Idaho Descendancy Research
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As families believe they have researched their pedigrees back in time as far as possible, they sometimes choose to gather information on all the descendants of a particular ancestor or even all of their ancestors. This article explains possible steps to take on such a project in Idaho online records.
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Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.
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For more information on census records, see Idaho Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in Idaho statewide beginning in 1911, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.
Births
- 1856-1965: Idaho Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only
- 1861-1911: Idaho Birth Index at FamilySearch; index only
- 1861-1967: Idaho Birth Index, Stillbirth Index at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1863-1967: Idaho County Birth and Death Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1883-1929: Idaho County Birth and Death Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1907-1920: Idaho County Birth and Death Records at Ancestry; images only ($)
Marriages
- 1800-1987: US Marriages at Findmypast - index & images ($)
- 1809-2016: Western States Marriage Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1863-1969: Idaho Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1864-1962: Idaho County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at MyHeritage ($)
- 1864-1967: Idaho County Marriages at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1878-1898; 1903-1942: Idaho Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1947-1961: Idaho Marriage Index at FamilySearch; index only
- Western States Marriage Index at BYU Idaho
Deaths
- 1863-1970: Idaho County Birth and Death Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1864-2007: Southeast Idaho Counties Obituaries at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1883-1929: Idaho County Birth and Death Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1890-1964: Idaho Death Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1890-1969: Idaho Death Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1907-1920: Idaho County Birth and Death Records at Ancestry; images only ($)
- 1907-1965: Idaho Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1911-1937: Idaho Death Certificates at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at MyHeritage ($)
- 1911-1951: Idaho State Death Index at BYU Idaho
- 1935-2014: US Social Security Death Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1938-1961: Idaho Death Certificates at FamilySearch; index only
- 1938-1956: Idaho Deaths at MyHeritage - index ($)
- Eastern Idaho Death Records at BYU Idaho
- US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index only
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Idaho, see How to Find Idaho Birth Records, How to Find Idaho Marriage Records, and How to Find Idaho Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1911. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- 1854-2007 Idaho, Southeast Counties Obituaries, 1864-2007 at FamilySearch; images — How to Use this Collection
- 1864-2007 Idaho, Southeast Counties Obituaries at Findmypast; images ($)
- 1868-2013 Idaho, Obituary Collection, 1868-2013 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1899-2012 United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
- 1943-2013 Idaho, Southern Counties Obituaries, 1943-2013 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
- USGenWeb Obituary Project; index.
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave.com
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- Billion Graves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- Idaho Cemetery Records at Find-A-Grave
- Idaho Cemetery Records at Interment
- Idaho Cemeteries at Idaho Gravestones
- Idaho Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online Idaho Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Idaho Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Idaho Obituaries and Idaho Cemeteries.
Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Idaho, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Idaho, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Idaho Online Genealogy Records.
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Idaho Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.