Genealogy Roots Blog

Online Death Indexes and Records - Latest Additions and Updates

2009-06-15T19:59:00.003-06:00

The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records directory has been updated with links to the following items...

Alabama
- Alabama Death Index 1908-1974 from FamilySearch Labs

Alaska
- Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery Burials
- Angelus and Valley Memorial Park Cemetery Burials (in Anchorage)

Arkansas
- Arkansas Gravestones (has over 170,000 gravestone photos)
- Pike County Genealogy Records Indexes (includes some cemetery burials for Clark, Hot Spring, Montgomery and Pike Counties)
- Sebastian County Cemeteries
- Washington County: Evergreen Cemetery Burials (Fayetteville, Arkansas) database is not yet complete

Arizona
- Maricopa County: Pioneers' Cemetery Association (includes some burial indexes)

California
- California Genealogy and History Archives (includes over 144,000 listings for California cemetery burials)
- Fresno Catholic Cemeteries - Burial Records Search

Colorado
- Arapahoe County: Evergreen Cemetery Burials (Deer Trail, Colorado)
- Arapahoe County: Columbine Genealogical & Historical Society Indexes (includes: Littleton Cemetery Interment Records 1869-1981, Nickels-Hill-Drinkwine Mortuary Records 1915-1950, Obituary Index for the Littleton Independent Newspaper/ongoing project, and other items)

Florida
- Florida Death Index 1877-1939 from FamilySearch Labs

Georgia
- Georgia Colonial Will Books 1754-1779 and Colonial Wills 1733-1778
- Floyd County: City of Rome Cemeteries (3 city owned cemeteries can be searched for burials)
- Muscogee County: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Obituary Database 1998-2005
- Muscogee County: Columbus, Georgia Newspapers Obituary Project 1872-1918

Illinois
- Whiteside County: Sterling Daily Gazette Index from the Sterling Public Library (includes obituaries)
- Whiteside County: Tampico Area Historical Society Obituary and Cemetery Indexes

Indiana
- Cass County: Logansport Pharos Tribune Obituaries Index 1974-1980 and 1992-1999
- Cass County Cemeteries
- Henry County Death Records Index 1880-2000
- Howard County Cemeteries and Kokomo Tribune Obituary Index 1941-2008
- Miami County: WPA Death Index 1882-1920 (also includes cemeteries and other death indexes)
- Switzerland County: Vevay Newspaper Index 1840, 1853-1858 (births, marriages & deaths) ongoing project

Kansas
- Atchison County Online Cemetery Files
- Pratt County Cemeteries

Massachusetts
- Hampshire County: Burials in North and West Cemeteries in Amherst
- Nantucket County: Nantucket Grave Markers Database Search ("not comprehensive")
- Plymouth County: Plymouth Colony Archive Project (includes wills and probate inventories, 1600s)

Michigan
- Berrien County: Silverbrook Cemetery Grave Search (Niles, Michigan)
- Calhoun County: Albion Area Obituaries Index 2001-recent
- Oakland County: DAR Cemetery Transcripts for Oakland County Michigan
- Van Buren County: Hartford Obituary Index (various years; also includes some cemeteries)
- Van Buren County: Paw Paw Township Cemetery Burials

Minnesota
- Ramsey County: Roselawn Cemetery Burials (Roseville, MN)

New Jersey
- Hudson County Genealogical Society - Genealogy Databases (includes indexes for newspaper death notices, cemetery burials and more)
- Warren County: Belvidere Apollo Obituary Index 1826-1899 (from the Warren County Public Library)

New Mexico
- Santa Fe and New Mexico Obituary Index 1870s to 2005 (not complete; for the second half of the 20th century covers Santa Fe only)

New York
- Fulton County Cemeteries
- Monroe County: Webster Union Cemetery Burials (Webster, New York)
- Nassau County: Town of Oyster Bay Genealogy Indexes (includes historic cemeteries, death index 1881-1920 and other items)
- New York City (Brooklyn): The Evergreens Cemetery Burial Records (not yet complete)

North Carolina
- North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930 from FamilySearch Labs (includes digitized images of the death records)
- Wake County: North Carolina Family Records Online (includes "Marriage and Death Notices from the Raleigh Register and North Carolina State Gazette: 1799-1893" and 220 family Bible records)

Oklahoma
- Kay County Genealogy Indexes: includes Cemeteries and Obituaries (from the Pioneer Genealogical Society)
- Logan County: Summit View Cemetery Burials (Guthrie, Oklahoma)
- Oklahoma County: Oklahoma City Oklahoman Obituaries Index 1972-2008 (some years missing; work in progress) also has deaths found in OKC City Directories 1918 & 1920-1923

Pennsylvania
- Delaware County: Arlington Cemetery Burials (Drexel Hill, PA)

South Carolina
- South Carolina Death Index 1915-1955 from FamilySearch Labs (includes digitized images of the death records from 1915-1943)
- Charleston County Probate Court: Estate/Will & Conservatorship/Guardianship Records Search

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index 1914-1928 (udpate: year 1928 added)
- Shelby County: Baron Hirsch Jewish Cemetery Burials (Memphis)

Texas
- Burnet County Obituary Index 1876-1910 (from the Burnet County Genealogical Society)
- Burnet County GenWeb - Genealogy Indexes (includes some cemetery transcriptions and obituary indexes)
- Liberty County Birth, Marriage and Death Index
- Williamson County Genealogical Society Cemetery Project

Vermont
- Northeast Kingdom Vermont Genealogy (has cemetery listings and other indexes for Caledonia County, Essex County and Orleans County)

Washington
- Spokane Spokesman Review Obituaries Index 2008-recent

See: The Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Millvina Dean, Last Survivor of the Titanic, Dies

2009-06-01T00:02:00.005-06:00

Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean, the last survivor of the Titanic sinking, died on May 31 at age 97. She was nine weeks old when her family boarded the Titanic in 1912. Her mother and brother also survived the sinking. Her father died in the tragedy. You can read more here: Millvina Dean, last remaining survivor of the Titanic, dies aged 97

The above image is a portion of the Carpathia passenger list showing the three surviving members of the Dean family, siblings Bertram and Elizabeth (two-month-old Eliza) and their mother Georgette (Ettie). The Carpathia rescued 705 of the Titanic's survivors and brought them to New York on April 18, 1912. See: Partial List of Survivors of the Titanic who were taken aboard the Carpathia at the U.S. National Archives website.

James Cameron, director of the popular film, Titanic, along with two of the film's stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, donated money to help pay Millvina Dean's nursing home costs in her last days.

