Nebraska Descendancy Research
| Nebraska Wiki Topics |
|
| Beginning Research |
| Record Types |
|
| Nebraska Background |
| Cultural Groups |
| Local Research Resources |
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 Nebraska online records.
|
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.
Federal Censuses
|
|
| Year | Type of Census | Links |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | State (Cass County), names of household members | contact History Nebraska |
| 1898 | State (Gage County), names of household members | contact History Nebraska |
| 1885 | State, names of household members | at FamilySearch
at Ancestry.com ($) |
| 1884 | State (Madison) | contact History Nebraska |
| 1878-1879 | State (Lancaster County), names of household members | contact History Nebraska |
| 1876-1882 | State (Cass County), names of household members | at Ancestry.com ($) |
| 1875 | State (Lancaster County), names of household members | at Ancestry.com ($)
contact History Nebraska |
| 1874 | State (Jefferson, Kearney and Lancaster Counties) | at Ancestry.com- Lancaster County only ($)
contact History Nebraska |
For more information on census records, see Nebraska 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 Nebraska statewide beginning in 1904, 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
- 1904-1994 Nebraska, U.S., Birth Ledgers, 1904-1911, Birth Index, 1912-1994 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Marriages
- 17thc-20thc: US Marriages at Findmypast - index only ($)
- 1855-1908: Nebraska Select County Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1855-1995: Nebraska Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1856-1898: Nebraska Compiled Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
Deaths
- 1904-1968: Nebraska Index to Deaths at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1962-2014: US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index only ($)
- 1935-2014: US Social Security Death Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1956-1968: Nebraska Death Index at MyHeritage - index only ($)
- Nebraska Death Records & Indexes at DeathIndexes
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Nebraska, see How to Find Nebraska Birth Records, How to Find Nebraska Marriage Records, and How to Find Nebraska Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1904. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- Nebraska Obituaries
- Online Nebraska Death Records & Indexes
- Nebraska Obituaries
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- Billion Graves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- Graveyards of Omaha — Eastern Nebraska cemeteries
- Nebraska Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- Nebraska Cemetery Records at Interment
- Nebraska Tombstone Photo Project at Nebraska Gravestones
- Nebraska Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online Nebraska Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Nebraska Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Nebraska Obituaries and Nebraska 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.
- Nebraska, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Nebraska, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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.