South 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 South Dakota online records.
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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
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State Censuses
| Year | Type of Census | Links |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | State, everyname list of the state's inhabitants on index cards | at FamilySearch
at Ancestry at My Heritage |
| 1935 | State, everyname list of the state's inhabitants on index cards | at FamilySearch
at Ancestry at My Heritage |
| 1925 | State, everyname list of the state's inhabitants on index cards | at FamilySearch
at Ancestry at Findmypast at My Heritage |
| 1915 | State, everyname list of the state's inhabitants on index cards | at FamilySearch
at Ancestry at Findmypast at My Heritage |
| 1905 | State, everyname list of the state's inhabitants on index cards | at FamilySearch
at Ancestry at Findmypast at My Heritage |
| 1895 | State (select counties), all household members | at Ancestry |
| 1885 | Territorial, (select counties), all household members | at Ancestry |
For more information on census records, see South Dakota 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 South Dakota statewide beginning in 1905, 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
- 1843-1914: South Dakota Department of Health Index to Births and Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1856-1917: South Dakota Birth Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- South Dakota Birth Records at South Dakota Department of Health; index only
Marriages
- 1889-1952: US Marriages – South Dakota at Findmypast - index & images ($)
- 1905-2017: South Dakota Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1950-2016: South Dakota Department of Health Index to Births and Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
Deaths
- 1879-1955: South Dakota Death Index at Ancestry - index & images ($)
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in South Dakota, see How to Find South Dakota Birth Records, How to Find South Dakota Marriage Records, and How to Find South Dakota 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 1905. 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
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- South Dakota Obituaries Help
- ObituaryLinks South Dakota, index
- South Dakota Obituaries
Cemeteries
- South Dakota, Deaths and Burials at MyHeritage — index ($)
- Findagrave.com
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- BillionGraves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- South Dakota, Cemetery Index, 1831-2008 at Ancestry
- South Dakota Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- South Dakota Cemetery Records at Interment
- South Dakota Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online South Dakota Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- South Dakota Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see South Dakota Obituaries and South Dakota 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.
- South Dakota, United States Historical Images, New Version
- South Dakota, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in South Dakota 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 South 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.