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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 Wendel (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 Wendel. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

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 south 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.

Wendel is located in Bureau County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Bureau County: Henry, La Salle, Lee, Marshall, Putnam, Stark & Whiteside.

Below are the counties that are near Wendel. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Wendel:

  • Bureau County     (The home county of Wendel)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.
    • La Moille
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Arlington
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Cherry
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Van Orin
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Zearing
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Zearing is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zearing
    • Ladd
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Ladd is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ladd
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,184 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ladd <1>
    • Greenoak
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Greenoak is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenoak
    • Dover
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Malden
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Dalzell
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Hollowayville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Hollowayville is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollowayville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
    • Seatonville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • DeKalb County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.
    • Shabbona Grove
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Shabbona Grove is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shabbona Grove
    • Shabbona
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Waterman
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Somonauk
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Franks
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Franks is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franks
  • La Salle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.
    • Mendota
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Troy Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Triumph
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Waltham
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Waltham is located in La Salle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waltham
    • Prairie Center
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Prairie Center is located in La Salle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Center
    • Peru
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Peru is located in La Salle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,612 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Peru <1>
    • La Salle
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Earlville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • North Utica
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • North Utica is located in La Salle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Utica
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,333 people
    • Utica
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Deer Park
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Deer Park is located in La Salle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Park
    • Oglesby
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Lee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.
    • Sublette
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • West Brooklyn
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Compton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • The Burg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • The Burg is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Burg
    • Inlet
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Inlet is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inlet
    • Lee Center
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Paw Paw
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Radley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Radley is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radley
    • Amboy
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • East Paw Paw
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • East Paw Paw is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Paw Paw
    • Eldena
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Franklin Grove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
  • Marshall County
    • Henry
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Henry is located in Marshall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henry
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,230 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henry <1>
  • Ogle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.
    • Flagg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Flagg is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flagg
    • Carthage
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Carthage is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carthage
    • Flagg Center
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Flagg Center is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flagg Center
    • Rochelle
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Chana
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Hillcrest
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Hillcrest is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,216 people
    • Creston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Woosung
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Putnam County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.
    • Granville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Mark
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Standard
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Hennepin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Mount Palatine
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Mount Palatine is located in Putnam County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Palatine
    • McNabb
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Putnam
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Magnolia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Whiteside County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.
    • Deer Grove
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Rock Falls
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Sterling
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Tampico
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Wendel, see our County-by-County Page for Wendel.

Cemeteries Near Wendel ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wendel.

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 Wendel - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Wendel covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.

  • Clarion Lutheran Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Hetzler Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • St. Pauls Evangelical Church Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Hill Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Erbes Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Greenfield Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Greenfield Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in La Moille.
    • The Greenfield Cemetery has also been known as:
    • LaMoille Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1019885 <2>
  • Calvery Catholic Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Arlington Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Lost Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Holy Cross Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Restland Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Union Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (239 more) ...
    • Lutheran Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Theiss Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Theiss Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)

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 Wendel in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Wendel.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Wendel, with the one closest to Wendel listed first.

  • La Moille
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Arlington
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mendota
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Van Orin
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Sublette
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Dimmick
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Dimmick is located in La Salle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dimmick
  • Troy Grove
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Meriden
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Meriden is located in La Salle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden
  • Greenoak
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Greenoak is located in Bureau County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenoak
  • Ladd
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Ladd is located in Bureau County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ladd
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,184 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ladd <1>
  • Triumph
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Dover
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Malden
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • West Brooklyn
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Hollowayville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Hollowayville is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollowayville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Wendel. See our List of 1890's Communities around Wendel.

Newspapers Published in Wendel ...

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 64 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wendel.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Wendel, 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 Wendel.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 Wendel:

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 Wendel, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Wendel) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.