Never Give Up! Never surrender!

Last week I was reminded again of the phrase “Never give up! Never surrender!” As genealogists, we sometimes have to use this mantra to keep us going. 

 

The week before I received a request to locate an obituary or burial information for a man who she believe died in Eugene, Oregon in 1968 or 1967, but lived most of his life in Medford, Oregon. I immediately checked for him in the Oregon Death Index and located his exact death as June 28, 1968 in Lane County.

  

Eugene is in Lane County! Ah ha! She was right!

 So as any logical genealogist would do, I checked the Eugene Registar Guard for an obituary. But as any logical genealogist would know, it isn’t always that easy.

No obituary.

Ok. Lane County is big. Let’s check other cities.

I proceeded to check other cities’ newspapers in Lane County. No luck.

Alright! Never give up! Never surrender!

I remember the patron saying that the gentleman was from Medford, Oregon.

Ok! Medford Mail Tribune here I come!

And voila! One day after he died I find a short obituary stating that the man had died in Eugene but his body was being returned to Medford. It also provided the funeral home name and his burial place.

Moral of the story: Never give up! Never surrender!

(…even if you think there won’t be anything there.)