Oklahoma Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 18:10, 6 June 2024

Oklahoma Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Record Types

Oklahoma Background

Cultural Groups

Local Research Resources

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

1801–2008 Oklahoma Wills and Probate Records 1801-2008 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
1887–2008 Oklahoma Probate Records, 1887-2008 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
Full-Text Search - Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Records Synopsis[edit | edit source]

Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”^[1] Various records may be found in a probate file. These may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents.

Explore more about the probate process, limitations of probate records, analyzing probate records, a glossary of probate terms, wills, and United States Probate Records.

History[edit | edit source]

Prior to statehood (1907), Oklahoma probate records were kept by the U.S. district courts. The probate records are now under the jurisdiction of probate or county courts. The files include wills, dockets, administrator's records, guardianship records, inventories, appraisements, sales records, minutes, and journals.

Searching Probate Records[edit | edit source]

It is usually best to start a probate search at the county level. Links to county pages appear below. Additional resources for Oklahoma probates may be found in the Oklahoma-Probate topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FS Library microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at FamilySearch Centers. Also find Oklahoma Probate resources available at many libraries (WorldCat). Explore how to search WorldCat and the FamilySearch Catalog.

Availability[edit | edit source]

You may obtain copies of the records by contacting the clerk's office in each county. Many Indian probate records are at the National Archives—Central Plains Region. The FamilySearch Library has copies of probate records from some counties.

1887-2008 Oklahoma Probate Records, 1887-2008: at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images

For information on the names of non-natives, Native Americans, and “freedmen” (free blacks) who filed probate papers in the U.S. Federal Court, Northern District, Indian Territory, see:

Opha Jewell Wever and Rosalie Wagner, Probate Records, 1892-1908, Northern District Cherokee Nation. 2 vols. Vinita, Oklahoma: Northeast Oklahoma Genealogical Society, 1982-1983.

Websites[edit | edit source]

http://sites.rootsweb.com/~okgs/records.htm

State Statutes[edit | edit source]

Understanding the Oklahoma probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems.

Online digital versions of state statutes can often be found by conducting a search engine search for the term, "Oklahoma statutes."

References[edit | edit source]

Oklahoma Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.

NOTE: All of the information from the original research outline has been imported into the FamilySearch Wiki and is being updated as time permits.

↑ Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."

Probate]]

[1] Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Prior to statehood, Oklahoma probate records were kept by the U.S. district courts. The probate records are now under the jurisdiction of probate or county courts. The files include wills, dockets, administrator's records, guardianship records, inventories, appraisements, sales records, minutes, and journals.
+{{OK-sidebar}}
+{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
+| link2=[[United States Probate Records|U.S. Probate Records]]
+| link3=[[Oklahoma, United States Genealogy|Oklahoma]]
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Oklahoma Probate Records|Probate Records]]
+}}
-You can obtain copies of the records by contacting the clerk's office in each county. For contact details of county courts, see&nbsp; http://www.genealogy.com/00000265.html.&nbsp; Many Indian probate records are at the [http://www.archives.gov/central-plains/kansas-city/ National Archives—Central Plains Region]. The Family History Library has copies of some probate records from some counties.
+==Online Resources==
+*'''1801–2008''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9077 Oklahoma Wills and Probate Records 1801-2008] at Ancestry — index & images ($)
+*'''1887–2008''' {{RecordSearch|2063710|Oklahoma Probate Records, 1887-2008}} at FamilySearch - [[Oklahoma Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; images<br>
+*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text Full-Text Search - Probate Records] at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P00oMDsAsSw How to Search]
-For information on the names of non-natives, Native Americans, and “freedmen” (free blacks) who filed probate papers in the U.S. Federal Court, Northern District, Indian Territory, see Opha Jewell Wever and Rosalie Wagner, ''Probate Records, 1892-1908, Northern District Cherokee Nation''. 2 vols. Vinita, Oklahoma: Northeast Oklahoma Genealogical Society, 1982-1983. (FHL book 976.6 P2w.)
+===Records Synopsis===
-=== Web Sites ===
+Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”<ref>Henry Campbell Black, ''Black's Law Dictionary,'' 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."</ref> Various records may be found in a probate file. These may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents.
-http://www.familydeathrecords.com/state.asp?state=OK
+Explore more about the [[United States Probate Process|probate process]], [[United States Probate Limitations|limitations of probate records]], [[Analyzing United States Probate Records|analyzing probate records]], a [[Glossary of United States Probate Terms|glossary]] of probate terms, [[United States Probate Wills|wills]], and [[United States Probate Records]].<br>
-http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgs/records.htm
+===History===
-http://www.genealogytoday.com/genealogy/states/oklahoma.html
+Prior to statehood (1907), Oklahoma probate records were kept by the U.S. district courts. The probate records are now under the jurisdiction of probate or county courts. The files include wills, dockets, administrator's records, guardianship records, inventories, appraisements, sales records, minutes, and journals.
-[[Category:Oklahoma]]
+===Searching Probate Records===
+It is usually best to start a probate search at the county level. Links to county pages appear below. Additional resources for Oklahoma probates may be found in the Oklahoma-Probate topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FS Library microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at [https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/ FamilySearch Centers]. Also find Oklahoma Probate resources available at [http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3AOklahoma+probate+records&qt=results_page many libraries (WorldCat)]. Explore how to search [[Worldcat Online Catalog|WorldCat]] and the [[Introduction to the FamilySearch Catalog|FamilySearch Catalog]].<br>
+===Availability===
+You may obtain copies of the records by contacting the clerk's office in each county. Many Indian probate records are at the [http://www.archives.gov/central-plains/kansas-city/ National Archives—Central Plains Region]. The FamilySearch Library has copies of probate records from some counties.
+'''1887-2008''' {{RecordSearch|2063710|Oklahoma Probate Records, 1887-2008}}: at FamilySearch - [[Oklahoma Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; images
+For information on the names of non-natives, Native Americans, and “freedmen” (free blacks) who filed probate papers in the U.S. Federal Court, Northern District, Indian Territory, see:
+*Opha Jewell Wever and Rosalie Wagner, ''Probate Records, 1892-1908, Northern District Cherokee Nation''. 2 vols. Vinita, Oklahoma: Northeast Oklahoma Genealogical Society, 1982-1983.
+====Websites====
+*http://sites.rootsweb.com/~okgs/records.htm
+===State Statutes===
+Understanding the Oklahoma probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems.
+Online digital versions of state statutes can often be found by conducting a search engine search for the term, "Oklahoma statutes."
+===References===
+''Oklahoma Research Outline''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.
+:NOTE: All of the information from the original research outline has been imported into the FamilySearch Wiki and is being updated as time permits.
+<references />
+{{Oklahoma|Oklahoma}}
+[[Category:Oklahoma, United States]]
+Probate]]
+[[Category:United_States_Probate_Records]]