North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1857 | Territorial (then part of the Minnesota territory) | FamilySearch - index & images Ancestry.com ($) - index & images |
| 1885 | Territorial | Ancestry.com ($) - index & images North Dakota State University Archives - index MyHeritage ($) |
| 1915 | State | FamilySearch - index & images Ancestry.com ($) - index & images |
| 1925 | State | FamilySearch - index & images Ancestry.com ($) - index & images |
For more information on census records, see North Dakota Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.[edit | edit source]
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in North Dakota statewide beginning in 1907, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.
- North Dakota Vital Records at North Dakota Genealogy
Births
Marriages
- 1872-1958: North Dakota County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1872-2017: North Dakota Select County Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1875-1955: US Marriages at Findmypast - index only ($)
- 1890-2020: North Dakota Select County Marriages at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Deaths
- 1892 forward: North Dakota Death Index at North Dakota State Government
- 1908-2007: North Dakota, U.S., State Death Certificates, 1908-2007 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1935-2014: US Social Security Death Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1962-2014: US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index only
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in North Dakota, see How to Find North Dakota Birth Records, How to Find North Dakota Marriage Records, and How to Find North Dakota Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.[edit | edit source]
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1907. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- Fargo Forum Obituary Index
- Online North Dakota Death Records & Indexes
- ObitsArchive North Dakota
- North Dakota Obituaries
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
Cemeteries
- BillionGraves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- Find-A-grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- North Dakota Cemeteries at Odessa Digital Library
- North Dakota, Cemetery Records, 1877-1999 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. also at Ancestry ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- North Dakota Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- North Dakota Cemetery Records at Interment
- North Dakota Gravestones Photo Project at North Dakota Gravestones
- North Dakota Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb
- United States Deaths & Burials 1833-1970 in North Dakota at Findmypast ($)
- Jewish Cemeteries in North Dakota at Find-A-Grave
- Hebrew Cemeteries in North Dakota at Find-A-Grave
- North Dakota Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see North Dakota Obituaries and North Dakota 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.
- North Dakota, United States Historical Images, New Version
- North Dakota, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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.