Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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.
Federal Censuses
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Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.[edit | edit source]Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in Oklahoma statewide beginning in 1907, 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
Marriages
Deaths
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 1907. 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
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.
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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. |