For information on Titanic passenger records see the New York section at... What Passenger Lists are Online?

For more on Titanic survivors see the Titanic category on the right side.

FamilySearch Labs adds Death Indexes for 4 Southern States

2009-05-15T23:52:00.004-06:00

The FamilySearch Labs website has recently added death indexes (some with digitized images) for four Southern states. These are:

Alabama Deaths 1908-1974
Florida Deaths 1877-1939
North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930 (with images)
South Carolina Deaths 1915-1943 (with images)
South Carolina Deaths 1944-1955

See: FamilySearch Labs Record Search

Be aware that FamilySearch Labs is a pilot program so there may be errors, missing data or occasional downtime. Also, the website may not work with some browsers and requires Flash.

For more death indexes for these states see:

Online Alabama Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Online Florida Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Online North Carolina Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Online South Carolina Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Search Strategies for Finding Ship Passenger Lists 1820-1940s

2009-05-11T13:56:00.009-06:00

Here are some suggestions for finding your immigrant ancestors on a ship passenger list (or manifest) for their arrival in the US from 1820 to the 1940s (1950s for some ports).

Search Tips

Clues in the Census: the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 US federal censuses have a column for year of arrival for immigrants. This can help narrow down the search. Be careful as census records may contain errors.

Naturalization Records: Naturalization records created September 27, 1906 and later will usually give the name of the ship, port and date of arrival. Naturalization records before that usually do not give this information (although some might). You may sometimes find errors in these records.

Be sure to try alternate spellings of names when searching online databases or other indexes.

Ancestry.com's Immigration Records Collection
Ancestry has digitized and indexed microfilm of National Archives passenger records for the major ports (New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Orleans) as well as many smaller ports. These can be searched online if you have an Ancestry subscription (fee required). This can be a good place to start your search because they have so many records in one place. And you don't need to know the name of the port where your ancestor arrived, or the date of arrival.

Ancestry's Immigration Records Collection (information link)

Port by Port Search
If you're having difficulty finding your ancestor's passenger list you might try a more specific search at each port. If you don't know the arrival port or don't know where to start, you can find some ideas at: Tips for Determining Your Ancestor's Probable Port of Arrival

Finding Passenger Lists and Immigration Records 1820-1940s is a basic research guide for finding passenger records, listed by the major ports and some of the smaller ports

What Passenger Lists Are Online? lists some Internet sources for transcribed passenger records and indexes

New York Indexes and the Ellis Island Database...
The largest port where immgrants arrived in the U.S. is New York. Most people with European immigrant ancestors will probably want to search New York arrivals first, unless they know their immigrant ancestor arrived elsewhere. Here are some tools and articles which may be helpful for finding New York passenger arrivals:

New York Passenger Lists Research Guide

Ellis Island Database: for New York arrivals 1892-1924

Searching the Ellis Island Database in One Step can be a useful tool for searching the Ellis Island Database

Castle Garden Database indexes some NY arrivals from about 1830-1892 (may have some omissions or errors)

Ellis Island? Castle Garden? Which One? And When? is an article about New York's immigrant processing centers

Boston...

Boston Passenger Lists Research Guide

Baltimore...

Baltimore Passenger Lists Research Guide

Philadelphia...

Philadelphia Passenger Lists Research Guide

New Orleans...
If your immigrant ancestor settled in St. Louis, Missouri or along the Mississippi river (especially prior to the Civil War), he or she may have landed at New Orleans and take a riverboat up the Mississippi.

New Orleans Passenger Lists Research Guide

Smaller Ports, West Coast Ports and Border Crossing Records...

US Ports of Arrival and their Available Passenger Lists 1820-1957 is a list of many United States ports with information about the available passenger records and indexes. Includes information about Canadian and Mexican border crossing records.

Indexes for Various Ethnic Groups: Germans to America, Italians to America, Irish Immigrants, etc.
Some ship passenger indexes have been created for various ethnic groups and these may be helpful as alternate resources if you can't find your immigrant ancestor in other indexes.

The Germans to America (1850-1897), Italians to America (1855-1900), Russian Immigrants (1834-1897) and Irish Famine Immigrants (1846-1851) databases can be searched online at the National Archives website: Passenger Lists - Access to Archival Databases (AAD)

For more details on these indexes and others see:
- Germans to America, Irish Immigrants, Italians to America, Russians to America, and Dutch Immigrants in U. S. Ship Passenger Manifests
- Armenian, Bohemian, Czech, Greek, Luxembourgish and Swedish Ship Passenger List Resources

Passenger Lists and Indexes on Microfilm
Although many of the National Archives publications of ship passenger lists have been digitized and put online, you may still want to use these microfilms in your search. A little old school genealogy can sometimes go a long way...

Microfilm Roll Numbers for USA Passenger Arrival Records includes National Archives and Family History Library microfilm roll numbers

Also see the individual port links above.

Disclaimer: you might not find the person you're looking for in any of the indexes or records listed here; these are merely suggestions.

Online Military Records and Indexes - New Additions and Updates

2009-05-05T19:33:00.002-06:00

Links to the items listed below have been added to the Directory of Online Military Indexes, Records and Rosters of Soldiers

Revolutionary War
- Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements (partial collection)
- Alabama: Alphabetical List of Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama

War of 1812
- Indiana Territory: War of 1812 Collection (consists of muster, pay and receipt rolls of Indiana territory volunteers or militia)

Civil War
- Arkansas Confederate Pension Records Index
- Delaware: Records Related to Delaware's Involvement in the American Civil War (from the Delaware Public Archives)
- Georgia Confederate Veteran Grave Database (work in progress)
- Kansas Virtual Civil War Cemetery Tombstone Photos (not complete, but has over 11,000 photographs of grave markers of Civil War veterans buried in Kansas - searchable by name)
- Mississippi Confederate Grave Registry
- Nebraska Civil War Veterans Database
- North Carolina Pension Applications (Act of 1885)
- Oregon: Index to 1890 Veterans Census
- South Carolina: The New South Newspaper 1862-1866, Port Royal and Beaufort, South Carolina (digitized and searchable)

Spanish American War
- Georgia: Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards
- Kansas Troops in the Volunteer Service of the United States in the Spanish and Philippine Wars

World War One
- Denver Public Library World War I Indexes (includes: Fallen Heroes of World War I from Denver, Colorado; Colorado World War I Draft Registration Cards Index; Colorado World War I Draft Registration Index - Minorities; Colorado World War I Casualties Buried in Europe)
- Oregon WWI Draft Registration Index
- International WWI Section, Australia: World War I Service Records
- International WWI Section, New Zealand: New Zealand and World War One Assorted Indexes

World War Two
- Iowa: World War II Iowa Press Clippings Digital Collection
- Ohio: Cleveland Servicemen's Photographs Index 1940-1955
- International WWII Section, Canada: Second World War Service Files Canadian Armed Forces War Dead

Korean War
- Korean War/Access to Archival Databases (AAD) includes Korean War casualties, wounded, prisoners of war and missing in action

Vietnam War
- Vietnam War/Access to Archival Databases (AAD) includes Vietnam War casualties, wounded, prisoners of war, missing in action, and more items

See: Online Military Indexes and Records

Online Death Records and Indexes - New Additions and Updates

2009-04-06T06:33:00.003-06:00

The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Directory has been updated with links to the following items...

