Iowa Church Records: Difference between revisions

Iowa Church Records (view source)

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 ===Online Records===
 [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2790247?collectionNameFilter=true '''1839-2004''' - Iowa, Church Records, 1839-2004] - index and some images. Incomplete.
-===Church Records and Archives===
+<div style="float:right; margin:30px">
+{|
+|-
+|style="border:1px solid DarkBlue; margin:70px; background:GhostWhite; width 15%; padding-right:15px; padding-left:15px; height:50px "|
+<center>'''For greater success, use all the Wiki Articles in this series:'''</center>
+*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?|'''What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?''']]
+*[[Determining the Church Your Ancestor Attended|'''Determining the Church Your Ancestor Attended''']]
+*[[How to Find Church Records in the United States|'''How to Find Church Records in the United States''']]
+*[[United States Church Records#Searching for Church Records by Denomination|'''Searching for Church Records by Denomination''' ]]
+*[[United States Church Records#Searching for Church Records by U.S. State|'''Searching for Church Records by U.S. State''']]
+|}
+</div>
+------
+==Historical Background==
+Before 1900, the largest religious groups were the [[Roman Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholic]], [[Methodist Church in the United States|Methodist]], [[Presbyterian Church in the United States|Presbyterian]], [[Lutheran Church in the United States|Lutheran]] churches along with [[Society of Friends (Quakers) in the United States|The Society of Friends (Quakers)]] and other small groups were also early settlers. <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa#Religion/ Iowa Religions] </ref><ref>[http://www.greene.k12.ia.us/Fink%20Web%20Page/standards_iowa_history.htm/ Iowa History Standards and Benchmarks] </ref><ref>[http://www.quakernet.org/Discipline%201974/brief_history_of_iowa_yearly_mee.htm/ Brief History of Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends] </ref>
-Church records have been kept in [[Iowa Genealogy|Iowa]] since the 1830s. Information from church records varies greatly, depending upon the denomination and the record keeper. Records may contain such information about members of the congregation as age, dates of baptism, christening, or birth, marriage information, wife’s maiden name, and death dates. Records may include names of other relatives who were witnesses at church events or members of the congregation. The members of some churches were predominately of one nationality or ethnic group. Knowing this may help you find the foreign town from which your ancestors immigrated.
+==Information Found in the Records==
+To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:
+{|
+|-
+|style="vertical-align:top; padding-right:30px"|
+*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Baptisms or Christenings|Baptisms or Christenings]]
+*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Marriages|Marriages]]
+|style="vertical-align:top; padding-right:30px"|
+*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Funerals or Burials|Funerals or Burials]]
+*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Membership Lists|Membership Lists]]
+|style="vertical-align:top; padding-right:30px"|
+*[[What Can I Find in U.S. Church Records?#Minutes or Historical Narrative|Minutes or Historical Narrative]]
+|}
-Before 1900 the largest religious groups were the [[Roman Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholic]], [[Methodist Church in the United States|Methodist]], [[Presbyterian Church in the United States|Presbyterian]], [[Lutheran Church in the United States|Lutheran]] churches along with [[Society of Friends (Quakers) in the United States|The Society of Friends (Quakers)]] and other small groups were also early settlers. <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa#Religion/ Iowa Religions] </ref><ref>[http://www.greene.k12.ia.us/Fink%20Web%20Page/standards_iowa_history.htm/ Iowa History Standards and Benchmarks] </ref><ref>[http://www.quakernet.org/Discipline%201974/brief_history_of_iowa_yearly_mee.htm/ Brief History of Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends] </ref>
+==Finding the Records==
+===Look for online records.===
+'''Ancestry.com, FindMyPast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local [https://familysearch.org/locations/ family history center] or the [https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Family_History_Library Family History Library] in Salt Lake City, Utah.
+<br>
+{|
+|-
+|
+[[File:Caution sign.png|70px]]
+|
+Online databases are <span style="color:Red">'''incomplete'''</span>. This can lead to two common errors:
+#'''Near matches:''' Researchers might <span style="color:Red">'''mistakenly accept an entry very similar to their ancestor'''</span>, thinking it is the only one available. Only use information that matches your ancestor in date, place, relationships, and other details.
+#'''Stopping research''': Researchers might <span style="color:Red">'''assume the database proves church records do not exist'''</span>.  Actually the record is still out there, just not in this <span style="color:Red">'''incomplete'''</span> collection of records.  Keep searching!
+|}
+----
+===Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog. ===
+[[File:Family History Library.jpg|right|thumb|<center>'''Family History Library'''<br>'''Salt Lake City, Utah'''</center>]]
+*The [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] (FHL) has a substantial collection of original church records and transcripts on microfilm for churches in the United States.
+*Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the state, county, or town.
+*If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see [https://beta.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-request-that-a-microfilm-be-digitized '''How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?''']
+*Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a [https://familysearch.org/locations/ '''Family History Center'''] near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations.
+*To find records:
+:::a. Click on the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=370&query=%2Bplace%3A%22United%20States%2C%20Iowa%22 '''records of United States, Iowa'''].
+:::b. Click on '''Places within United States, Iowa''' and a list of counties will appear.
+:::c. Click on your county if it appears.
+:::d. Click on the '''"Church records"''' topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
+:::e. Click on '''Places within United States, Iowa [COUNTY]''' and a list of towns will appear.
+:::f. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
+:::g. Click on the '''"Church records"''' topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
+:::h. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. [[File:FHL icons.png|75px]].  The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.
+-----
+===Consult available finding aids.===
+'''These aids generally provide lists of records that are known to exist and information on their location.'''
+----
+===Correspond with or visit the actual churches.===
+Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
+*'''Make an appointment''' to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
+*To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
+*Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
+*A '''donation''' ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
+*If the church has a website, you may be able to '''e-mail a message'''.
+*See the [[Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy|'''Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy''']] for help with composing letters.
+*Each [[United States Church Records#Searching for Church Records by Denomination|'''denomination page''']] offers an [[United States Church Records#Searching for Church Records by Denomination|'''online address directory of local churches''']] for that denomination.
+===Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.===
+Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to '''digitized, online records''' offered by the archives. Some archives provide '''research services''' for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a [https://algensoc.org/main/researchers.html '''researcher.''']<br>
+-----
+===Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.===
+Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:
+*[http://www.daddezio.com/society/hill/SH-IA-NDX.html '''Society Hill List of Iowa Societies''']<br>
+==Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor==
+You will possibly find many different people with the '''same name as your ancestor,''' especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the '''grandparents or aunts and uncles'''. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor '''as possible''':
+*'''name''', including '''middle name and maiden name'''
+*names of all '''spouses''', including middle and maiden name
+*exact or closely estimated '''dates of birth, marriage, and death'''
+*names and approximate birthdates of '''children'''
+*all known places of '''residence'''
+*'''occupations'''
+*'''military''' service details
+<br>
+[[File:Dark_thin_font_green_pin_Version_4.png|50px]]'''Carefully evaluate''' the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a '''"near match"'''. If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, [[Evaluate the Evidence|'''Evaluate the Evidence'''.]]
 ===Books===