Oregon 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 Oregon 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.
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For more information on census records, see Oregon 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 Oregon statewide beginning in 1903, 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
- 1842-1917: Oregon State Births at Ancestry - index & images ($); Also at FamilySearch
- 1844-1914: Oregon Deaths and Delayed Births at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1860-1952: Oregon Births at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1868-1929: Oregon Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Findmypast ($), MyHeritage ($), Ancestry ($)
- 1903-1918: Oregon, Center for Health Statistics, Birth Records, 1903-1918(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- Oregon Birth Records at Oregon State Archives
- Oregon Delayed Birth Records at Oregon State Archives
- Portland Birth Records at Oregon State Archives
Marriages
- 1826-1975: US Marriages at Findmypast - index & images ($)
- 1849-1884; 1991-2006: Oregon Marriage Index at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1849-1952: Oregon Marriage Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1851-1975: Oregon County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1853-1935: Oregon Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1906-1968: Oregon State Marriages at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1906-2009: Oregon Marriage Indexes at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- Oregon Marriage Records at Oregon State Archives
Deaths
- 1842-1952: Oregon Deaths and Delayed Births at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1864-1968: Oregon, U.S., State Deaths at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1898-2008: Oregon Death Index at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1903-1930: Oregon Deaths at MyHeritage - index only ($)
- 1903-1947: Oregon Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only ($)
- 1903-1998: Oregon Death Index at FamilySearch; index only ($)
- Oregon Coroner's Reports at Oregon State Archives
- Oregon Death Records at Oregon State Archives
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Oregon, see How to Find Oregon Birth Records, How to Find Oregon Marriage Records, and How to Find Oregon Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.[edit | edit source]
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1903. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- Online Oregon Death Records & Indexes
- Genealogical Forum of Oregon Obituary Index
- ObitsArchive.com - Oregon
- ObituariesHelp.org
- Oregon Obituaries
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave.com
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- Billion Graves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- Oregon, Church and Cemetery Records, 1840-1965 at Ancestry
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch – How to Use This Collection
- Oregon Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- Oregon Cemetery Records at Interment
- Oregon Gravestones Photo Project at Oregon Gravestones
- Oregon Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online Oregon Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Jewish Cemetery in Oregon at Find-A-Grave
- Oregon Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Oregon Obituaries and Oregon 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.
- Oregon, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Oregon, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Oregon 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 Oregon 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.