Alabama
- Madison County Probate Records Index 1809-1965 (also includes indexes for marriage licenses and other items)
- Montgomery County Cemeteries

Arizona
- Arizona Death Records Index 1844-1958 (update: year 1958 added)
- Maricopa County: Double Butte Cemetery Burials (2nd listing)

California
- Riverside County: Lake Elsinore Cemetery Burials

Colorado
- El Paso County Cemeteries (from the Colorado Tombstone Transcription Project)
- Larimer County: Local History Archive (includes burials in Grandview and Roselawn Cemeteries and indexes for some obituaries)

Florida
- Escambia County: St. John's Historic Cemetery Burial Search (Pensacola, Florida)

Illinois
- Boone County Historical Society Museum Obituary Search
- Kane County: St. Charles Public Library Local Newspapers Index 1993-present (includes obituaries)
- Madison County Genealogical Resources - includes Cemetery Burials (from the Edwardsville Public Library and the Illinois Digital Archives)
- McHenry County Historical Society Obituaries Index
- Winnebago County Death Index 1844-1981

Indiana
- Morgan County Cemeteries Index

Kentucky
- Jefferson County: Herman Meyer & Son Jewish Funeral Home - Burials and Headstone Photos (Louisville, KY) ongoing project

Maryland
- Early Maryland Probate Indexes
- Allegany County: Percy Cemetery Burials and Obituaries (small older cemetery in Frostburg, MD)
- Washington County Obituary Locator 1790-2007

Massachusetts
- Barnstable County: Barnstable Patriot Newspaper Archive 1830-1930

Michigan
- Michigan Death Records 1897-1920 (ongoing project - not yet complete)
- Delta County Genealogical Society - Genealogy Indexes (includes: probate index 1873-1975, and a cemetery burials index)

Mississippi
- Monroe County Book of the Dead: Cemetery Burials (work in progress)

Missouri
- Missouri Death Certificates Index and Images 1910-1958 (update: year 1958 added)
- St. Louis: Deaths in the Daily Missouri Democrat, 1860; and St. Louis Globe-Democrat, 1880; See: Online St. Louis, Missouri Death Records, Indexes & Obituaries

New Hampshire
- Belknap County: Sanbornton Historical Society Cemetery Burials (ongoing project)
- Sullivan County: Cemeteries of Washington, NH

New Jersey
- New Jersey Death Records Index, June 1878-June 1884 (from the NJ State Archives)
- Bergen County: Riverside Jewish Cemetery Burials (Saddle Brook, NJ)

New Mexico
- Bernalillo County: Burials in 4 Albuquerque Cemeteries
- San Juan County Genealogy Indexes (includes an obituary index 1982-Feb. 2000, and cemetery burials)

New York
- Chautauqua County Cemeteries (also has some church death and burial transcriptions)
- Western New York Genealogy Indexes from the Painted Hills Genealogy Society (includes cemetery burials and other indexes for Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, Chautauqua County and Steuben County)
- Northern New York Historical Newspapers (for Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, and Saint Lawrence Counties)
- For more historical NY newspapers see the New York section at: Historical Newspapers and Indexes on the Internet - USA

Ohio
- Clermont County Cemetery Photo Project
- Cuyahoga County: Western Reserve Historical Society - Genealogy and Other Indexes (includes index to McGorray Brothers Funeral Home Ledger Books; Marriage and Death Notice index from the Jewish Independent, and Jewish Review and Observer 1889-1964; and other items)
- Trumbull County: Warren-Trumbull County Public Library Obituaries Index

Oregon
- Multnomah County: Portland Oregonian Newspaper Index Search 1851-1987, includes obituaries index 1975-1987
- Washington County Cemetery Records

Pennsylvania
- Assorted Pennsylvania Cemeteries/WebCemeteries (a collection of mostly small cemeteries in PA; includes a genealogy search)
- McKean County Cemeteries
- Philadelphia County Cemeteries (USGenWeb Archives)
- Philadelphia County: Fair Hill Burial Ground Interments (historic Quaker cemetery in Philadelphia)
- Potter County Cemeteries
- York County Death Indexes and Genealogy Indexes (update: new URL and new indexes added)

South Dakota
- South Dakota Gravestone Photos (ongoing project)

Tennessee
- Rutherford County Cemeteries

Texas
- Nueces County: Corpus Christi Obituary Index and Old Bayview Cemetery Burials (update: Bayview cemetery added)

Utah
- Iron County: Cedar City Cemetery Burials (ongoing project)

Washington
- Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State Cemetery Project

West Virginia
- West Virginia Death Index 1917-1958; coverage varies by county (update: year 1958 added)
- Huntington Herald Dispatch & Charleston Gazette Obituaries Index 1990-2005 (PDF files; has some gaps)

Wisconsin
- Milwaukee County: Wisconsin Jewish Death & Burial Index, and Jewish Chronicle Obituary Index

See: Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Michigan Death Certificates 1897-1920 Going Online

2009-03-17T10:51:00.004-06:00

The Archives of Michigan and the Library of Michigan are uploading about one million death records from 1897-1920 to their "Seeking Michigan" website. Currently about 250,000 death certificates have been made available on the website with more being added in the next few weeks.

You can download copies of the currently available death certificates for free at: Michigan Death Records 1897-1920 (website may be receiving high traffic - if you experience problems you might check back later)

For more online Michigan death records and indexes see: Online Michigan Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

For information about more online death certificates see: Online Death Certificates

Tips for Finding German Genealogy Records for Your German-American Ancestor

2009-03-08T18:38:00.007-06:00

After I posted Tips for Finding Your German Immigrant Ancestor's Hometown in Germany last month, someone asked me what the next step was. She already had the name of her immigrant ancestor's hometown and didn't know where to look for further research. So here are some suggestions that may be helpful...

