer county and resided on a farm eight miles west and one mile south of Broken Bow until the year 1915. when they located at Superior, Wisconsin. There they lived until the year 1925, when they again returned to Custer county and settled on a farm near Lodi and which has been her home until her passing.
In the year 1923, the departed dedicated her life to the Lord and joined the Presbyterian Church at Dedham, Wisconsin on profession of faith. In this organization she was a willing and active worker and endeavored to live a consistent life. She was a good mother and one who made a real home for her children taking a very keen interest in their physical and spiritual development. She was loved and highly esteemed by all who knew her as a relative, friend, neighbor and citizen. During her prolonged illness, she bore her intense suffering with unusual and extraordinary patience and never mumured, but was ever resigned to her Lord.
She leaves to mourn her demise, four sons Edward H., Bryan R., both of Callaway, Charles E. and Ira W. both of Nyssa, Oregon; 30 grand children, two brothers, Jake and Edward Evans, both of Callaway, and many other relatives and a large host of friends.
Funeral services were conducted on Thursday, March 23, at the Callaway Evangelical Church at 2:00 p.m. in charge of Rev. H. R. Knosp.  mixed quartet composed of Mrs. Robert Wieland, Lucille Cool, Don WIeland and Glen Knosp, accompanied by Mrs. Frank Brakel at the piano sang, “Jesus Lover of my Soul,” “The Old Rugged Cross” and “When I take My Vacation in Heavne.” Walter Johnson, Chas Maier, Ernest Van Antwerp, Orville Naylor, Frank Neth and Earl Shoup acted as pall bearers. Interment was made in the Fairview Table cemetery.

“Mrs. Lillie Price Answers Last Call,” The Loup Valley Queen (Callaway, Nebraska), 30 March 1939, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 31 March 2023).