RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Michigan >> Osceola County >> Sears >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Michigan

The Commemorative Quarter for Michigan





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 Sears (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 Sears. 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.

Sears is located in Osceola 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 Osceola County: Clare, Isabella, Lake, Mecosta, Missaukee, Newaygo & Wexford.

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

  • Osceola County     (The home county of Sears)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sears, with the one closest to Sears listed first.
    • Evart
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evart have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evart
      • Evart is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,886 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evart <2>
    • Avondale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avondale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avondale
      • Avondale is located in Osceola County
    • Hersey
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hersey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hersey
      • Hersey is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 347 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hersey <2>
    • Marion
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Dighton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dighton
      • Dighton is located in Osceola County
    • Le Roy
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Ashton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
      • Ashton is located in Osceola County
    • Reed City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Highland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland
      • Highland is located in Osceola County
    • Park Lake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Lake
      • Park Lake is located in Osceola County
    • Tustin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tustin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tustin
      • Tustin is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 216 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tustin <2>
  • Clare County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sears, with the one closest to Sears listed first.
    • Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake
      • Lake is located in Clare County
      • Former name for Lake:
      • Lake Station
    • Lake George
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake George
      • Lake George is located in Clare County
    • Farwell
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Hatton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hatton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatton
      • Hatton is located in Clare County
    • Harrison
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Allendale
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allendale
      • Allendale is located in Clare County
    • Clare
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Dover
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
      • Dover is located in Clare County
  • Isabella County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sears, with the one closest to Sears listed first.
    • Brinton
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brinton
      • Brinton is located in Isabella County
    • Sherman City ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherman City
      • Sherman City is located in Isabella County
    • Weidman
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weidman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weidman
      • Weidman is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weidman <2>
    • Lake Isabella
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Isabella
      • Lake Isabella is located in Isabella County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,688 people
      • Lake Isabella has also been known as:
      • Lake Isabella village
    • Beal City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beal City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beal City
      • Beal City is located in Isabella County
    • Vernon City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vernon City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon City
      • Vernon City is located in Isabella County
    • Rosebush
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Loomis
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loomis
      • Loomis is located in Isabella County
    • Blanchard
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blanchard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanchard
      • Blanchard is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blanchard <2>
    • Jordan
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jordan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordan
      • Jordan is located in Isabella County
    • Mount Pleasant
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Winn
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
      • Winn is located in Isabella County
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sears, with the one closest to Sears listed first.
    • Chase
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Bristol
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristol
      • Bristol is located in Lake County
    • Luther
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Nirvana
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nirvana
      • Nirvana is located in Lake County
    • Idlewild
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Idlewild
      • Idlewild is located in Lake County
  • Mecosta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sears, with the one closest to Sears listed first.
    • Barryton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barryton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barryton
      • Barryton is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 357 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Barryton <2>
    • Pogy
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pogy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pogy
      • Pogy is located in Mecosta County
    • Chippewa Lake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Rodney
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rodney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rodney
      • Rodney is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rodney <2>
    • Paris
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Mecosta
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mecosta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mecosta
      • Mecosta is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 459 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mecosta <2>
    • Remus
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Big Rapids
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Rapids have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Rapids
      • Big Rapids is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,408 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Big Rapids <2>
    • Canadian Lakes
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canadian Lakes
      • Canadian Lakes is located in Mecosta County
    • Halls Corner
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Corner
      • Halls Corner is located in Mecosta County
    • Millbrook
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millbrook
      • Millbrook is located in Mecosta County
    • Stanwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Missaukee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sears, with the one closest to Sears listed first.
    • McBain
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McBain have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBain
      • McBain is located in Missaukee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 667 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McBain <2>
    • Stoney Corner
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoney Corner
      • Stoney Corner is located in Missaukee County
      • Stoney Corner has also been known as:
      • Stoney Corners
    • Lucas
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lucas
      • Lucas is located in Missaukee County
    • Falmouth
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Falmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falmouth
      • Falmouth is located in Missaukee County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Falmouth <2>
    • Jennings
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jennings
      • Jennings is located in Missaukee County
    • Lake City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
      • Lake City is located in Missaukee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 837 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake City <2>
  • Newaygo County
    • Hawkins
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkins
      • Hawkins is located in Newaygo County
  • Wexford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sears, with the one closest to Sears listed first.
    • Benson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benson
      • Benson is located in Wexford County
    • Cadillac
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Haring
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haring
      • Haring is located in Wexford County
    • Missaukee Junction
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Missaukee Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missaukee Junction
      • Missaukee Junction is located in Wexford County

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

Newspapers Published in Sears ...

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 109 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sears.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sears, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sears.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Sears:

Cemeteries Near Sears ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sears.

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 Sears covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Orient Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Orient Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Orient Cemetery
  • Osceola County Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Osceola County Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osceola County Cemetery
  • Forest Hill Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Sylvan Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sylvan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sylvan Cemetery
  • Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
  • South Evart Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Evart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Evart Cemetery
  • German Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the German Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the German Cemetery
  • Proctor Family Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Proctor Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Proctor Family Cemetery
  • Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Church Cemetery
  • Cherry Valley Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cherry Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cherry Valley Cemetery
  • Garfield Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garfield Cemetery
  • Garfield Twp. Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (178 more) ...
    • Middle Branch Twp. Cemetery No. 2
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Middle Branch Twp. Cemetery No. 1
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Sparks Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sparks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sparks Cemetery

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Sears had a population of 98 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Evart
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evart have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evart
    • Evart is located in Osceola County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,886 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evart <2>
  • Avondale
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avondale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avondale
    • Avondale is located in Osceola County
  • Lake
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake
    • Lake is located in Clare County
    • Former name for Lake:
    • Lake Station
  • Chippewa Lake
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Brinton
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brinton
    • Brinton is located in Isabella County
  • Lake George
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake George
    • Lake George is located in Clare County
  • Temple
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Temple have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Temple
    • Temple is located in Clare County
  • Hersey
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hersey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hersey
    • Hersey is located in Osceola County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 347 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hersey <2>
  • Sherman City ‑ Historic
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherman City
    • Sherman City is located in Isabella County
  • Marion
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Dighton
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dighton
    • Dighton is located in Osceola County
  • Horr
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horr have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horr
    • Horr is located in Isabella County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Farwell
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Le Roy
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Ashton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ashton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
      • Ashton is located in Osceola County

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

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

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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Sears) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Sears. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.8984, Longitude: -85.1848       In this case, the coordinates for Sears have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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 Sears, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024