RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Texas >> Bexar County >> Thelma >> 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 Thelma (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 Thelma. 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.

Thelma is located in Bexar County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Bexar County: Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina & Wilson.

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

  • Bexar County     (The home county of Thelma)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thelma, with the one closest to Thelma listed first.
    • Sandy Oaks
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Sandy Oaks is located in Bexar County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Oaks
    • Somerset
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Elmendorf
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Von Ormy
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Bexar
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Bexar is located in Bexar County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bexar
    • Boldtville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Boldtville is located in Bexar County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boldtville
    • Macdona
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • San Antonio
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Lackland City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Lackland City is located in Bexar County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lackland City
    • Atascosa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • China Grove
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • China Grove is located in Bexar County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for China Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,314 people
    • Westwood Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Westwood Village is located in Bexar County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood Village
  • Atascosa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thelma, with the one closest to Thelma listed first.
    • Espey
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Espey is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Espey
    • Leming
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Poteet
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Verdi
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Verdi is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdi
    • Rossville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Rossville is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rossville
    • Anchorage
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Anchorage is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anchorage
    • Amphion
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Amphion is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amphion
    • Pleasanton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Lytle
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Lytle is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lytle
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,061 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lytle <1>
    • Black Hill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Black Hill is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Hill
    • Iuka
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Iuka is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iuka
    • Coughran
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Coughran is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coughran
  • Comal County
    • Bracken
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Bracken is located in Comal County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bracken
  • Frio County
    • Bigfoot
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Guadalupe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thelma, with the one closest to Thelma listed first.
    • Zuehl
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Zuehl is located in Guadalupe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zuehl
    • Haeckerville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Haeckerville is located in Guadalupe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haeckerville
    • New Berlin
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • New Berlin is located in Guadalupe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Berlin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 626 people
  • Medina County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thelma, with the one closest to Thelma listed first.
    • LaCoste
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • LaCoste is located in Medina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LaCoste
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,263 people
      • LaCoste has also been known as:
      • La Coste
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for LaCoste <1>
    • Natalia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Pearson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Pearson is located in Medina County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearson
    • Castroville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Devine
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Rio Medina
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Wilson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Thelma, with the one closest to Thelma listed first.
    • Loire
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Loire is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loire
    • Graytown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Graytown is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graytown
    • Saspamco
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Saspamco is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saspamco
    • Fairview
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Fairview is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
    • Canada Verde
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Canada Verde is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canada Verde
    • Calaveras
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Calaveras is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calaveras
    • Kicaster
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Kicaster is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kicaster
    • Darilek
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Darilek is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Darilek
    • Loma Vista ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Loma Vista is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loma Vista
    • Floresville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Grass Pond Colony ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Grass Pond Colony is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grass Pond Colony
    • Carpenter
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Carpenter is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carpenter

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

Cemeteries Near Thelma ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Thelma.

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

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Thelma, with the one closest to Thelma 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.<4>

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

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

  • Earle
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Earle is located in Bexar County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earle
  • Bergs Mill
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Bergs Mill is located in Bexar County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bergs Mill
  • Withers
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Withers is located in Bexar County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Withers
  • Elmendorf
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Von Ormy
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Bexar
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Bexar is located in Bexar County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bexar
  • Poteet
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Verdi
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Verdi is located in Atascosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdi
  • Fairview
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Fairview is located in Wilson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
  • Rossville
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Rossville is located in Atascosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rossville
  • Macdona
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Calaveras
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Calaveras is located in Wilson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calaveras
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • San Antonio
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Atascosa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Anchorage
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Anchorage is located in Atascosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anchorage

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

Newspapers Published in Thelma ...

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 231 newspapers that have been published in the area around Thelma.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Thelma, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Thelma.

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 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 Thelma:

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