St. Louis, Missouri Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

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

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

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)
- Grant Parish: Liberty Chapel Cemetery Burials (in Williana)

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
- 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 Cemetery Index

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)

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

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 home.att.net/~wee-monster

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

The website is now 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

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

The state of Louisiana now has an online death index that presently covers the years 1911-1969. 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, 1911-1969

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

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
- 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

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

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

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


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


3. 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."


4. 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.


5. 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.


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


7. 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.


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


9. You actually know what M237 means. You freak.


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


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


12. Stupid cow.


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


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


15. 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?


16. Your ancestors did not swim to America.


17. You are not a Cherokee princess.


18. None of your ancestors knew Jesse James.


19. But my Apache princess ancestor knew Billy the Kid.


20. 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.

Online Death Certificates and Records - USA

This webpage/blog post has moved. See:

Places to Find Digitized Death Certificates to Download Online - USA

Updated on 22 October 2021.

Death Indexes Website is Back Online

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

Online Death Records and Indexes - New Additions and Updates

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)

North Carolina
- Macon County Cemeteries

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)

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!

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

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

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

Missouri Death Certificates 1910-1957 Now Online

The Missouri State Archives now has searchable images of digitized Missouri death certificates from 1910-1957 available online for free downloading. This has been an ongoing project for them. The years 1940-1944 and 1957 were recently added to this collection. It's nice to see this database available online for genealogy research.

Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1957 (indexed)

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

Germans, Russians and Italians to America Now Online from NARA

The U.S. National Archives (NARA) has added Germans to America (1850-1897), Russians to America (1834-1897) and Italians to America (1855-1900) to their Access to Archival Databases (AAD) series. These databases can be searched for free at:

Access to Archival Databases - National Archives

These 3 databases index records of more than 5 million immigrant passengers who arrived in the U.S. from Germany, Italy and the Russian Empire for the time frames listed above. Most of the arrivals are for the port of New York, but other ports such as Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans and Philadelphia may also be included. Coverage varies by series. Be aware there may be transcription errors and missing information in these databases.

For more online ship passenger lists see:

What Passenger Lists Are Online?

Recently Added Online Death Records Indexes

Links to the items listed below were recently added to: Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

California
- San Diego County Probate Court Search 1974-recent

Florida
- Sarasota County: Cemeteries of Sarasota County Florida - A Record of Births, Deaths, and Burials (PDF files)

Georgia
- Fulton County: Franklin Garrett Atlanta Necrology Database 1857-1931

Indiana
- Fort Wayne & Allen County Area Obituary Index 1841 to mid-January 2008 (update: more years added)

Kansas
- Saline County: Gypsum Cemetery Burials -- in Salina, Kansas

Massachusetts
- City of Boston Historic Burying Grounds Initiative -- includes transcriptions of historic gravestones 1630-1841

Michigan
- Calhoun County: Battle Creek Memorial Park Cemetery Burials
- Charlevoix County: Charlevoix Courier Obituaries Index 1982-2007 -- includes online digitized copies of the obituaries (update: more years added)
- Clinton County Genealogy Indexes (from Newspapers) -- includes indexes for some births, marriages and deaths
- Kalamazoo County: Local Newspaper Index - Kalamazoo Gazette
- Wayne County: Detroit Area Death Notices for Assorted Years 1800s-2003 (not complete)
- Wayne County: Wyandotte Death Index, up to 1962

New York City
- Manhattan: Trinity Church - Parish Registers & Churchyards (at Broadway and Wall Street) - includes baptism, marriage & burial records
- Early Brooklyn & Queens Town Death Database pre-1900 (not complete)

Ohio
- Gallia County Genealogical Society - Cemetery Records
- Hamilton County: St. Joseph New Cemetery Burials (Catholic cemetery in Cincinnati)
- Madison County: Plain City Burial Records Index

Oklahoma
- Muskogee Newspaper Death and Obituary Indexes 1920-1929 -- also has some listings for later years

Oregon
- Oregon Obituaries Index (partial) from the Genealogical Forum of Oregon
- Jackson County Genealogical Indexes for Obituaries, Cemeteries and Death Certificates -- also has other genealogy indexes

Pennsylvania
- Somerset County: WPA Records Project Cemetery Transcriptions

South Carolina
- Lexington County Probate Court Indexes -- includes Estate indexes 1865-1994, plus some marriage indexes (PDF files)

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index 1914-1923 (statewide) update: the year 1923 added
- Davidson County: Nashville City Cemetery Grave Search 1846-1979 -- most are prior to 1900
- Davidson County Cemetery Survey

West Virgnia
- West Virginia Death Index 1917-1957 (update: year 1957 added)

Wisconsin
- Wood County: Marshfield Public Library Genealogy Index -- indexes some births, marriages, deaths, obituaries and other items from Marshfield newspapers

See: Online Death Indexes, Records and Obituaries

This list was updated on 28 January 2010.

Recently Added Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes

Links to the items listed below were recently added to: Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes or its supplementary state webpages.

