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Leona S. Smith
East Peoria, Illinois
6 November 1991
In compiling this genealogy, much time was spent in libraries, courthouses, cemeteries, relative’s homes, archives, and at family reunions.
It all began in 1977 while I was going through my mother’s, Emma Adella Trook Heckathorne Hunt, personal possessions and found genealogical material she had gathered by mail from several interested relatives. And so, my quest began and now after much time and effort this book has evolved.
I want to thank all who have helped by sending information about themselves and their families. When I have been unable to contact people, the information has been obtained from birth, marriage, and death certificates, if possible, also from census records, obituaries, family Bibles, wills, deeds, and any printed material available.
A big thank you to my sister-in-law, Elnore Heckathorne, who edited all the material that has been written, a large task to undertake when she has a job and family to fill her time.
Also, to my son, Stephen J. Smith, who photographed the many family pictures that are included in this book. He also helped me in my efforts to master my computer and to retrieve information that I managed to mislay in the computer.
Many thanks to my brother, Lenn Hunt, who gave me much advice, right justified all the material, and alphabetized the index.
I greatly appreciate all the books previously written by the many others who were interested enough in their families to compile works, published and unpublished, that helped in my research and all the organizations who help with collecting and preserving records for public use in compiling their own histories.
Ancestor hunting has been like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle, starting with me as the first piece and adding piece after piece to try to complete the puzzle. But this puzzle will never be completed as genealogy is constantly changing and I am hoping people will continue to send information to me [Note: Leona is now deceased] which will be kept in files until enough is collected for another book (to be completed by myself or someone who shares an interest).
Hopefully the past puzzle will be completed someday but a new puzzle will continue in the next generations and I hope this work will help someone in the future in searching for their roots.
[Note: You may download a pdf copy of the index here.]