German Genealogy Records at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City
I usually start a German genealogy research project by checking the catalog of the LDS Family History Library (FHL) to see if they have any microfilmed records for the place where my German ancestor lived. Doing a "Place Search" in their online catalog for the name of the town can tell you whether they have microfilmed records available at the library for that town. You may also want to search for the broader region or for nearby towns.

Be aware that other German towns across Germany may have the same or similar names as the town you're looking for. To help find the correct location you might try checking German maps or German gazetteers.

If the FHL has the microfilmed records you need, you can order the microfilm rolls for viewing from many local LDS Family History Centers for a fee (some German microfilms may not circulate in Europe). Church records are often used for doing genealogy research in Germany so it is helpful to know your ancestor's religious affiliation. If your ancestral family's place of residence doesn't have a church they may have gone to one in a nearby town.

German Genealogy Records in Germany (if not available at the FHL)
If the Family History Library does not have the records you need, then you can try writing letters or emails to local parishes, civil or religious archives, or civil registration offices in Germany. The book, Ancestors in German Archives: A Guide to Family History Sources, can be a helpful reference (try your local library). Some German archives have websites. Many of these are listed in the book, or you might try a Google search for the name of the archive you need. This directory may also be helpful: Deutsche Archive im Internet -- try the Staatliche Archive (Staatsarchive) and Kirchenarchive (Church archives) listed there.

The German Letter Writing Guide from the FHL may be helpful for writing to German parishes and archives. There will usually be fees for any research requests you have (even if records are not found). In some cases, you may want to hire a local researcher in Germany, especially if you need extensive research done.

Is Anything Online? - German Genealogy Records on the Internet
Some indexes to German genealogy records are available online. Here's a handy starting point: Online German Genealogy Indexes and Databases. You might also try Google searches for the German town or parish.

Disclaimer: you may not be able find records for your German ancestor using this guide. These are merely suggestions.

Tips for Finding Your German Immigrant Ancestor's Hometown in Germany

2009-02-04T07:19:00.006-07:00

If you have German ancestors, you will need to know the name of the specific place (city, town or village) where your German immigrant ancestor lived. Then you can take your genealogy research back to Germany and look for German genealogy records. Here are some suggestions where you might find the German place of origin for your ancestor who came to America from Germany.

Ship Passenger Records (arrivals)

"Last residence" (name of town) for each passenger is usually given on U.S. passenger arrival records starting about 1893 (this varies by port). All New York passenger arrival records starting with June 1897 and later should have this information for each passenger. Earlier passenger records (beginning with 1820) sometimes list the town of residence for the passengers, but most do not.

Finding Passenger Lists from 1820 to the 1940s lists many of the available indexes and where to find them

Finding Passenger Lists before 1820 lists many sources for finding immigration related material before 1820

Germans to America indexes German immigrant passengers for the major ports (New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston and New Orleans).

Germans to America 1850-1897
Germans to America Series II: the 1840s
The 1850-1897 period can be searched online at: National Archives - Access to Archival Databases - Passenger Lists

The Ellis Island Online Database covers New York arrivals 1892-1924

Also see: What Passenger Lists Are Online?

The Hamburg Passenger Departure Lists 1850-1934
If your ancestor's ship departed from the German port of Hamburg then you may be able to find the departure list for that ship. These records usually give the last residence for each passenger.

Other Sources - Death Certificates, Obituaries, Naturalization Records, Biographies, more...

Church Records...

American church records sometimes give the place of origin of immigrant families - the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City might have some of these on microfilm - check their catalog
Sometimes church records for German churches in America will list the German place of birth of the parents in the baptismal records of their children (try the FHL).
If you don't know which church your ancestor attended look for churches near the address where he or she lived - you can sometimes find addresses in census records and city directories.

Death Certificates usually give place of birth (sometimes just the country, but sometimes the town is given).

Online Finding Aid: Directory of Online Death Records Indexes and Death Certificates

Obituaries - search the local newspaper(s) where your ancestor died a day or more after the date of death

Obituaries in American German language newspapers - try checking at a library in the area your ancestor lived

Naturalization Records (especially if naturalized September 27, 1906 and later; Naturalization records before Sept. 27, 1906 generally do not name the town, but a few occasionally will have this)

The 1900-1930 federal censuses tell whether a person was naturalized. The 1920 census gives year of naturalization.
Types of Naturalization Records describes declarations of intention, petitions, certificates, etc.
Suggested Book: Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States by Christina Schaefer

County Histories and Biographies

Online Finding Aid: Online County Histories, Biographies and Indexes

Family tradition - talk to your relatives

Family documents, photo albums, family Bibles...

World War I Draft Registration Cards nearly 11 million (men born about June 1886 to June 1897) of the 24 million total draft cards asked for location of birth (town, state, nation).

International Genealogical Index (IGI)

German Emigration Lists (lists of people who applied to leave Germany)

Determining a Place of Origin in Germany from the FHL is a helpful resource

Disclaimer: you may not find the place name in any of the records listed here. These are merely suggestions.

This outline was derived from the "Find your Immigrant Ancestor" section of the Basic Reasearch Guide for German Genealogy. It was created for the Germanic Genealogy Society of Colorado.

You can download a printable PDF version of this outline from: Genealogy Roots Blog Files: Finding Your German Ancestor's Hometown

Next Article in this Series: Tips for Finding German Genealogy Records for your German-American Ancestor

Latest Additions - Online Indexes for Obituaries and Death Records

2009-01-11T12:30:00.003-07:00

This list kept getting longer and longer and so I thought, time to post it...

The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Directory has been updated with links to the following items...

