Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
- We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
- On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.
By learning about Severs (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.
As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Severs. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.
Neighboring Counties ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived: their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Severs is located in Jasper County.
To see how the shape of Iowa's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Jasper County: Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Story & Tama.
Below are the counties that are near Severs. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Severs:
- Jasper County (The home county of Severs)
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Colfax
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Prairie City
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Metz
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Metz is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metz
- Goddard
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Goddard is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goddard
- Oswalt
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Oswalt is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oswalt
- Green Castle
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Green Castle is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Castle
- Lambs Grove
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Lambs Grove is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lambs Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 165 people
- Valeria
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Valeria is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valeria
- Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
- Ira
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Ira is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
- Mingo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Newton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Vandalia
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Vandalia is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandalia
- Monroe
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Mahaska County
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Peoria
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Peoria is located in Mahaska County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peoria
- Taintor
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Taintor is located in Mahaska County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taintor
- Leighton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Olivet
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Olivet is located in Mahaska County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olivet
- Marion County
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Percy ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Percy is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Percy
- Swan
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Swan is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swan
- Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
- Otley
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Cordova
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Cordova is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordova
- Pleasantville
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Howell ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Howell is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howell
- Pella
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Knoxville
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Harvey
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Harvey is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvey
- Population from the 2020 Census: 243 people
- Pershing
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Pershing is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pershing
- Melcher - Dallas
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Melcher - Dallas is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melcher - Dallas
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,236 people
- Attica
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Attica is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attica
- Marshall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Rhodes
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Rhodes is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rhodes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 298 people
- Melbourne
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Laurel
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Laurel is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel
- Population from the 2020 Census: 234 people
- State Center Junction
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Malta
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Malta is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malta
- Haverhill
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- State Center
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Ferguson
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Ferguson is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferguson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
- Luray
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Luray is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- LaMoille
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- LaMoille is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LaMoille
- Gilman
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Gilman is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 484 people
- Dunbar
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Dunbar is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbar
- Dillon
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Dillon is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillon
- Polk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Mitchellville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Santiago
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Santiago is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santiago
- Runnells
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Bondurant
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Adelphi
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Adelphi is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adelphi
- Altoona
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Rising Sun
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Rising Sun is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising Sun
- Pleasant Hill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Loring
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Loring is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loring
- Carlisle
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Levey
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Levey is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levey
- Berwick
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Berwick is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
- Country Estate Village
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Poweshiek County
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Grinnell
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Searsboro
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Searsboro is located in Poweshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Searsboro
- Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
- Story County
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Collins
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Collins is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collins
- Population from the 2020 Census: 472 people
- Maxwell
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Iowa Center
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Iowa Center is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa Center
- Cambridge
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Colo
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Huxley
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Shipley
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Shipley is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shipley
- Midvale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Midvale is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midvale
- Nevada
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Slater
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Fernald
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Fernald is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernald
- Warren County
- The following are listed by their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Hartford
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Palmyra
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Palmyra is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palmyra
- Sandyville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Sandyville is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandyville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
- Ackworth
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Ackworth is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ackworth
- Population from the 2020 Census: 105 people
- Clarkson ‑ Historic
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Clarkson is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkson
- Indianola
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Lakewood
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Lakewood is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
- Milo
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Spring Hill
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Spring Hill is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 65 people
- Orillia
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Orillia is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orillia
- Cumming
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Severs, see our County-by-County Page for Severs.
Cemeteries Near Severs ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Severs.
This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Severs - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Severs covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Kelley Family Burial Ground
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Rorabaugh Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Highland Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Slaughter Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Colfax Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colfax Cemetery
- The Colfax Cemetery has also been known as:
- Highland - Oak Hill Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2189044 <2>
- Westview Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Waveland Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Mound Prairie Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Sugar Grove Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Shipp Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- McKeever Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Prairie Belle Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (304 more) ...
- Fisher Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Greencastle Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Sacred Heart Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
Nearby Communities in 1895 ...
We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>
While we didn't find Severs in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Severs.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Severs, with the one closest to Severs listed first.
- Colfax
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Prairie City
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Metz
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Metz is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metz
- Oswalt
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Oswalt is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oswalt
- Green Castle
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Green Castle is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Castle
- Valeria
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Valeria is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valeria
- Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
- Mitchellville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Mingo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Coal Siding ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Coal Siding is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coal Siding
- Ira
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Ira is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
- Vandalia
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Vandalia is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandalia
- Newton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Santiago
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Santiago is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santiago
- Monroe
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Ivy
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Ivy is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivy
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Severs. See our List of 1890's Communities around Severs.
Newspapers Published in Severs ...
An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).
To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.
Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 103 newspapers that have been published in the area around Severs.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Severs, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Severs.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Severs:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Jasper County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Mahaska County
- Marion County
- Marshall County
- Polk County
- Poweshiek County
- Story County
- Warren County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Iowa
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
| <3> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Severs, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Severs) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |