South Dakota Research Tips and Strategies

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South Dakota

Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page The South Dakota Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for South Dakota. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

South Dakota Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in South Dakota:

Finding South Dakota Birth, Marriage or Death Records

• Finding South Dakota Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research

Finding South Dakota Records

• South Dakota Record Finder

South Dakota Statewide Databases

• South Dakota Online Genealogy Records

South Dakota Research Process

• Step-by-Step South Dakota Research, 1850-1905
• Step-by-Step South Dakota Research, 1905-Present
• South Dakota Descendancy Research
• How to Find Birth Records
• How to Find Marriage Records
• How to Find Death Records

South Dakota Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in South Dakota:
Birth and Death information:

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• Statewide registration: The statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1905 and registration reached general compliance by 1932.
• County registration: A few counties kept birth and death records before 1905, although most did not start until after state registration began in 1905.
• Access to records: See South Dakota Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in South Dakota.

Substitute Records:

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• Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
• Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help verify information.
• List of substitute records: See South Dakota Substitute Records for more information.

Finding Parents:

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• Death records: In 1905, the state required recording the deceased's birth and parent information. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
• Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See South Dakota Newspapers and South Dakota Obituaries for more information.
• Church records: Knowing the denomination of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See South Dakota Church Records for more information.

Census Records:

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• Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See South Dakota Census Records for more information.
• Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
• Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further South Dakota Research

• South Dakota Family History Library Research Outline
• SDGenWeb - South Dakota GenWeb Project
• South Dakota Genealogy Trails - collection of transcribed data for the state of South Dakota
• Cyndi's List - South Dakota genealogy websites
• Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness - State of South Dakota Records Guide