Montana Descendancy Research

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Montana Descendancy Research

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 Montana online records.

Here, the emphasis is on online records with good to fair coverage and indexes, making searches as efficient as possible.



1. Online census records.
2. Birth, marriage, and death records online.
3. Obituary and cemetery records online.
4. FamilySearch Historical Images online.
5. Montana Online Genealogy Records.

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.


For more information on census records, see Montana 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 Montana statewide beginning in XXXX, 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

Marriages

Deaths


For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Montana, see How to Find Montana Birth Records, How to Find Montana Marriage Records, and How to Find Montana 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 XXXX. 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

Cemeteries


For more information, see Montana Obituaries and Montana 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.

Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Montana 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 Montana 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.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Dates listed are estimated. Use Explore Historical Images to browse the newest collections available on FamilySearch. More information

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