I Hunt Dead People

11/29/2025

What is a family to do when their loved one may or may not have died? Mrs. Fries' family waited for days to bury her, because there was a question whether she was perhaps just in a trance.

Margaret Hohmann Fries The story of the questionable death of Margaret Fries could easily have been featured in an edition of Ripley's Believe It or Not! or have been a case study in yellow journalism. Yellow journalism, a style of newspaper reporting that emphasized sensationalism to attract reader...

11/04/2025

Wedding photos not only show fashion of the day but mark the beginning of a lifetime of joy and naturally some challenges.

Peek into Sherrill, Iowa weddings from 1869–1970 with historic photos capturing brides, grooms, and family traditions in Sherrill, Iowa Cemeteries, Volume II.

10/19/2025

https://ihuntdeadpeople.com/surprising-stories-from-ss-peter-and-paul-cemetery/

Life stories are hidden in the dash between a gravestone's birth and death dates. The soon-to-be-published Sherrill, Iowa Cemeteries, Volume II, tells the tales

10/11/2025

https://ihuntdeadpeople.com/rediscovering-the-lost-found-and-missing/

SS Peter and Paul Cemetery SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery is situated near the bluffs of the Mississippi River in Sherrill, IA. The 175-year-old parish is the centerpiece of the small farm community, steeped with traditions of Catholic immigrants from Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. My new book,....

10/10/2025

Sherrill, Iowa Cemeteries, Volume II, includes history, plot maps, over 500 family photos, gravestones, and sketches of those buried at the SS Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery. It is a genealogist and local historian’s guide to who’s who, family relationships, immigration, and veterans. The book identifies nearly 1100 individuals buried in the cemetery and 4400 people connected to them as parents, spouses, children, and siblings. Order your copy today.

Sherrill, Iowa Cemeteries, Volume II, includes history, plot maps, photos, gravestones, and sketches of those buried at SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery. It is a genealogist and local historian’s guide to who’s who, family relationships, immigration, and veterans. The book identifies over 1000 indivi...

09/25/2025

I Hunt Dead People has been quiet socially, but busy researching and writing the soon-to-be-published Sherrill, Iowa, Cemeteries, Volume II. This edition traces ancestors, descendants, and uncovers the stories of those interred at SS Peter and Paul Cemetery in Sherrill, IA.

We were "caught" by Google and now star in the August 2025 Google map for the cemetery.

Watch for new blog posts that preview some of the stories we found.

06/07/2025

Can anyone help me identify these people?

This stone is in SS Peter and Paul Cemetery, Sherrill, Iowa.

Georgia Barbara and Edward Robert

Are they siblings, parent/child, or spouses?

Who are their parents?

When were they born?

When did they die?

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

11/08/2024

Uncover the Secrets of Sherrill, Iowa's Past!

Get ready to dig into your family history! This comprehensive guide includes:

• History and plot maps of 5 cemeteries
• Photos and sketches of gravestones
• Details on nearly 900 individuals buried in Sherrill

Order now and discover who's who, family relationships, immigration stories, and veterans' histories!
https://www.lulu.com/shop/cynthia-selensky-foster/sherrill-iowa-cemeteries-volume-i/paperback/product-84rrwgg.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4

11/04/2024

Sherrill, Iowa Cemeteries, Volume I, includes history, plot maps, photos, gravestones, and sketches of those buried at the Sherrill United Methodist Church, Sherrill United Church of Christ, Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church, Sherrill Presbyterian Cemetery, and Independent Order of Odd Fellows cemeteries. It is a genealogist and local historian’s guide to who’s who, family relationships, immigration, and veterans. The book identifies nearly 900 individuals buried in the five cemeteries and 2500 people connected to them as parents, spouses, children, and siblings. Order your copy today.

Sherrill, Iowa Cemeteries, Volume I, includes history, plot maps, photos, gravestones, and sketches of those buried at the Sherrill United Methodist Church, Sherrill United Church of Christ, Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church, Sherrill Presbyterian Cemetery, and Independent Order of Odd Fellows cemeter...

06/29/2024

06/28/2024

It has been a while since I posted anything, but my I Hunt Dead People Gang has been very busy with various projects. The latest is to document the five protestant cemeteries in Sherrill, IA, my family's home for a decade. We photographed over 800 graves and have researched almost 2500 people associated with those buried in St. Matthew's, Sherrill UMC, Sherrill UCC, Sherrill IOOF, and Sherrill Presbyterian.

Not only did we photograph, but we GPS'd the graves, created plot maps, and will be publishing a book in the fall.

Along the way we took time to clean the graves of those we knew and some that were unreadable because they were covered in dirt and lichen.

10/09/2023

As a genealogist, must always include some research, check out what discoveries our latest adventure to Vermont uncovered.

It seems that I always wrap a Dead People Adventure into wherever we go. So, when our son-in-law, Jeremy suggested we drive to Vermont to visit his parents, I suggested a quest to find as take picture with as many of his grandparents as possible. Over the course of four days, Jeremy and our granddau...