Obit book donated to museum

Two obituary scrapbooks were recently donated to the Sweetwater County Historical Museum by the Sweetwater County Clerk's Office that can provide a unique glimpse into events in Sweetwater County from 1972 to 2010.

Sweetwater County Clerk Cindy Lane said that among her office's mandated responsibilities is keeping track of deaths in the county to ensure that county residents who have died are removed from the voter rolls.

In 1972, a number of deputy county clerks began clipping Sweetwater County obituaries and pasting them into special scrapbooks. The practice continued until 2010, resulting in two very large scrap journals containing hundreds of obituaries, not only from Sweetwater County, but around the world, primarily those of celebrities.

Lane contacted the museum about donating the books in order to preserve them and Executive Director Dave Mead took possession of them on behalf of the museum Tuesday.

Mead said the museum will allow public access to the scrapbooks for those who wish to examine them.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. There is no charge for admission.