Using Obituaries to Find Other Clues!

Another example - this provides a lot of clues to search!

Obituaries are some of the most fruitful sources of information you'll find.

Why?

Well, how many people get a book written about their lives if they aren't famous? 

Not many.

But obituaries?  Far more common and they contain a wealth of information about survivors, life stories, marriages, geography, migrations, political service - you name it. Although the more prominent they are the more detailed info they will have in the obituary but nevertheless, these are treasure troves of info!

Remember when you get hung up on someone and are having a hard time finding info, don't just try an obituary, try the obituaries of their relatives to see if they turn up as being mentioned in them. 

For example, I'm hung up on looking for more info Jasper Walling and Nelson Walling and am looking for where to look for records for them.

here's an obituary summary I found from Ancestry.com on their father (which leads me to the original copies).

Summary of Obituary in 30 Aug 1897, The Daily Idaho Statesman

Death of J. B. Walling
He passes away peacefully at his home on the Avenue
Was Ill for Seven Years
Large number of Descendents
Funeral to Occur this Afternoon

Jerome B. Walling died yesterday morning at his residence on the Hot Springs Road after a lingering illness of nearly seven years. (Article goes on to relate the following facts in a narrative)
Born in New York on August 24, 1809
Age 9 (abt 1818) moved with parents to Meggs County, Ohio
1825 moved to Fulton County, Illinois
Served in the Black Hawk War under Captain Maxwell
Married Sarah Leverton in Fulton County, Ill on March 4, 1829
Mrs. Sarah Walling died on 2 Apr 1890 
1837 the family moved to Iowa
1848 the family moved to Yamhill County, Oregon
1850 elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature
1851 elected as a Yamhill County Commissioner and served for 4 years
1864 moved to the Boise Valley and resided there ever since
Was responsible for building the Walling Ditch which supplied irrigation water for land the city of Boise
Father of 16 children, 8 of whom survive him:  Lucy Loosley of Ft. Klamath, Or; Jeptha Walling of Tillamook, Or; Fletcher Walling of Salem, Or; Nelson Walling of Portland, Or;  Jerome Walling, California;  Mrs. Clara Mullancy, Glenns Ferry;  Mrs. Rosalie Gile Highland Valley, Idaho; Enos C. Walling, Boise.
75 Grandchildren and “goodly number” of great-grandchildren
Was a member of the Masonic Order for 60 years
“He showed good judgment and economy in his business transactions and always held the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens.”
Additional information about this story Description   Date 30 Jul 1897 Location Boise, Ada, Idaho, United States
Anyways, I found that Jasper was in California at the time of the Obituary, Nelson in Portland with a whole other treasure-trove of information!   About any of this could be a jumping off point for more research.

I got so frustrated looking for Nelson and Jasper that I went back to their dad's obituary and found a bit more info that I'd overlooked and was able to fan out a bit more as well as glean some more information I hadn't used to round out some other information (like his military service!).

If you get stuck, also go back to the beginning or try working through other relatives as well, sometimes this can open the door you're looking for!