Arizona
- Arizona Gravestone Photo Project (has over 61,000 gravestone photos from across Arizona)

California
- Early California Population Project (contains baptism, marriage, and burial records in the California mission registers from 1769-1850, documenting nearly 110,000 early residents)
- Imperial County: Riverview Cemetery Burials (Brawley, California)
- Lassen County Obituary Index (for various newspapers and years)
- Sacramento Historic City Cemetery Burials 1849-2000 (PDF file)
- San Francisco: Halsted Mortuary Records Search 1923-1960
- Siskiyou County Obituary Index

Georgia
- DeKalb County Cemetery and Will Records Databases (also has other genealogy indexes)

Illinois
- Adams County: Quincy Historical Newspaper Archive 1835-1919 (update: more years added)
- Sangamon County: Oak Ridge Cemetery Interment Records, March 1858-July 1918 (in Springfield, IL)

Indiana
- Elkhart County: Nappanee Public Library Obituaries Index
- Elkhart County: Wakarusa Public Library Obituaries
- Washington County: Crown Hill Cemetery Burials, Salem, Indiana

Kansas
- Johnson County Obituaries Index 1977-present (updated)
- Norton County Cemeteries
- Norton County Obituaries Indexes

Kentucky
- Allen County Genealogy Database (includes some death indexes and cemetery burials)

Maine
- Cumberland County: Portland Diocese Catholic Cemetery Burials (ongoing project)

Massachusetts
- Worcester County: Worcester Evening Post Deaths Index 1897-1898 (ongoing project)

Michigan
- Calhoun County Death Index, c. 1930s-recent
- Hillsdale County Cemeteries
- Kalamazoo County Genealogy Records (includes vital records, cemeteries, probate records and more)
- Oakland County: Machpelah Cemetery Jewish Burials (Ferndale, Michigan)
- Wayne County: Woodmere Cemetery (Detroit) Some Early Burials (ongoing project)

Mississippi
- Monroe County: Pearce Chapel Church Cemetery

Missouri
- Jefferson County Newspaper Index 1866-1910 (includes birth, marriage and death notices)
- St. Louis: St. Peter's Cemetery Burial Search (St. Peter's Evangelical United Church of Christ)
- St. Louis: Missouri History Museum Genealogy and Local History Index (includes: Missouri Republican death index, 1870-July 13, 1871 & 1880-July 2, 1881, also indexes many other sources)
- St. Louis County: Cemetery Records, St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Creve Coeur

Montana
- Lewis and Clark County: Helena Independent Record Obituary Index Jan-1984 to Dec-2006 (also has some cemetery indexes and other genealogy indexes)
- Yellowstone County: Vital Statistics from Early Billings Gazettes 1882-1901

New Jersey
- Monmouth County Archives Searchable Genealogy Databases (includes Coroner Inquests Index 1786-1915 and other indexes)

New York
- Franklin County Cemeteries
- Steuben County Cemeteries

North Carolina
- Craven County: New Bern Obituaries and Death Notices Index (update: several years added)

North Dakota
- Stark County: City of Dickinson Cemeteries Burial Database (PDF files)

Ohio
- Franklin County: Columbus Jewish Historical Society Cemetery Project
- Franklin County: Union Cemetery Burials, Columbus, Ohio
- Hamilton County: Rest Haven Memorial Park Cemetery Burials (Cincinnati)
- Montgomery County: David's Cemetery Burials, Kettering, Ohio
- Washington County Genealogy (includes some burials and an index to 17,792 Obituaries 1987-1999)

Oklahoma
- Carter County Cemetery Burials

Oregon
- Multnomah County: Portland Historic Pioneer Cemeteries Search

Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Database

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index 1914-1927 (Update: year 1927 added)

Vermont
- Vermont Probate Files 1791-1919 at FamilySearch Labs (not yet complete)

See: Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

St. Louis, Missouri Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

2008-12-01T12:04:00.001-07:00

The online death indexes directory now has a new separate webpage for St. Louis, Missouri...

Online St. Louis Death Records Indexes, Obituaries and Cemeteries

There you will find links to online St. Louis and Missouri death indexes, obituary indexes for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, some cemetery burial indexes, a St. Louis Coroner's index, ordering information for Missouri death certificates, and more.

For other Missouri cities and counties see: Online Missouri Death Records Indexes, Obituaries and Cemeteries

Online Death Records and Indexes - New Additions and Updates

2008-11-10T07:32:00.005-07:00

The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Directory has been updated with links to the following items...

Alabama
- Dale County: Ozark Dale County Public Library Obituary Database

Arkansas
- Saline County Cemeteries

California
- Butte County Obituary Indexes (presently includes surnames beginning with A-F only)
- Butte County Vital Records Index 1854-1897 (from local newspapers)

Illinois
- JGSI Online Death Index Project - includes some Jewish Cemeteries in the Chicago Area
- Lake County: Cook Memorial Public Library Obituary Index 1894-March 10, 1988 from the Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Libertyville Independent and Independent Register

Kansas
- Edwards County Cemetery Burial Records Directory 1881 to Present (also has other genealogy indexes)
- Labette County Obituaries Index 1990-2008 (also has marriages and anniversaries index 1990-2005)
- McPherson County: McPherson Public Library Obituary Index 1872-present
- Miami County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes 1885-1911
- Russell County: Luray Library - Local Cemeteries
- Saline County Cemeteries

Kentucky
- Daviess County: Owensboro Area Obituary Index and Abstracts, 1842-present (ongoing project)
- Henderson County Public Library Obituary Finder 1984-present

Louisiana
- Louisiana Death Index 1911-1956 (includes some earlier entries)
- Caddo Parish: Oakland Cemetery Burials (in Shreveport)
- Grant Parish: Liberty Chapel Cemetery Burials (in Williana)
- Grant Parish: Georgetown Cemetery Burials

Maine
- York County: Burials in the First Parish Cemetery of York, Maine

Maryland
- Records of Jewish Cemeteries in Maryland (PDF files of cemetery burials in various Jewish cemeteries in Maryland)

Michigan
- Southwest Michigan Obituary Index (work in progress - has 89,000 entries; for Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties)
- Emmet County Clerk Death Record Search
- Grand Traverse Herald Obituary Index 1859-1901
- Saginaw County: City of Saginaw Cemeteries Search

Minnesota
- St. Louis County: Hibbing Cemetery Database (PDF files)

Nebraska
- Nebraska Gravestone Photos -- over 80,000 gravestone photos from across Nebraska

New York
- Allegany County: Woodlawn Cemetery Burials -- in Almond, New York
- New York City/Queens: Mt. Lebanon Cemetery Burials (Glendale, New York)

North Carolina
- Cherokee County Genealogy Records -- includes some cemetery burials and a death index 1913-1927

Ohio
- Huron County: Willard Memorial Library Obituary and Birth Announcement Indexes
- Montgomery County Genealogical Society Indexes -- includes cemeteries and some obituaries

Oklahoma
- Coal County Obituaries Index and other Genealogy Indexes

Pennsylvania
- Clarion County: Eccles-Lesher Memorial Library Burials Database
- Somerset County: Obituary Notices Published in Several County Newspapers, 1970-2004

South Dakota
- Lake County: Obituary Index of the Madison Daily Leader 1930-2007

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index 1914-1926 (Update: year 1926 added)
- Benton County: Pleasant Hill Baptist Cemetery Burials
- Carroll County: Oak Grove Cemetery Burials

West Virginia
- Wood County: Burials in Some Parkersburg Pioneer Cemeteries

Wisconsin
- Newspaper Index for Dunn, Pepin & Barron Counties from 1862-1930 (indexes announcements of births, deaths, anniversaries, and probate notices listed in the local newspapers; also has Dunn County cemetery indexes and other items)
- Fond du Lac County: Ripon Obituaries and Cemetery Records

Wyoming
- Lincoln County: Star Valley Historical Society Obituaries and Headstones
- Niobrara County Library Genealogy Archive: Obituaries and Cemetery Burials -- also has birth records

See: Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records

Celebrating Ten Years of German Roots

2008-10-25T11:46:00.001-06:00

October 2008 is the tenth anniversary of my German Roots: German Genealogy Resources website. It started off with just a handful of pages and now it has, oh I don't know, a whole lot of pages.

