Minnesota 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 Minnesota online records.
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Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.[edit | edit source]
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.
Federal Censuses
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State Censuses
| Year | Type of Census | Links |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | State; names individuals. | |
| 1895 | State (partial); names all household members. | |
| 1885 | State; names all household members. | |
| 1875 | State | |
| 1865 | State (some counties missing) | |
| 1857 | Territorial; lists names of individuals. | |
| 1855 | Territorial; only names head of household. | |
| 1853 | Territorial; lists names of individuals. |
For more information on census records, see Minnesota Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.[edit | edit source]
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in Minnesota statewide beginning in 1900, 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
- 1840-1980: Minnesota Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1863-1983: Minnesota County Birth Records at FamilySearch; images only
- 1900-1934: Minnesota Birth Certificates at Minnesota Historical Society; index only
- 1900-1934: Minnesota Birth Index at Ancestry - index only ($); Also at MyHeritage ($)
- 1935-2002: Minnesota Birth Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
Marriages
- 17thc-20thc: US Marriages at Findmypast - index only ($)
- 1849-1950: Minnesota Marriages at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1850-2019 Minnesota Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1860-1949: Minnesota County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1958-2001: Minnesota Marriage Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1976-2003: Minnesota Marriages at MyHeritage - index only ($)
- Minnesota Marriage Records at Minnesota Official Marriage System
Deaths
- 1835-1990: Minnesota Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- 1850-2001: Minnesota County Deaths at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1866-1916: Minnesota Death Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1887-2001: Minnesota Deaths at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1904-2001: Minnesota Death Index at MyHeritage; images only ($)
- 1904-2001: Minnesota Death Certificates Index at Minnesota Historical Society; index only
- 1908-2002: Minnesota Death Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1962-2014: US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index only
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Minnesota, see How to Find Minnesota Birth Records, How to Find Minnesota Marriage Records, and How to Find Minnesota Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.[edit | edit source]
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1900. 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
- Online Minnesota Death Records & Indexes, statewide and by county
- Genealogy Buff - Obituary Library - Minnesota Genealogy Data
- US Gen Web Archives Obituary Project
- Dalby Database Obituaries
- Fargo Forum Obituary Index, covers Northwestern Minnesota
- ObitsArchive.com - Minnesota($), index
- ObituariesHelp.org - Minnesota Newspaper Obituaries Listings, index
- The Obituary Link Page - Minnesota Obituary Links
- Minnesota Obituaries
- 1865-2006 Minnesota Obituaries 1865-2006 at FamilySearch— index & images
- 1865-2006 Minnesota, Clay and Steele County Obituaries, 1865-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1891-2003 Minnesota, Obituary Index, 1891-2003, index($)
- 1899-2012 United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- BillionGraves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch – How to Use This Collection
- Iron Range Research Center, Minnesota, Cemetery Index, 1900-1999 at Ancestry
- Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index, Select Counties at Ancestry ($)
- Minnesota Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- Minnesota Cemetery Records at Interment
- Minnesota Gravestone Photo Project at [Minnesota Gravestones
- Minnesota Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online Minnesota Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Minneapolis Jewish Cemetery at Find-A-Grave
- Hebrew Cemeteries in Minnesota at Find-A-Grave
- Minnesota Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Minnesota Obituaries and Minnesota Cemeteries.
Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..[edit | edit source]
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Minnesota, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Minnesota, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Minnesota Online Genealogy Records.[edit | edit source]
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 Minnesota 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.