[ View Thread ] [ Post Response ] [ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ]

Re: PROBATE RECORDS

ALL RESIDENTS OF WAPELLO COUNTY, PAST AND PRESENT

Posted By: Linda Shogren (email)
Date: 10/9/2004 at 11:18:58

In Response To: Re: PROBATE RECORDS (Mary)

On 10/6 I got the following information via e-mail from Vicky. Since I still do not see it posted it (Why?...it LOOKS like it went to the list!) it seems appropriate to attach the gist of her message to this thread. It is SUCH a relief to discover (as I had hoped) that this whole thing was a result of misunderstanding and lack of communication! -- Linda :)

Vicky's Message:

"This very day I contacted Gloria Larive, the Clerk of the Court at the Wapello County Courthouse regarding the issue about the probate records. She said that the Wapello County Genealogical Society received a grant from the LDS Church and from the State of Iowa that allowed for the ability to prepare the old probate files/records from earliest to 1926, to be microfilmed. The Society began this process by preparing the records putting them into proper form (order), put them into folders and let them sit for six months while they were straightened out.
[I take this to mean that there would be index cards made for the cases for indexing the records. I say this because in June 2003 I was told by a volunteer at the Society that they were going to be doing this for their files in the Society. Over the years many of the records were misfiled and it took the six or so months for the Society volunteers to carefully work with these records to place them in their correct files as well as prepare them for filming.]
Gloria Lerive further stated to me on the telephone, that these probate records are the property of the Court and will remain the property of the Court. The contractor films the records that have been prepared by the hardworking Society volunteers, in a locked room in the jailhouse. The records are safe and still under the control of the Court. The filming is half way through the process. There are tapes (films) already being reviewed by the Society for clarity of the images. The courthouse purchased duplicate tapes/films however, the Court does not have the microfilm equipment to view the images: the Society does. The filming is still in progress and will be for a while longer. Ms. Lerive did not have a guesstimate when the imaging/filming will be completed and she apologized for that.
She stated that if records are reproduced, then the court is [only] required to keep [the reproduced] original records for 40 years. This whole preparation and filming project began two years ago. It was covered in the local media/news so for Wapello County residents (at least) this was a publicized activity. Again, let me stress that according to the Wapello County Clerk of the Court, the Court is in charge of these probate records now and always have been and the Court will remain so upon completion of the filming. The Wapello County Genealogical Society will have access to their own copy of the microfilm, and the Court has their own copy of the microfilm.
Gloria Larive was very concerned upon learning from me about the confusion and concerns expressed in the dialog on the Wapello County mailing list. She said that mine was the one and only telephone call she had received on this subject or that she has heard as being received by any other court personnel. She was most appreciative to be told about the level of frustration and misinformation we have all been expressing and she wishes for all of us to be reassured that she, the Court, and the County have a deep respect for and consider it a serious responsibility to preserve our old records and our history. She hopes that I am able to relay to everyone that the probate records are, always have been, and will remain in the charge/control and custody of the court.
......I advised Gloria that I was going to be sending a letter to the officers of the Wapello County Genealogical Society to apprise them of the mailing list concerns. I am sending to the officers' printouts of some of the posted messages and I will recommend that they take proactive measures to keep at least their members informed of such important projects. Providing consistent updates in their periodic newsletters is better than nothing. Then those of us who receive the newsletter can try to share at least that much with others such as this mailing list. I would encourage all of you who have taken the time to post to the list, to also send a friendly letter requesting the Society to post high-media interest activities of the Society to their website. I doubt that my one letter alone will have any clout whatsoever.
.......... I hope that we on this list are all a little more enlightened and reassured with the information Gloria Larive provided. Thank you Gloria Larive.
Vicky"

Messages In This Thread


 

Wapello Queries maintained by Deborah Lynne Barker.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen

 

Post Response
Your Name:
E-Mail Address:
Subject:
Surnames:
Your Query

If you'd like to include a link to another page with your message,
please provide both the URL address and the title of the page:

Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:

If you'd like e-mail notification of responses, please check this box:

Verification Test: Please type the two letters
before submission   (helps stop automated spam):  

 

 

[ View Thread ] [ Post Response ] [ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ]