If the papers were microfilmed many years ago, I found they were occasionally filmed out of order; therefore, scanning the film for a few months in each direction is advisable. (Also note that on occasion the incorrect dates are listed on newspapers—typographical error.)

Second, in newspapers of early years look in the "gossip" portion of the paper. There were very few obituaries and/or death notices. This information was more commonly reported as a news tidbit. These were often no more than a single sentence or two listed along with many such items. Remember to check the issues several weeks preceding and following the date you have interest. Check earlier issues because illness, and accidents, etc. were regularly included. Check later issues because this information may not have reached the paper in a timely fashion.

Third, check ten, twenty, twenty-five, thirty, forty, and fifty years after the event. Many newspapers ran columns that reprinted items from earlier issues. This is particularly meaningful if some issues are missing from the microfilm or are unreadable.

Fourth, try to learn which township, suburb, or section of the community where your ancestor lived. Often the papers had columns devoted to those areas and the news as reported by a local resident. However, as I learned many of these areas overlap and information can be found in more than the one specific correspondent's report. So, learn the name of the area and which areas are immediately adjacent so that you can scan those columns as well.

Fifth, look at the late May/early June issues of newspapers for a listing of the graduation classes, which often included photos. Another good time to scan newspapers is right before and after holiday seasons. Often it is reported which relatives came for visits and when they left.

Sixth, deaths of past residents and relatives of current residents living elsewhere were often reported. So, if you had an ancestor that moved, check the newspapers from his previous location. And check the papers before and after the event.

One caveat—do not be concerned how names were spelled (or rather misspelled) in newspapers. In a single article you can find the surname was spelled in three different ways. Also be creative in your thinking as to how your surname can be interpreted. Articles sent by various correspondents were often handwritten, thus were subject to the interpretation by the typesetter. Additionally, I wonder how many correspondents actually knew how to spell his neighbor's name correctly or how many had legible handwriting.