Cherry County, Nebraska Genealogy


 

Guide to Cherry County, Nebraska ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Valentine
Organized: February 23, 1883
Parent County(s): unorganized territory[1]
Neighboring Counties
Bennett (SD)BlaineBrownGrantHookerKeya PahaShannon (SD)SheridanThomasTodd (SD)Tripp (SD)
See County Maps
Courthouse
NebraskaCherryCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
200px-Map of Nebraska highlighting Cherry County svg.bmp

County Information

Description

The county was named for Samuel A. Cherry. The county is located in the northwest area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Cherry County Courthouse
365 N. Main Street
Valentine, NE 69201-0120
Phone: 402.376.2771
Cherry County Website

County Clerk has marriage and land records.
County Court has probate and court records.
Clerk District Court has divorce records. [1]

Cherry County, Nebraska Record Dates

Beginning Dates for Major County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1904 1883 1904 1883 1882 1883 1854
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in late 1904. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[5]

Cities
Villages
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Cherry County, Nebraska online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Nebraska Cemeteries for more information


Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1890 6,428
1900 6,541 1.8%
1910 10,414 59.2%
1920 11,753 12.9%
1930 10,898 −7.3%
1940 9,637 −11.6%
1950 8,397 −12.9%
1960 8,218 −2.1%
1970 6,846 −16.7%
1980 6,758 −1.3%
1990 6,307 −6.7%
2000 6,148 −2.5%
2010 5,713 −7.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.

For tips on accessing Cherry County, Nebraska Genealogy census records online, see: Nebraska Census.

State Census Records

Church Records

Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Nebraska denominations, view the Nebraska Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

Online Church Records


Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Nebraska Land and Property for additional information about early Nebraska land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.

Online Land Indexes and Records

For more information see Nebraska Land and Property

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Cherry County, Nebraska Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Nebraska Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Bennett CountyTodd CountyTripp CountyKeya Paha CountyBrown CountyBlaine CountyThomas CountyHooker CountyGrant CountyGarden CountySheridan CountyNE CHERRY.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Revolutionary War

Civil War

World War I

World War II


Naturalization and Citizenship


Newspapers

For information on Nebraska newspapers, see Nebraska Newspapers.


Also, back issues of prior newspapers that have been microfilmed are available; index found at: History Nebraska

Nebraska Newspapers Online

Nebraska Newspaper Catalogs

  • Nebraska Newspapers Online at History Nebraska; lists online repositories. Downloadable spreadsheet.
  • U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

In most counties in Nebraska, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.

The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Nebraska - Cherry - Probate records.

Online Probate Records

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Nebraska tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Cherry County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Nebraska Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Cherry County. For state-wide library facilities, see Nebraska Archives and Libraries.

Valentine Public Library
324 N Main St
Valentine, NE 69201
Phone: 402-376-3160
Fax: 402-376-3160
Email: info@valentinelibrary.org
Facebook
Website

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Cherry County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Nebraska Societies.

Cherry County Genealogical Society
PO Box 380
Valentine, NE 69201

Cherry County Historical Society Museum
650 Essex St
Valentine, NE 69201-1618
Phone: 402-376-2015
Facebook
Website

Websites

  • NEGenWeb
  • USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
  • FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records

Research Guides

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Nebraska.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. Wikipedia contributors, "Cherry, Nebraska," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_County,_Nebraska."
  3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cherry County, Nebraska. Page 428-435 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 417-420.
  4. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Nebraska.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. Wikipedia contributors, "Cherry County, Nebraska," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_County,_Nebraska, accessed 21 January 2019.