The Beauty of Online Indexes

Although I knew when Margaret (Kelly) Jones died, I still knew very little about her. I needed to figure out what sources would replace the documents that were destroyed in 1906.

By chance, I learned that the Call Monitor, an early San Francisco newspaper, was in the process of being indexed. I couldn't find any mention of Margaret's death, so I decided to see if there was a marriage entry. I found a Thomas Jones and Margaret Kelly who married in 1869. It had to be them.

I wrote the person who created the index to see the original. I learned the date of marriage and that they were married in San Francisco. That was about it! At least I could confirm their existence in San Francisco as early as 1869!