March 11, 2025
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Bureau County Genealogical Society to present cemetery GPS project

Cori Cunningham to talk about work on Valdez City Cemtery

By Derek Barichello
Rotary Club of Princeton recently collaborated with Midland States Bank and Bureau County United Way to provide a $2,500 donation to benefit the Bureau County Food Pantry. (From left) Nick Liebe of Midland States Bank, Joe Kitchens of Midland Wealth Management and Rotarian, Cori Cunningham of Bureau County United Way executive director, Vanessa Hoffeditz of Bureau County Food Pantry director and Eric May of Princeton Rotary Club president.

Cori Cunningham’s work on the Valdez City Cemetery began as a data entry project, converting paper records to a digital format. She will explain the use of a metal detector to find pins and using GPS to locate the exact position of each grave plot. (Photo provided by Tracy Wright)

The Bureau County Genealogical Society March program will be on the use of GPS in cemeteries and cemetery records.

After growing up in Sheffield, Cori Cunningham attended Eastern Illinois University, taught in Paris, Illinois, and then moved to Valdez, Alaska, where she taught school.

Cunningham’s work on the Valdez City Cemetery began as a data entry project, converting paper records to a digital format. She will explain the use of a metal detector to find pins and using GPS to locate the exact position of each grave plot. The original data entry project lasted three summers plotting gravesites. Cunningham moved back to Illinois in 2020, settled in Princeton and works at the Princeton Public Library.

Cunningham’s program will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at 629 S. Main St., Princeton. BCGS will host its annual meeting immediately prior and everyone is welcome to attend. If you have any question, contact BCGS at 815-879-3133. The BCGS is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and the first Saturday of each month.

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