THE BRICK WALL
PROTOCOLGENEALOGY · BEYOND THE SEARCH BOX
BRICK WALL PROTOCOL / FREE GUIDES

Sullivan County:
Funeral-home indexes, a coroner’s record and courthouse microfilm.

Start with a specific death or estate question, then follow the library’s index to the fuller record.

Not sure where to begin? Build a free three-step research plan → Choose your question, period and records already checked.

Explore records coverage by year ↓

Community history groups and access notes · Additional collection references

Sources checked October 25, 2026. Based on public institutional descriptions and collection catalogs; no staff confirmation or onsite inspection. Confirm access before visiting.

Start with one connection.

Bring a person, a place, approximate years, and one question. A township, congregation, school, or employer may reveal records a surname search misses. The custodian can be outside the county.

STOP 01 / Online / Sullivan

Sullivan County Public Library death-related indexes

Try a funeral home when the obituary search is quiet.

The genealogy portal lists Aikin Funeral Home records for 1905-1947, Billman Funeral Home records for 1909-1919, and coroner J. H. Neff’s records for January 1916-August 1917.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Search the linked indexes and use the library’s genealogy request route for copies.

A question you can ask

Can you copy the original entry corresponding to this index result?

Keep in mind

The Aikin material includes places in Greene and Sullivan counties; indexes do not guarantee every death is represented.

STOP 02 / Sullivan

Sullivan County Public Library genealogy collection

Check film and family files together.

The collection description lists marriage, probate, will, deed and delayed-birth microfilm, local newspapers, the Dr. Maple Scrapbook and family correspondence files.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Confirm genealogy-department hours and the exact reel before visiting.

A question you can ask

Does the delayed-birth or probate film cover the needed year?

Keep in mind

The overview does not give complete dates for every series. Family files can contain unverified submissions.

STOP 03 / Sullivan

Sullivan County History Museum

Use photographs and objects to investigate the community around a family.

Managed by the library, the museum provides historical photographs, local artifacts and an online catalog.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Browse the catalog and arrange a museum inquiry through the library.

A question you can ask

What provenance or identification accompanies this photograph?

Keep in mind

Catalog information may change as research progresses. Museum access is separate from library research-room access.

Leave a trail another researcher can follow.

Save the repository, collection title, dates, volume, page or item identifier, link, and the date you consulted it. Follow an index to the original record when possible. Keep uncertain names and inferred relationships visibly separate from what the source states.

Return to the Indiana county map · Explore Ohio collections

Corrections or a useful collection? hello@brickwallprotocol.com

SULLIVAN COUNTY / SELECTED RECORDS COVERAGE

Which collections cover your years?

Use these dated holdings to choose a next search. This is a selection of cataloged collections, not a complete inventory of Sullivan County records.

A range is a lead, not a guarantee. Bars show the dates stated by the cited catalog or inventory. They do not establish uninterrupted coverage, complete reporting or online image access. Unmarked years mean not represented in this selection, not that records were destroyed. Indexes and abstracts still need to be followed to the underlying record.

Sources reviewed October 26, 2026. Blue shows cataloged holdings; rust identifies indexes or compiled publications where the source specifies them. Read the format label and access notes for each row.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Circuit Court Marriage Records (microfilm)

Listed years: 1951–1957.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Marriage Records (microfilm)

Listed years: 1850–1908, 1915–1923.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Deed Records (microfilm)

Listed years: 1850–1886, 1853–1904.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting. The 1853-1904 interval is explicitly re-recorded deeds after loss; it should not be treated as an intact original run.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Relief Deed Records (microfilm)

Listed years: 1851–1980.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

Confirm the historical jurisdiction as well as the date. A record may be held outside today’s county, and an inventory’s ending year does not mean recordkeeping stopped.

Check historical jurisdiction → · Find collections for my years →

FOLLOW THE COLLECTION

Additional collection references

Official catalog descriptions checked October 25, 2026. These notes identify research routes, not completed name-level searches.

Joe Boothe studio photographs and burial permits

Indiana Memory describes the Sullivan historical society collection’s substantial Boothe studio photographs and negatives, alongside burial permits.

How to begin: Search the collection by name and location; record item identifiers and ask Sullivan County Public Library about associated records.

What remains uncertain: Donor identifications need checking. The overview does not provide complete dates or guarantee every burial permit is online.

COMMUNITY MEMORY

Community history groups and research leads

Local communities can help identify a place, photograph or possible source. These independently run groups are community leads, not catalogued archives or BWP partners. Keep the contributor, date, basis for an identification and original source together. Ask permission before republishing photographs or private contributions.

Facebook identities and visible access information checked October 25, 2026. Verification here concerns the group, not the accuracy of its members’ posts. No groups were joined and no messages were sent.

Sullivan County History & Genealogy (Indiana)

Private, discoverable Facebook group

A community for Sullivan County, Indiana history and genealogy questions and mutual research help.

Access and rules: Facebook lists a private, visible group. Request membership through Facebook; administrators decide admission. Read the current description and rules before posting.

Verification limits: The group identity, location and visible access information were checked. Member posts and particular holdings were not independently verified. Preserve source details and ask permission before reusing photographs or private contributions.

Open Sullivan County History & Genealogy (Indiana) on Facebook

HELP KEEP THIS GUIDE USEFUL

Know a collection we should include?

Suggest a correction, an overlooked collection or an updated access detail. An official link or source helps us check it before making a change. Please leave out private family documents and sensitive personal information.

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