Important notice: all e-mail addresses found herein will begin with an "X" to thwart spamers. Simply remove the "X" before sending to recipient, please.

Things to do, Places to go -

We have provided a number of the best sites, resources, and helpful items we could find for you. More will be added as we find them and have the time to post them. If you know of others, or can help by supplying files, typing services, or anything else to make this page more useful, please write.

Also, if you have or know of an event that the Genealogical community may be interested in, please write me.

The following are clickable links to other pages; some are at remote sites.

Commissioners Minutes re: formation of Okaloosa County

Local events
Special offer from Allen Co. Library, Ft. Wayne, IN

Vital Statistics & Other Resources

Queries, Surnames

History related items

Cemeteries and Obituaries

Libraries, Genealogy Societies, other groups

These are sources not to be missed! If you know a library has a certain book, family history, or other source, you may contact that library and request a lookup. Please, always offer to pay for copy fees and send a self addressed stamped envelope. After it is received, it would also be nice to send a thank you note along with a small donation, marked for use of the Genealogy or Special Collections Department.

Someone wrote the following to the Okaloosa mailing list:

"I talked yesterday to the NEW reference librarian at the Fort Walton Beach Library. Her name is Jennifer Kepple and she is super! She is willing to look up obits on the newspaper microfilms that the library has in its collection. These date back to about 1915, I think. As with any query or request, please be as specific as possible. There is no charge for this service, but I'm sure donations would be accepted, especially if there is some research involved.

The Fort Walton Library will also issue a special card for anyone who wants to access the Library's electronic database, HeritageQuest Online. You do not have to be a resident of the City of FWB to get one of these. This particular database can be accessed from home once you get the card; it has census images and more. This is a free service that the library provides to genealogists and family historians."

The Crestview Library card allows you to log into Heritage Quest from Home and many library cards will do the same. You should check with your local library. Also, if you live near a library that allows such access, and you can do so, sign up for that library's card. Often you need not be a city, county or state resident, just have decent ID. Thanks to the person above! You really should check out the Heritage Quest offerings.

Books and online Resources

New book on Crestview The book is entitled "Crestview the Forkland" and contains 642 pages with 609 pictures. Authors are: Betty Sanders Curenton and Claudia Garrett Patten. I have had a few minutes to read mine and it is wonderful!

Miscellaneous

Neighboring Counties

Remember Santa Rosa and Walton each contributed half of the area of Okaloosa in 1915.

Reunions, messages?

Since this is your page, please feel free to write and give us the dates of your reunions or send items you want other county researchers to know. If we get more, we will start a category and keep it going. Maybe we'll put it in calendar format. Mary Ellen

Bios are started! and Homepages section soon! Send them URLS!!!!

Here are the few we have - in no special order.

We are going to be implementing a listing of webpages that will be either posted here, or linked to the main Florida GenWeb page. So, send your URLs and if you have a query up, please check to see that the address is your current one and that you send a URL for that as well.

Okaloosa County Queries

Feel free to enter a query for your lines in Okaloosa County. Please, No surname-only queries! Also, the county ties must be listed in the query. If you change your address, Please notify us! If we can't reach you, we will have to remove your query. Check back often to see the other surnames that are being researched for this county. We are sorry, we cannot post queries on adopted children, find your ex-husband for you, or otherwise help you with living relatives. This forum is for genealogical purposes only. Please help us respect the privacy of others.

We have recently started using RootsWeb for the queries and other items. Click here to go to the page for entering your own information. You may specify that an entry is "Bible," "Will," or other. If you have any problems, please let us know. Thank you!

You may also view a surname index or use their search engine to search for surnames from the entire GenWeb Project database.

Okaloosa County Published Resources and Lookup Volunteers

Any resources that are copyrighted must be dealt with fairly, so please ask for only one or two names and don't expect the volunteer to copy the entire source. Also, please be as specific as possible. When you e-mail our volunteers, please be sure to have "Request" in you subject line. Also, it might be nice to offer to pay for copy an postage fees. Thank you.

We Need Volunteers!