I initially started the website as a directory of online resources for German-American genealogy research. Eventually I added some of my own content and articles. And a whole bunch of other genealogy stuff. It was originally put online in October 1998 at http://home.att.net/~wee-monster/

And it's still there today. In case you're wondering about the URL, Monster was my dog at the time. She died last year. She was wee :)

You can also get to the site at www.germanroots.com which is easier to remember than the name of my dog, I suppose.

Three other websites were eventually spun off of the German Roots site, when I realized it was getting too big and I wanted to expand it beyond German genealogy. These are:

Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries for the USA, which was originally a single webpage on the German Roots website.

Online Military Indexes and Records, also originally a single webpage on the German Roots website.

Genealogy Articles, Tips and Research Guides, which is where I put more general genealogy stuff.

So here's to a very interesting ten years of German Roots. Thanks to all the people who have offered suggestions and comments and constructive criticism. Everyone gets a symbolic cyber German beer! Prost!

Genealogy Records and Indexes on the Internet - USA

2008-10-20T12:28:00.003-06:00

Ok, I admit it. Sometimes I can't remember where some of my own webpages are and I have to use Google to find them. How embarrassing. So I've compiled this list of many of my directories of online U.S. genealogy indexes and records. To help me find them myself and maybe it will be helpful to you too...

Cemeteries, Obituaries and Vital Records

Online Death Indexes, Death Certificates, Obituaries and Cemetery Burial Records

Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes

Census Records

Some Free Online Census Records Indexes

State Census Records includes links to some online indexes

County Histories and Biographies

Online County Histories, Biographies and Indexes

Immigration Records

What Passenger Lists are Online?

Online Naturalization Records and Indexes

Military Records

Online Military Indexes, Records and Rosters of Soldiers

Newspapers (Historical)

Directory of Historical Newspapers on the Internet

Louisiana Death Index Now Online

2008-09-19T13:17:00.003-06:00

The state of Louisiana now has an online death index that presently covers the years 1911-1956. You can order copies of the death certificates by mail for a fee. The database also includes a few entries prior to 1911, but copies of some earlier records may not be available. See: Louisiana Death Records Index 1911-1956

For more online Louisiana death indexes see: Directory of Online Louisiana Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Thanks to Elizabeth for letting me know about the Louisiana database.

Latest Additions - Online Death Indexes, Records and Obituaries

2008-08-11T12:33:00.004-06:00

The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Directory has been updated with links to the following items...

Alabama
- Jefferson County: Birmingham Area Newspapers Obituaries Index, January 1943-December 1976 (update: more years added)

Arizona
- Maricopa County: West Valley Genealogical Society Obituaries Index 1998-2003 (update: year 2003 added)

Georgia
- Chattooga County: Death Notices from the Summerville News Newspaper 1927-1942 (also has some cemetery listings)

Illinois
- Cook County and Chicago section: Historical Cook County Vital Records - Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates (index searches are free/payment required to download copies of the records) ... See: Online Chicago and Cook County Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Indiana
- Knox County Death Indexes, 1921-June 2002 & Vincennes Sun-Commercial Obituary Index 2002-2007 from the Knox County Public Library
- Perry County: Tell City-Perry County Public Library Obituary Finder (recent)

Kansas
- Johnson County District Court Public Records Search -- includes indexes for recent probate records and marriage licenses

Kentucky
- Boyd County Cemeteries & Ashland Daily Independent Obituary Index 1922-1945 -- from the Boyd County Library; also includes other genealogy indexes

Michigan
- Michigan Death Records 1867-1897 at FamilySearch Labs (includes scanned images from the death ledgers) beta testing
- Barry County Public Records Index - includes a death certificates index

Mississippi
- Monroe County: New Hope Cemetery Burials (Parham, Mississippi)

North Carolina
- New Hanover County: Oakdale Cemetery Burials -- in Wilmington, North Carolina

Ohio
- Fairfield County Cemeteries Surname Index
- Franklin County: Silent Home Cemetery Burials (in Truro Twp near Reynoldsburg)
- Washington County: 5,275 Burials in Washington County, Ohio Cemeteries

Oklahoma
- Muskogee Death and Newspaper Obituary Indexes 1918-1936 and 1954-2008 (update: more years added)
- Washington County: White Rose Cemetery Burial Search -- City of Bartlesville

South Carolina
- Greenville County: Greenville News Obituary Index 1917-1993 and 1994-present
- Greenville County Historical Records Search -- includes some older probate and estate records

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index 1914-1925 (update: year 1925 added)
- Tennessee Death Index 1949-2005 (not complete) "Partial Indexes from 1949-2005"
- Blount County Obituaries Indexes: includes Maryville Times Obituary Index 1906-1960 (over 16,000) & Index to Misc Obituaries 1867-1940 (over 11,000)

See: Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Mamma Mia! and the Joy of Choosing Your Own Ancestors

2008-08-08T11:59:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I went with my mom to see the movie Mamma Mia!. I am such a good son, taking my mother to see this completely ridiculous campy musical extravaganza. I also saw the Broadway musical version last year with my mom and two other friends. And now I'm going to admit that I'm an Abba fan. I've liked them since I was a young sprog and they were still together making records. And all married to each other. And I honestly thought I would hate Mamma Mia!. But I admit I liked the thing. It's just so silly and uplifting and fun. And it's filled with Abba songs. Tons of them. The movie is just about as much fun as the stage musical. And Meryl Streep looks like she's having a blast throughout.

