McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 184, Crystal Lake, IL 60039-0184

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Index to the Death Notices 
Appearing in the Newspaper

The McHenry Plaindealer Newspaper  1875-1975

The first issue of the McHenry Plaindealer was published on Aug 4, 1875. Jay Van Slyke was the paper's owner, publisher and editor for twenty-four years. Prior to establishing his newspaper, The McHenry Plaindealer, Jay Van Slyke had been the editor and business manager for the Woodstock Sentinel, from 1870 to 1875. The Plaindealer's circulation covered the areas of McHenry, Johnsburg, Ringwood, Volo, Spring Grove, Solon Mills, and Terra Cotta. Jay Van Slyke sold the McHenry Plaindealer about 1898. He then went to Algonquin, McHenry Co., IL and started the Algonquin Citizen. The area was not large enough to support a newspaper, and shortly thereafter, Jay Van Slyke returned east. He passed away in Gouveneur, New York on September 23, 1906. The McHenry Plaindealer continued to thrive even after Jay Van Slyke sold it, under the following owners/publishers: James B. Perry, 1898-1906; Mr. & Mrs. Frank G. Schreiner, Nov 1, 1906-1921; Mr.& Mrs. Charles F. Renich, 1921-1947; Mr. & Mrs. Howard Mosher, 1947-1949; B. F. Shaw Printing Company, Sep 1, 1949-. On October 4, 1967, the McHenry Plaindealer published its first semi-weekly issue. The McHenry Plaindealer became a division of the Northwest Herald in [1975].

Microfilmed copies of the newspaper are available at the McHenry Public Library, 809 N. Front St. (Hwy 31), McHenry, IL 60050.

Copies of death notices/obituaries may also be obtained by writing to the Illinois State Historical Library, Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62701. There is a fee; please contact the library for more information.

Microfilm of the original newspaper may also be obtained on inter-libray loan from the Illinois State Historical Library, contact your local library for further information.

Click the following links to take you to the Plaindealer Death Indexes, which are being added as they become available :

                                                                 1875-1876

                                                                    1877

                                                                                     1878

                                                                    1879

                                                                    1880