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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 Almena (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 Almena. 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 doctors 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.

Almena is located in Van Buren County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Van Buren County: Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo & Saint Joseph.

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

  • Van Buren County     (The home county of Almena)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Almena, with the one closest to Almena listed first.
    • Mattawan
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mattawan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattawan
      • Mattawan is located in Van Buren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,973 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mattawan <2>
    • North Lake
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Lake
      • North Lake is located in Van Buren County
    • Paw Paw
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Kendall
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Lawton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawton
      • Lawton is located in Van Buren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,796 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lawton <2>
    • Gobles
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Glendale
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Lawrence
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Breedsville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Decatur
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Decatur have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decatur
      • Decatur is located in Van Buren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,716 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Decatur <2>
    • Bloomingdale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Bangor
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Allegan County
  • Barry County
  • Berrien County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Almena, with the one closest to Almena listed first.
    • Watervliet
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Paw Paw Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Coloma
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Naomi
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Naomi. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naomi
      • Naomi is located in Berrien County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Naomi
      • From Almena to Naomi
    • Lake Michigan Beach
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Michigan Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Michigan Beach
      • Lake Michigan Beach is located in Berrien County
    • Riverside
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Riverside. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
      • Riverside is located in Berrien County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Riverside
      • From Almena to Riverside
    • Twelve Corners
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Hartman
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hartman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartman
      • Hartman is located in Berrien County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hartman
      • From Almena to Hartman
    • Shanghai Corners
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Calhoun County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Almena, with the one closest to Almena listed first.
    • Fort Custer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fort Custer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Custer
      • Fort Custer is located in Calhoun County
      • Former name for Fort Custer:
      • Camp Custer
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fort Custer
      • From Almena to Fort Custer
    • West Leroy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for West Leroy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Leroy
      • West Leroy is located in Calhoun County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to West Leroy
      • From Almena to West Leroy
    • Level Park
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Oak Park
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Oak Park. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Park
      • Oak Park is located in Calhoun County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Oak Park
      • From Almena to Oak Park
    • Sonoma
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sonoma. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sonoma
      • Sonoma is located in Calhoun County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sonoma
      • From Almena to Sonoma
    • Springfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Springfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springfield
      • Springfield is located in Calhoun County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,184 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Springfield <2>
  • Cass County
  • Kalamazoo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Almena, with the one closest to Almena listed first.
    • Oshtemo
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Alamo
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Westwood
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood
      • Westwood is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Kalamazoo
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Portage
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Milwood
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Parchment
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parchment have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parchment
      • Parchment is located in Kalamazoo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,825 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Parchment <2>
    • Eastwood
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eastwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastwood
      • Eastwood is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Schoolcraft
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • East Cooper
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Cooper. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Cooper
      • East Cooper is located in Kalamazoo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to East Cooper
      • From Almena to East Cooper
    • Comstock
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Comstock have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comstock
      • Comstock is located in Kalamazoo County
    • Pavillion Center
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • Saint Joseph County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Almena, with the one closest to Almena listed first.
    • Chamberlain
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Parkville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Three Rivers
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Three Rivers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Three Rivers
      • Three Rivers is located in Saint Joseph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,600 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Three Rivers <2>
    • Fabius
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Mendon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mendon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mendon
      • Mendon is located in Saint Joseph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 848 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mendon <2>
    • Centreville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Leonidas
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Wasepi
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Constantine
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Constantine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Constantine
      • Constantine is located in Saint Joseph County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,107 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Constantine <2>
    • Factoryville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Factoryville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Factoryville
      • Factoryville is located in Saint Joseph County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Factoryville
      • From Almena to Factoryville
    • Nottawa
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Almena ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Almena.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Almena Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Almena Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Almena Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Maple Grove Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bangs Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bangs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bangs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Harwick Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Harwick Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Harwick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • West Oshtemo Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Oshtemo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Oshtemo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clapp Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Clapp Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Clapp Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pioneer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pioneer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pine Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Marys Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Marys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hill Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Austin Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Austin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Austin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Prospect Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prospect Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prospect Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (295 more) ...
    • Oak Grove Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Virgo Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Virgo Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Virgo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Pretty Lake Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pretty Lake Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pretty Lake Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Almena had a population of 50 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Mattawan
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mattawan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattawan
    • Mattawan is located in Van Buren County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,973 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mattawan <2>
  • Paw Paw
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Lawton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lawton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawton
    • Lawton is located in Van Buren County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,796 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lawton <2>
  • Pine Grove
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pine Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
    • Pine Grove is located in Van Buren County
  • Kendall
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Gobles
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Oshtemo
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Glendale
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Alamo
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Lawrence
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Portage
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Kalamazoo
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Berlamont
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berlamont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berlamont
      • Berlamont is located in Van Buren County
    • Decatur
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Decatur have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decatur
      • Decatur is located in Van Buren County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,716 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Decatur <2>
    • Cooper
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cooper have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooper
      • Cooper is located in Kalamazoo County

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

Newspapers Published in Almena ...

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 220 newspapers that have been published in the area around Almena.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Almena, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Almena.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Almena:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Almena. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Van Buren County: www.vbco.org/

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>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 Almena, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Almena) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Almena. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.2647, Longitude: -85.8253       In this case, the coordinates for Almena have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025