RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Missouri >> Newton County >> Stella >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Stella (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 Stella. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Stella is located in Newton County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Newton County: Cherokee (KS), Barry, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald & Ottawa (OK).

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

  • Newton County     (The home county of Stella)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Stella, with the one closest to Stella listed first.
    • Boulder City
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Boulder City is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder City
    • Stark City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Fairview
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Newtonia
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Granby
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Ritchey
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Ritchey is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ritchey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
    • Neosho
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Granby City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Granby City is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granby City
    • Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Park is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park
    • Wentworth
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Wentworth is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wentworth
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 145 people
    • Diamond
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Talmage City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Talmage City is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Talmage City
  • Barry County
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Stella, with the one closest to Stella listed first.
    • Motley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Parshley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Sarcoxie
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Fidelity
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Reeds
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Reeds is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reeds
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 99 people
    • Duenweg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Duquesne
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Duquesne is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duquesne
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,689 people
    • Rex City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Rex City is located in Jasper County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rex City
    • La Russell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • East Joplin
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Forest Mills
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Joplin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Lawrence County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Stella, with the one closest to Stella listed first.
    • Pierce City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Freistatt
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Freistatt is located in Lawrence County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freistatt
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
    • Verona
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Verona is located in Lawrence County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verona
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 606 people
    • Stotts City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Hoberg
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Hoberg is located in Lawrence County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hoberg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 57 people
    • Aurora
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • McDonald County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Stella, with the one closest to Stella listed first.
    • Rocky Comfort
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Powell
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Powell is located in McDonald County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell
    • Erie
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Wylie
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Goodman
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Anderson
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jane
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Pineville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Lanagan
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • May
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Ginger Blue
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Ginger Blue is located in McDonald County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ginger Blue
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Noel
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Noel is located in McDonald County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Noel
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,808 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Noel <1>
  • Benton County (AR)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Stella, with the one closest to Stella listed first.
    • Bella Vista
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Pea Ridge
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Gateway
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Brightwater
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Hiwasse
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Clantonville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Garfield
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Sulphur Springs
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Avoca
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Bentonville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Little Flock
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Little Flock is located in Benton County (AR)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Flock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,812 people
    • Gravette
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Carroll County (AR)
    • Beaver
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Beaver is located in Carroll County (AR)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Beaver <1>
  • Delaware County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Stella, with the one closest to Stella listed first.
    • Dodge
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Dodge is located in Delaware County (OK)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dodge
    • Cayuga
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Ottawa County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Stella, with the one closest to Stella listed first.
    • Kellyville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Peoria
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Peoria is located in Ottawa County (OK)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peoria
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
    • Wyandotte
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Stella ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Stella.

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

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

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

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Stella had a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Stella had a population of 153 people.

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

  • Wanda
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Wanda is located in Newton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wanda
  • Bethpage
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Bethpage is located in McDonald County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethpage
  • Rocky Comfort
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Christopher
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Christopher is located in Newton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christopher
  • Grangeville ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Grangeville is located in Newton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grangeville
  • Newtonia
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Erie
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Powell
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Powell is located in McDonald County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powell
  • Pioneer
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Cyclone
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Cyclone is located in McDonald County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cyclone
  • Granby
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Corsicana
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Corsicana is located in Barry County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corsicana
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • McElhany
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • McElhany is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McElhany
    • Berwick
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Berwick is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
    • Ritchey
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Ritchey is located in Newton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ritchey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Stella ...

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 84 newspapers that have been published in the area around Stella.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Stella. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Stella and those printed in the larger area surrounding Stella.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4> of Stella.

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 helpful 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 Stella:

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 Stella, 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Stella) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.