Can you spare some time to go to the library, or to a reference book you have, to find an item for someone from out of the area? If you can offer your resources, talent, and time to help another "rooter", please consider volunteering! Also, if you can volunteer to type or look up resources for this page, please contact me. If you have a census you could type up, or wish to get involved with the GenWeb census project, please e-mail me. You can get a copy of a census in hard copy if you agree to type it for posting on the website. Please e-mail Mary Ellen Wexler with details. We will all appreciate your help! Remove the leading X from the address: Xme@wexonline.net

Lookup Volunteer for Soldiers who served in Florida Civil War units:
David Hartman, co-compiler of the six volume work, Biographical Rosters of Florida's Confederate and Union Soldiers, published by Broadfoot Publishing Company in 1995, is willing to share information on any soldier who served in a Florida Confederate or Union unit. David's records are primarily military. Please send correspondence to Xhartmad@hotmail.com Thanks, David!

Rebecca Burns Xrburns807@bellsouth.net   Has books from the area she will be glad to look in for you. "Okaloosa cemetery book, Walton Co. marriages, as well as Santa Rosa marriages." Thanks, Rebecca!


Janet L Cook Xmountains@cybertron.com Says, "I would be willing to volunteer to photograph headstones in Okaloosa County cemeteries, I live in South Okaloosa county so could do those anytime and would be able to occasionally go to the north county if they can give me good directions. Also can go to the Fort Walton or Mary Esther libraries for lookups." Thanks, Janet.

Amy Bryant Xamyb@gnt.net Would be glad to do lookups at the Fort Walton Beach Library. Thanks Amy.

I have in my possession a book on Destin, FL history & genealogy called "...And The Roots Run Deep" by Vivian Foster Mettee. It has a great deal of information on the early Destin families and I would be willing to do look-ups in it. Jeff W. Shirah Xjws3837@garnet.acns.fsu.edu Thanks Jeff.

Okaloosa Marriages (after 1915, but before 1940 - These are of public record and we don't mind looking them up for genealogical purposes. For other purposes, please call or write the county, they will gladly help. That information may be found under County Offices.) Please, provide an approximate date so that Flo doesn't have to spend too much time looking for your information. Flo indicated that if you can give her the year when the first child was born, or a good guess using birth year of one spouse and adding 20 years, she can probably find your information. There is an everyname index for each book - a groom index, then a reverse index (that's the way they put it) for the brides' names. However, the first book is for 1915-1925, the second book is for 1922-1931 and so on. Just asking for the decade you think is likely will be enough:1915-1925, 1930s, 1940s or something like that. Send your lookup request to: Flo Lembeck Xflembeck@aol.com  Thanks Flo! All other queries should be sent to the address supplied under "Queries."

Okaloosa Cemeteries for the whole County (From the 3 Vols compiled by the GSOC ) send your lookup request to: Arlene Chilton at: Xarlenemc03@hotmail.com  Thanks Arlene!
Does anyone else have this series and want to join us in doing lookups?

Also available for lookups is: The King, Laird and Related Families of Walton County, Florida. by Marla M. Dooley It has a surname index but does not index by first names within a surname. Requests should go to: Mary Jane Pattillo Xmarpat@et.mohave.cc.az.us Thanks Mary Jane!

Also available for lookups: Funeral Records. Requests should go to: Jean Grave Xgravell@bsc.net Thanks Jean!

Willing to do limited research at the Fort Walton Beach, FL public library. I ask that you be specific on your request. Send an e-mail request to Darrell Fransen Xdrfransen@aol.com Darrell is appreciated!

Links of Interest

Free Queries:

Go to http://www.siteone.com/clubs/mgs/newstand.htm, for a list of global newspapers that publish genealogy columns, their rules and contact info.

Another:
Opp News Genealogical Column
PO Box 870
Opp, AL 36467

Complete name and address required with announcement or query.

Walton County Discussion Group

Since both counties are so closely related, it may be useful to subscribe to the list. You can ask questions about the history of the area, learn what projects the group is getting together, and perhaps find lost relatives. If you would like to join the Walton Co discussion group, send a message to FLWALTON-L-request@rootsweb.com that contains the word 'subscribe' in the text and nothing else. If you prefer digest mode, send the command instead to FLWALTON-D-request@rootsweb.com. Be sure to turn off any automatic signature line. Enjoy! Comments? e-mail Mary Ellen Wexler (Remember to remove the leading X.)