Step-by-Step Oklahoma Research, 1880-Present
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Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.
What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
- 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History at ThoughtCo.com
- Creating Oral Histories at FamilySearch Wiki
What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.
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Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
- A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
- For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
- Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
- Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.
Using clues to lead to census record searches.
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This old obituary clipping gives clues as to when and where to start looking for census records for the family of Milton and Christine McWilliams.
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Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
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Oklahoma Territorial Censuses
- 1890 Oklahoma Territory
- 1907 Oklahoma Territory
- Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Indian Censuses and Rolls, 1851-1959($)
Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or (even towns in some states) recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
- In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations.
- A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
- A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.
Using census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records. In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents.
Using census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can:
- establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
- find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.
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Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death:
- birth date and place of the deceased
- maiden name of the wife
- names of the deceased's parents
- birth places of the deceased's parents.
Some of the examples shown above are index entries. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. In some cases, the image of the original is found online. Instructions are given below on obtaining the original certificate in other cases.
Gather as many birth, marriage, and death records as possible.
How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
- online databases
- writing to a county courthouse (prior to the beginning of state civil registration)
- purchasing them through the mail at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
Online databases, usually indexes, with some images
Also, see How to Find Oklahoma Birth Records. |
Also, see How to Find Oklahoma Marriage Records. |
Also, see How to Find Oklahoma Death Records. |
Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Oklahoma Counties.
Order Certificates from Oklahoma Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).
- Where to Write for Oklahoma Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Oklahoma, see How to Find Oklahoma Birth Records, How to Find Oklahoma Marriage Records, and How to Find Oklahoma Death Records.
Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.
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FREDERICKSBURG, Texas - The Reverend Milton E. McWilliams, Jr., died in Fredericksburg, Texas, on March 17, 2012. Reverend McWilliams was born September 7, 1920, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the capital of the one-time Creek Indian Nation. His parents were Milton E. McWilliams, Sr. and Christine Moore McWilliams. Milton grew-up in Ardmore, Oklahoma, the leading community in the one-time Chickasaw Indian Nation, where he graduated from high School.... Upon returning to the United States in 1946, Milton entered The Church Divinity School of The Pacific, Berkley, California, where he earned a Master of Divinity Degree....While in seminary, Milton married Gretchen Elizabeth Claudius on July 17, 1948, in St. John's Episcopal Church, Omaha, Nebraska... In addition to his parents, Milton was preceded in death in 2006 by his wife, Gretchen; and in 1978 by their son, David Milton McWilliams, a U.S. Navy nuclear operator on the nuclear cruiser Long Beach. Their daughter Stella Lynn Ortiz of Houston died earlier this year. Stella Lynn is survived by her husband, Carlos Ortiz. Milton was also preceded in death by his two sisters, Susan McWilliams Carlock and Gail McWilliams Peddy... |
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Obituaries
- 1972-2012 Web: Oklahoma, U.S., Oklahoman Obituary Index, 1972-2012 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- OKBits at OKGenWeb Project, RootsWeb — index
- Oklahoma Newspapers and Obituaries at LDS Genealogy — index
- Oklahoma Obituaries at ObitsArchive.com — index & images ($)
Cemeteries
- 1949-1969 United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- BillionGraves — index & images
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
- Cemeteries of Some Oklahoma Counties at Cemetery Census — index & images
- FindaGrave — index & images
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- Hebrew Cemeteries in Oklahoma at Find-A-Grave — index & images
- OGS On-Line Cemetery Records at Oklahoma Genealogical Society — index
- Oklahoma Cemeteries at USGenWeb Tombstones — index
- Oklahoma Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy — index
- Oklahoma Death Records and Oklahoma Cemetery Records at Interment.net — index
- Oklahoma Gravestones at Oklahoma Gravestone Photo Project — index & images
- Oklahoma Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project — index
- Online Oklahoma Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com — index
U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
- The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
- You can search these records online at
- 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($); Picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off by providing information filed in the application or claims process
- 1962-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.
For more information, see Oklahoma Obituaries and Oklahoma Cemeteries.
Step 5: Search military records: World War I and World War II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.
Example of a World War I draft card.
Example of a World War II draft card.
Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- 1917-1918 United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1942 United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
For more information and additional collections, see Oklahoma Military Records.
Step 6: Look for church records online.
Church records function as vital records.
- An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
- Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
- Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.
Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
Search for church records that can provide additional birth, marriage, and death information.
FamilySearch Indexes
- 1870-1930 Oklahoma Marriages, 1870-1930 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1897-1984 Oklahoma, Church Records, 1897-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Dutch Reformed
- 1639-1989 U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1701-1995 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800-1947 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Presbyterian
- 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Quaker (Society of Friends)
- Quaker Records : Oklahoma Monthly Meetings, n.p.: n.p., n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
For help with church records kept in Oklahoma, see Oklahoma Church Records.
To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.
Step 7: Search for wills and probate packets.
- County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
- In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
- Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.
Search these indexes and images for probate records.
- 1801-2008 Oklahoma, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-2008 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1887-2008 Oklahoma Probate Records, 1887-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1891-1895 Administrator Record, United States Court – Indian Territory, 1st Division – Northeastern Area, Book A, 17 Feb 1891 to 19 Sept 1895 at Oklahoma Genealogical Society, RootsWeb — index
Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Oklahoma county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Oklahoma Counties
For more information, see Oklahoma Probate Records and United States Probate Records.
Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.
Look for immigrant ancestors in shipping lists and citizenship sources.
Oklahoma Immigration Records
- 1500-Onward All U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry — index & images; includes those with destination of Oklahoma ($); Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1895-1956 United States, Border Crossings from Canada, 1895-1956 at MyHeritage — index & images; includes those with destination of Oklahoma ($)
Cultural Groups
- 1920-1939 Germany, Bremen Emigration Lists, 1920-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($); includes those with destination of Oklahoma
- Germans Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage — index ($) ; includes those with destination of Oklahoma
- Italians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage — index ($); includes those with destination of Oklahoma
- Russians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage — index ($); includes those with destination of Oklahoma
- The Germans from Russia in Oklahoma, by Hale, Douglas. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
Passport Records Online
- 1795-1925 United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
Oklahoma Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records
- 1795-1925 United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1889-1991 Oklahoma, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1889-1991 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1896-1897 U.S., Citizenship Case Files in Indian Territory, 1896-1897 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1944-2003 U.S., Index to Alien Case Files, 1944-2003 at Ancestry — index ($)
For more information, see Oklahoma Emigration and Immigration and Oklahoma Naturalization and Citizenship.
Step 9: If any ancestor was Native American, search Native American records online.
In the early 19th century, the U.S. government formally initiated Indian removal, forcing those tribes still living east of the Mississippi River, to lands west of the river. Most members of the five civilized tribes were forced to Indian Territory before 1840, many to what later became the states of Kansas and Oklahoma. In the late 19th century, under the Dawes Act and related legislation, the US government decided to break up communal tribal lands, allocating 160-acre plots to heads of households of enrolled members of the tribes. Various records were created by these government programs. [1]
- 1856-1933 Oklahoma, Historical Indian Archives Index, 1856-1933 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1861-1936 Indian-Pioneer Papers Collection at University of Oklahoma, Western History Collections — index & images
- Native American Research Project at OK/ITGenWeb Special Project, RootsWeb — index & images
Dawes Rolls
- 1896 Dawes Commission Index (Overturned), 1896 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1898-1914 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, U.S., Dawes Census Cards for Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914 at Ancestry — index & images ($); Also at: Oklahoma Historical Society)
- Dawes Records, Five Civilized Tribes–Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole Tribes in Oklahoma at Native American Heritage, National Archives — index & images
Other Rolls
- 1851-1959 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, U.S., Indian Censuses and Rolls, 1851-1959 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1885-1940 U.S., Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1890-1893 U.S., Wallace Roll of Cherokee Freedmen, 1890-1893 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1921 Oklahoma Osage Tribe Roll, 1921 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1924-1929 U.S., Cherokee Baker Roll and Records, 1924-1929 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Allotment Records
- 1884-1934 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, U.S., Land Allotment Jackets for Five Civilized Tribes, 1884-1934 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1899-1907 Oklahoma, Applications for Allotment, Five Civilized Tribes, 1899-1907 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1908-1927 Oklahoma, U.S., Indian Land Allotment Sales, 1908-1927 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Applications for Enrollment
- 1896 1896 Applications for Enrollment at Oklahoma Historical Society — index & images
- 1898-1914 Oklahoma, Applications for Enrollment to the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry; index & images ($)
Marriage Indexes
- 1841-1927 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, U.S., Marriage, Citizenship and Census Records, 1841-1927 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1890-1907 Choctaw Nation Marriage Index 1890-1907 at OKGenWeb — index
- 1895-1907 Chickasaw Nation Marriage Index 1895-1907 at OKGenWeb — index
Citizenship
- 1895-1914 U.S., Native American Citizens and Freedmen of Five Civilized Tribes, 1895-1914 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1896-1897 U.S., Citizenship Case Files in Indian Territory, 1896-1897 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
For more information, see Indigenous Peoples of Oklahoma and Native American Online Genealogy Records.
Step 10: Search for printed local histories or biography collections online.
Local Histories
- Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
- Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: Oklahoma; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
- Google Books. Use keywords "Oklahoma" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
- Family History Books
- County and Town Histories
- Internet Archive. Use keywords "Oklahoma" and the county name.
- Ancestry.com ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Oklahoma and the name of the county.
FamilySearch Collected Local Histories
- Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
- If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find local histories by:
- Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
- In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
- A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.
Biography Collections
- 1861-1936 Indian-Pioneer Papers Collection at University of Oklahoma, Western History Collections — index & images
- 1937 Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Indian and Pioneer Historical Collection, 1937 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- County and Town Histories, Oklahoma at LearnWebSkills — index & images
For more information, see Oklahoma Biography.
Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
- County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
- Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
- Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county.
- Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.
- If you can find the society on the internet, they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, you can hire one of their members to search the collection for you.
This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.
Step 12: Use other FamilySearch tools.
Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Oklahoma, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Oklahoma, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Oklahoma Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Oklahoma 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 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.
Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Oklahoma.
This article focused more on Oklahoma state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Oklahoma. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.
- ↑ "Five Civilized Tribes", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Civilized_Tribes, accessed 24 June 2023.