So now I know what you're thinking: What does Mamma Mia! have to do with genealogy? C'mon theatergoers, it's soooo obvious. The girl has three dads! And she doesn't know which one is really her dad. Sophie's mom had brief affairs with three men right in a row some twenty years ago. And now Sophie, who's about to be married, wants to know who her dad is. So she invites all three to the wedding. And they all show up. Mayhem and Abba songs ensue. C'mon if you had three dads wouldn't you dance around and start singing "Voulez-Vous" for no reason? While most of us are trying to figure out who our great great great great grandparents are, this poor girl has three potential dads lined up in a row and she doesn't know which one is the right guy. Hey, even own her mother, Meryl Streep, doesn't know. Now before you can say, "DNA test," please consider this: there are no Abba songs about DNA. Nope. Nothing about genetics either, or genealogy, or having three dads. And consider this: Sophie's dad is one of the following...

1. Remington Steele
2. Mr. Darcy himself
3. Some sea-faring Swedish guy

Er, actually that would be:

1. Pierce Brosnan
2. Colin Frith or Firth I can never remember which
3. A fine Swedish actor whose name I can't spell

Now would you have a DNA test, or perhaps just choose Mr. Darcy? Personally I think I'd run off with Sophie, who is just as cute as can be. Er wait a minute I've gone off track here. So pretend for a moment that you get to pick your ancestors. It would make genealogy sooo much easier. Yeah, I'm not sure if I'd want that Jane Austen dude as an ancestor, so I'm going with Remington Steele. Even if he can't sing. And for my grandparents... hmmm... let's see...

All right now back to some real genealogy. Everyone go click on some links over on the right side.

20 Things That Make Genealogy Fun

2008-07-25T09:37:00.005-06:00

This is intended to be a bunch of silly nonsense. So please don't take it too seriously.

In Germany all the women are named Anna Maria and all the men are named Johann. This was done to confuse genealogists.

In Mexico all the women are named Maria and all the men are named Juan. This was done to confuse genealogists.

In Ireland all the women are named Mary and all the men are named James Patrick O'Connor. This was done for "fun in the pub."

In New Mexico the "Kevin Bacon Game" is called the "Juan Baca Game." No one knows who Juan Baca was, but everyone in New Mexico can trace their ancestors to him.

In Boston the "Kevin Bacon Game" is called the "James Patrick O'Connor Game." And you're only allowed to play with a Boston accent. For tips on fine tuning your Boston accent see the Academy Award winning Martin Scorsese film, the Depahhted.

The record you need is always at the end of the microfilm roll.

The records at the beginning of the roll are clear and easy to read with beautiful penmenship. By the time you scroll to the end of the roll where the record you need is located, everything is a blurry mess.

Oh nevermind. They're gonna digitize all of it soon anyway, right?

You actually know what M237 means. You freak.

All of your ancestors settled in Chicago. Whenever you can't find something about them you curse Mrs. O'Leary's cow.

That same cow is probably responsible for the loss of the 1890 census.

Stupid cow.

You wonder why a non-profit religious organization can distribute National Archives microfilm better than the National Archives.

You wish the founding fathers had thought up Social Security so the Social Security Death Index would begin around, oh, 1780 or so.

When someone first tells you their last name you immediately convert it into a Soundex code. This kind of behavior is so not normal. Er wait a minute, since everything has been/will be digitized we don't need Soundex codes anymore, right?

Your ancestors did not swim to America.

You are not a Cherokee princess.

None of your ancestors knew Jesse James.

But my Apache princess ancestor knew Billy the Kid.

So yeah, my ancestors are cooler than yours. Well of course everyone thinks that... Ok, number 19 is not really true.

Your ancestors really did swim to America. Perhaps alongside one of these ships: Finding Passenger Lists 1820-1940s (arrivals at US Ports)

Your ancestors are named Anna Maria and Johann. You'll love it here: German Roots: German Genealogy Resources

Your ancestors are named Mary and James Patrick O'Connor: Irish Genealogy Resources

You've been playing the "Juan Baca Game..." New Mexico Genealogy Resources

Don't know what M237 means? You do now... National Archives Microfilm Publication M237: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, NY, 1820-1897, which of course, has been digitized.

The Fate of the 1890 Census Stupid cow!

This is a revised and reduced version of my original "25 Things that Make Genealogy Fun" list. So yeah basically I stole this from myself. Please don't bother with the original one. Note lack of link.

Chicago and Cook County Vital Records Now Online

2008-07-04T12:49:00.007-06:00

The Cook County, Illinois Clerk's Office has a new website where you can obtain online copies of Cook County and Chicago birth certificates 75 years or older, marriage licenses 50 years or older, and death certificates 20 years or older. You may search the database for free, but payment is required to download copies of the records. The records begin circa 1872. Cook County vital records before that were destroyed in the Chicago fire of 1871. Not all of the records have been posted online yet, but more are being added.

See: Cook County Genealogy: Vital Records - Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates

Also helpful: Online Chicago and Cook County Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Thanks to Anita for letting me know when these went online.

Online Death Certificates - Updated

2008-06-09T10:57:00.010-06:00

This article was updated on 18 June 2009.

Here is a list of some collections of online digitized death certificates or death ledgers (some are free, some fee-based). Note that some death certificate images at these websites may be unavailable because of errors or other reasons.

Arizona
Arizona Death Certificates 1844-1958 (free) also includes birth certificates 1855-1933

Georgia
Georgia Death Certificates 1919-1927 (free)

Illinois: Chicago and Cook County
The Cook County Clerk's office has birth certificates more than 75 years old, marriage certificates more than 50 years old, and death certificates more than 20 years old available online for a fee. The records go back as far as 1872 -- earlier records were lost in the Chicago Fire of 1871. See: Historical Cook County Vital Records - Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates (searches are free; requires a fee to download copies of the records; note that some records may not yet be available online)

Also see: Online Chicago and Cook County Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Kentucky
As part of their subscription-based collection of genealogy records, Ancestry has digitized Kentucky death certificates from 1911-1953. See: Online Kentucky Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Michigan

Currently being tested in the FamilySearch Labs are scanned Michigan death ledgers from 1867-1897. FamilySearch Labs is a pilot program so there may occasional errors or downtime. Note these are not death certificates, but death registers or ledgers. (free)

Michigan Death Records 1897-1920 (ongoing project - not yet complete) from the Archives of Michigan and the Library of Michigan (free)

Missouri
Missouri Death Certificates 1910-1958 (free) from the Missouri State Archives

