Conn-Schmidt and Stout Funeral Home Records

1929-1953

The records contained in this online index are from the Conn-Schmidt and Stout Funeral homes dating from 2 Mar 1929 through 31 Dec 1953. Though the full index goes through 31 Mar 1974, we’re following the lead of the Illinois State Death Index and posting only records 50 years or older. However, any researcher wishing us to check the later index entries for a specific name can email the request to ElginGS@aol.com. There is no charge for checking the index.

To obtain the full record (not obituaries), send a check for $5.00 along with a SASE to Elgin Genealogical Society, PO Box 1418, Elgin, IL  60121-1418.

Funeral Home Records from:
Volumes A-B = Marsh and Conn Funeral Home
Volume C = Marsh and Conn, Conn and Gustafson
Volume D-E = Conn and Schmidt, Schmidt
Volumes 1-15 = Stout
Volume 12 is missing.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

About the Index:

The early volumes, especially A-C, were often difficult to read. We made every effort to decipher the proper spelling for the entries but be sure to look at variants within the records.

The DOD field comes from the Date of Death entry in the volumes. If no such entry was made, the Date of Entry was used.

Where possible we included the maiden name for married women. The maiden name wasn’t always available however.

In most cases, the full record contains much more information of interest to the family historian, often providing leads to further research.

Obtaining these Records:

Our thanks to Richard Bennett who obtained these volumes for the Elgin Area Historical Society. Following is an account of how it happened.

On one of my many walks to the center city of Elgin from the Sherman Hospital area, I stopped to see my friend Yearry Madison of the Madison Funeral Home. Yearry told me that he had some furniture from the [Stout] funeral home sale. As he showed me the furniture in the basement of the Madison Funeral Home at 305 Park St., Elgin, I noticed some old books, ledger books they appeared to be.  I told him that I am a charter member of the Elgin Area Historical Society and asked him what he was going to do with these old books. He replied that he was going to throw them away. So I asked if we could have them for the Historical Society and he said, “yes.” So I [went home to get my van], loaded it with the books and the furniture I’d purchased and drove the short distance to the EAHS museum. Liz Marston (museum curator) was so pleased to receive them and sent me right back to the funeral home to give Yearry a thank you note.

I asked Yearry if there were any other old funeral home books available. He replied in the affirmative and said he would call me when he was ready to dispose of them. It was only a month later that I was able to bring the rest of the books to the Historical Society.

This all took place in July of 2003.