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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 Iona (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 Iona. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Iona is located in Lyman County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Lyman County: Brule, Buffalo, Gregory, Hughes, Hyde, Jones, Mellette, Stanley & Tripp.

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

  • Lyman County     (The home county of Iona)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Iona, with the one closest to Iona listed first.
    • Oacoma
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oacoma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oacoma
      • Oacoma is located in Lyman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oacoma <2>
    • East Lyman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Lyman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Lyman
      • East Lyman is located in Lyman County
      • Estimated population in 2019: 145 people
    • Reliance
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reliance have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reliance
      • Reliance is located in Lyman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 210 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Reliance <2>
    • Lyman
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyman
      • Lyman is located in Lyman County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 43 people
  • Brule County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Iona, with the one closest to Iona listed first.
    • Ola
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ola
      • Ola is located in Brule County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 108 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ola
      • From Iona to Ola
    • Bijou Hills
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bijou Hills. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bijou Hills
      • Bijou Hills is located in Brule County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bijou Hills
      • From Iona to Bijou Hills
    • Eagle
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle
      • Eagle is located in Brule County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 17 people
    • Chamberlain
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chamberlain have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamberlain
      • Chamberlain is located in Brule County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,348 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chamberlain <2>
    • Pukwana
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pukwana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pukwana
      • Pukwana is located in Brule County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pukwana <2>
    • Kimball
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Buffalo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Iona, with the one closest to Iona listed first.
    • Crow Creek
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Crow Creek. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crow Creek
      • Crow Creek is located in Buffalo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Crow Creek
      • From Iona to Crow Creek
    • Shelby
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shelby have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelby
      • Shelby is located in Buffalo County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 96 people
  • Charles Mix County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Iona, with the one closest to Iona listed first.
    • Platte Colony
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Platte Colony have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Platte Colony
      • Platte Colony is located in Charles Mix County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 51 people
    • Academy
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • Gregory County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Iona, with the one closest to Iona listed first.
    • Dixon
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dixon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dixon
      • Dixon is located in Gregory County
      • Estimated population in 2014: 118 people
    • Dallas
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dallas have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dallas
      • Dallas is located in Gregory County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 126 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dallas <2>
    • Gregory
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gregory have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gregory
      • Gregory is located in Gregory County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,250 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gregory <2>
    • Burke
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burke have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burke
      • Burke is located in Gregory County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 588 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burke <2>
  • Tripp County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Iona, with the one closest to Iona listed first.
    • Hamill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamill
      • Hamill is located in Tripp County
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 11 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hamill <2>
    • Colome
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colome have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colome
      • Colome is located in Tripp County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 278 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colome <2>
    • Winner
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winner have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winner
      • Winner is located in Tripp County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,787 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winner <2>
    • Ideal
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Iona ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Iona.

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

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

  • Iona Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Iona Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Iona Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Our Savior Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Our Savior Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Our Savior Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Grandview Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grandview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grandview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dixon Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dixon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dixon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Swedish Lutheran Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • German Lutheran Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the German Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the German Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bijou Hills Union Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • St. Vencels Bohemian National Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • LaRoche Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the LaRoche Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the LaRoche Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lutheran Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • National Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Riverview Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (37 more) ...
    • Eagle Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eagle Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eagle Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Oacoma Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oacoma Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oacoma Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Lucas Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lucas Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lucas 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.<6>

While we didn't find Iona in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Iona.

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

  • Ola
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ola
    • Ola is located in Brule County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 108 people
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Ola
    • From Iona to Ola
  • Bijou Hills
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bijou Hills. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bijou Hills
    • Bijou Hills is located in Brule County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Bijou Hills
    • From Iona to Bijou Hills
  • Eagle
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle
    • Eagle is located in Brule County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 17 people
  • Oacoma
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oacoma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oacoma
    • Oacoma is located in Lyman County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oacoma <2>
  • Chamberlain
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chamberlain have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamberlain
    • Chamberlain is located in Brule County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,348 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chamberlain <2>
  • Pukwana
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pukwana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pukwana
    • Pukwana is located in Brule County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pukwana <2>
  • Kimball
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Lyman
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lyman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyman
    • Lyman is located in Lyman County
    • Estimated population in 2014: 43 people

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

Newspapers Published in Iona ...

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 51 newspapers that have been published in the area around Iona.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Iona, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Iona.

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 Iona:

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

The official website for State of South Dakota: https://www.sd.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>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>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- Iona) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Iona. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.5432, Longitude: -99.4250    
<6>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 Iona, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025