North Carolina
As part of their collection of online genealogy records, Ancestry has scanned North Carolina death certificates from 1909-1975 available for downloading (subscription required). And FamilySearch Labs has digitized North Carolina death records from 1906-1930 (free to download). For information on these see: Online North Carolina Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Ohio (beta testing)
Currently being tested in the FamilySearch Labs are scanned Ohio death certificates from 1908-1953. FamilySearch Labs is a pilot program so there may occasional errors or downtime. (free)

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia (beta testing)
Currently being tested in the FamilySearch Labs are scanned Philadelphia City death certificates from 1803-1915. FamilySearch Labs is a pilot program so there may occasional errors or downtime. (free)

South Carolina
As part of their collection of online genealogy records, Ancestry has digitized South Carolina death certificates from 1915-1955 (subscription required). And FamilySearch Labs has digitized South Carolina death records from 1915-1943 (free to download). For information on these see: Online South Carolina Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Texas (beta testing)
Currently being tested in the FamilySearch Labs are scanned Texas death certificates from 1890-1976. FamilySearch Labs is a pilot program so there may occasional errors or downtime. Very few certificates are available prior to 1903. (free)

Utah
Utah Death Certificates 1904-1956 (free)

West Virginia
West Virginia Death Certificates 1917-1958 (free) coverage varies by county - also has birth and marriage records for some counties

Other States - Death Indexes
For a directory of online death indexes, including some cemetery records, obituaries, and probate records see: Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records

Death Indexes Website is Back Online

2008-06-02T10:21:00.009-06:00

The Online Searchable Death Indexes, Records and Obituaries website is back online. Thank you.

Online Death Records and Indexes - New Additions and Updates

2008-05-11T10:45:00.002-06:00

The Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records Website has been updated with links to the following items...

Arizona
- Arizona Death Records 1844-1957 (update: 1844-1877 and 1957 added)
- Miscellaneous Arizona Obituaries Index

Arkansas
- Craighead County Deaths & Obituaries Index 1885-2008 -- from The Jonesboro Sun

Colorado
- Pitkin County: Ute Cemetery Burials (in Aspen) -- includes some Civil War veterans

Indiana
- Putnam County Cemeteries - Listed by Township -- searchable by name (not complete)

Missouri
- Missouri Death Certificates 1910-1957 (update: death certificates for 1940-1944 and 1957 added)
- St. Charles County: St. Charles Library Local Indexes -- includes: Oak Grove Cemetery Database and St. Charles Local Newspaper Index (starts with 1988)

New York
- Onondaga County Public Library's WPA Files, Newspaper Index 1814-1900 -- includes some deaths (also has Onondaga County State Census Indexes for 1855 & 1865)

North Carolina
- Macon County Cemeteries
- Assorted Macon County Obituaries 1920-present -- over 10,000 obituaries (also has a link to some cemetery photos)

Ohio
- Franklin County: Obetz Cemetery Burials - Columbus, Ohio

Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia City Death Certificates 1803-1915 from FamilySearch Labs (being tested)
- Westmoreland County: Latrobe Bulletin Obituaries and Death Notices Index, December 18, 1902-present -- from the Adams Memorial Library

South Carolina
- South Carolina Death Index 1915-1957 (update: year 1957 added)
- Dillon County: Extracts of Obituaries from the Dillon Herald 1940-2008

South Dakota
- South Dakota State Archives - WPA Cemeteries Search -- pre-1940s (not complete)

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index 1914-1924 (update: year 1924 added)

Texas
- Texas Deaths 1890-1976 from FamilySearch Labs -- includes text summaries with some information from the death certificates (being tested)
- Harris County: Houston Funeral Home Records Index (for the Fogle West and Boulevard Funeral Homes)

Virginia
- Newport News: Daily Press Obituary Index 1898-1988 -- from the Newport News Public Library System

Washington
- Washington Deaths 1907-1960 from FamilySearch Labs -- includes text summaries with some information from the death certificates (being tested)

See: Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Happy Birthday, Genealogy Roots Blog!

2008-04-19T18:51:00.003-06:00

Oops! While I wasn't paying attention, the Genealogy Roots Blog quietly turned 2. Yesterday was the blog's second anniversary. My first post, about the Missouri Death Certificates Index, was on April 18, 2006.

So a humble and slightly late happy birthday to the Genealogy Roots Blog. A big thank you to everyone who reads this.

Also, we have some new subscribers who are coming over from the old Genealogy Roots Newsletter, which is being shut down and replaced by this blog. The newsletter that inspired this blog goes back to 2001. So welcome new subscribers. Thanks for dropping by.

Hello to Randy Seaver and Megan Smolenyak, who also started genealogy blogging in April 2006.

Lillian Asplund's Shoebox Full of Titanic Memories

2008-04-07T16:08:00.006-06:00

A shoebox full of letters and other items relating to the family of Lillian Asplund, was found after her death and will be auctioned off later this month. Lillian Asplund was the last American survivor of the Titanic when she died in 2006. She was also the last survivor who was old enough to remember the events. There is presently only one living Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean of Southampton, England, who was a two-month-old baby at the time of the Titanic tragedy.

On April 10, 1912 Carl Asplund bought seven third class tickets for the Titanic's first trip from Southampton, England to New York City. The tickets were for himself, his wife Selma (then aged 38), and their five children: Filip (13), Clarence (9), twins Lillian and Carl (both 5), and Felix (3). Of the seven family members only three survived the Titanic's sinking: Selma, who died in 1964, Felix, who died in 1983, and Lillian, who died in 2006. The two surviving children, Lillian and Felix, never married and neither had children.

The image above is a portion of the Carpathia passenger list showing the three surviving members of the Asplund family. The Carpathia rescued 705 of the Titanic's survivors and brought them to New York on April 18, 1912. See: Partial List of Survivors of the Titanic who were taken aboard the Carpathia at the U.S. National Archives website.

The shoebox was found among the possessions of Lillian Asplund, who rarely spoke about the tragedy. It includes photographs, her parents' wedding rings, a rare Titanic ticket and letters. For more on this story and some photographs see: The Titanic historical treasure trove discovered in a shoe box after death of last living survivor

For more on ship passenger lists see: What Passenger Lists are Online?

Directory of Historical Newspapers on the Internet

2008-04-06T17:04:00.004-06:00

The directory of U.S. historical newspapers at the Genealogy Research Guides Website was recently revised and expanded. This directory includes links to online collections of historical newspapers or indexes from about 20 states. Individual newspapers are usually not listed unless they are for a large city (such as the New York Times) or represent an important historic period (such as the Civil War). The directory can be found at:

Historical Newspapers and Indexes On The Internet - USA