In 2017, I initiated the preservation and restoration project of the historic 1847 Fort Hill Cemetery located in Avon Township, Lake County, IL near the community of Round Lake.

For information about the cemetery and the history of the Fort Hill Settlement view my website: https://www.forthillcemetery.org/

My interest in genealogy began in the early 1970s gathering information of the Paddock and Tekampe families. Both families, ancestors of my parents, settled in Lake County, IL in the early 1850's.

Through my research I discovered my 3rd GG parents, Jonathan Barret Harvey and his wife, Wealthy (Buell) Harvey, settled in Warren Township, Lake County, IL in 1843 and built a home. After the death of Jonathan, Wealthy married Erastus Rudd. She then became known as "Mother Rudd".

I organized the Mother Rudd Foundation in 1988 to restore the building upon learning the Village of Gurnee may tear down the house. The building today is known as "Mother Rudd House" and home to the Warren Township Historical Society.

In addition, I learned another ancestor of my family was Jacob Schmitt, and one of the founders of Johnsburg in McHenry County in 1851, located near the Lake County border in 1841.

The 180 years of my ancestor's in this section of Illinois has inspired me to keep researching for new discoveries.

In 2017, I initiated the preservation and restoration project of the historic 1847 Fort Hill Cemetery located in Avon Township, Lake County, IL near the community of Round Lake.

For information about the cemetery and the history of the Fort Hill Settlement view my website: https://www.forthillcemetery.org/

My interest in genealogy began in the early 1970s gathering information of the Paddock and Tekampe families. Both families, ancestors of my parents, settled in Lake County, IL in the early 1850's.

Through my research I discovered my 3rd GG parents, Jonathan Barret Harvey and his wife, Wealthy (Buell) Harvey, settled in Warren Township, Lake County, IL in 1843 and built a home. After the death of Jonathan, Wealthy married Erastus Rudd. She then became known as "Mother Rudd".

I organized the Mother Rudd Foundation in 1988 to restore the building upon learning the Village of Gurnee may tear down the house. The building today is known as "Mother Rudd House" and home to the Warren Township Historical Society.

In addition, I learned another ancestor of my family was Jacob Schmitt, and one of the founders of Johnsburg in McHenry County in 1851, located near the Lake County border in 1841.

The 180 years of my ancestor's in this section of Illinois has inspired me to keep researching for new discoveries.