Alabama
- Mobile County, Alabama Marriage License Index circa 1840s-present

Colorado
- Colorado Divorce Index 1880-1939
See: Colorado Genealogy on the Internet

Florida
- Broward County Marriages Index 1915-1937
- Dade County Marriage Records Index Feb. 1905-Oct. 1911
See: Online Florida Vital Records Indexes

Indiana
- Indiana Marriage Index 1993-2002 (update: 2 years added)
- Marion County/City of Indianapolis Marriage Index 1925-present
- Whitley County Marriage Records - includes a marriage index 1838-1938, original marriage documents 1838-1947, and other records

Kansas
- Osage County Marriage Records Index

Kentucky
- Harrison County Marriage Indexes 1794-1985

Michigan
- Kent County: Marriage Index for Kent County Marriages 1845-1929

Minnesota
- Minnesota Birth Index 1900-1934 (update: more years added)
See: Online Minnesota Vital Records Indexes

Mississippi
- Miscellaneous Mississippi Marriage Records Indexes -- includes indexes for some marriages in these counties: Forrest, Franklin, Greene, Harrison, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marion, Perry, Rankin, and Stone County

New Jersey
- New Jersey Marriage Records Indexes, 1666-1799 and 1848-1867

New York
- Rensselaer County Marriage Index 1908-1918
- Suffolk County Marriage Records Index 1908-1935

Tennessee
- Tennessee Marriage and Divorce Indexes (plus Births for Shelby County) (these may not be complete) includes: Tennessee Marriage and Divorce Indexes 1980-2005; Shelby County (Memphis) Marriages 1820-1910; Shelby County (Memphis) Birth Index 1874-1906; More indexes for Shelby County

Washington (state)
- Washington Marriage Records Database (update: several counties added)
- Pierce County Marriage Records Index 1980s-present

Season's Greetings - Happy Winter

Happy winter celebration. Happy Christmas. Happy 2008. -Joe

A Small Collection of Online Genealogy Records

Over the last few years my various websites have accumulated a messy pile of transcribed genealogy records :) Most of these are ship passenger lists, but there are one or two other records as well. Many of the names are German and Irish, but other nationalities are also included. Even though these transcriptions are scattered around the web in a seemingly haphazard way -- there really is a method behind all of it I think, or I thought there was at the time :) -- you can search all of them from one place. Right here:

Search Some Cool, Obscure, Weird Genealogy Records and Passenger Lists

You can search by name, surname, keyword or name of ship. You can also search by topic - for example typing in naturalization records will return a list of webpages with information about how to find naturalization records. Try typing in census records or death records, that sort of thing.

Here's a list of many of the transcribed records included in the search:

About 150 New Orleans passenger lists - most from the 1840s (2 from the 1850s)

Some Baltimore passenger lists (and lists of ships to Baltimore) - from the 1830s

14 New York passenger lists - from the period 1820-1867

List of Passenger Ships from Ireland to America 1732-1749 (a few have names of passengers)

Antelope and Welcome reconstructed passenger lists (of William Penn's Fleet)

23 Pennsylvania German Pioneers Passenger Lists - from the period 1736-1807

List of Palatines from Germany to England in 1709 (most went on to America)

Passenger Arrivals in the US in the 4th Quarter of 1819

Passengers to Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia in 1823

Assorted Passengers to Savannah, Georgia 1866-1867

Some German Passengers Missed by Germans to America

Arizona World War One Alien Registration Index (partial)

Assorted Putzig, West Prussia Genealogy Records 1660-1890

Assorted Zarnowitz, West Prussia Genealogy Records 1800s

Hegensdorfer Auswanderer 1824-1893 (Emigrants from Hegensdorf, Germany)

None of this is comprehensive or amazing or anything, but a few people have found their ancestors in these records, maybe you will too, or maybe you'll find some useful tips if you search by topic.

Newly Added Online Death Records Indexes

Links to the items listed below were recently added to: Online Searchable Death Records Indexes and Obituaries. It's quite a long list this time - I hope you find some good stuff...

Arkansas
- Boone County Cemeteries
- Carroll County Cemeteries
- Newton County Cemeteries

California
- Los Angeles County: Green Hills Memorial Park Cemetery Burials (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)
- Sacramento County: Fair Oaks Cemetery Burials (Fair Oaks, CA)

Colorado
- Arapahoe County Probate Cases 1902-1937
- Lincoln County Probate Records 1890-1931

Connecticut
Fairfield County Newspaper Databases and Obituaries, includes...
- Obituaries from the Ridgefield Press
- Wilton Bulletin Obituaries Index
- Norwalk Hour Newspaper Index

Georgia
- Georgia Death Certificates 1919-1927

Illinois
- Coles County: Dodge Grove Cemetery Records (Mattoon, Illinois)
- Logan County Cemeteries

Indiana
- Dearborn County: Lawrenceburg Public Library Obituaries Index

Iowa
- Iowa Gravestone Photo Project -- has over 300,000 entries
- Davis County Cemetery Records
- Dickinson County Cemetery Records
- Poweshiek County Obituaries

Kansas
- Crawford County: Pittsburg Morning Sun Obituaries Index 1975-2004
- Lyon County Vital Records and other Genealogy Indexes -- includes indexes for newspaper death notices, funeral home records, census mortality schedules and some cemeteries
- Wyandotte County Cemeteries (PDF files for 6 cemeteries)

Michigan
- Macomb County Funeral Home Records Master Index
- Wayne County: Grosse Pointe Public Library Obituary Database

Missouri
- Cooper County Genealogy Records (includes cemeteries, death records and some obituaries)

Nebraska
- Douglas County: Index to Obituaries and Death Notices in Omaha Newspapers 1901-1977 -- over 90,000 entries

North Carolina
- Cemeteries of Some North Carolina Counties -- includes some cemeteries in the following counties: Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Granville, Person, Sampson, Surry, Vance and Wake

Ohio
- Ohio Obituaries Index (update: more counties added)
- Burials in 2 Cuyahoga County Cemeteries -- Strongsville Cemetery (Strongsville), and St. Adelbert's Cemetery (Middleburg Heights)
- Cuyahoga Coroner Files 1833-1900
- Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County - Index to Local Newspaper Articles -- indexes some obituaries 1800s-present (not complete, but more comprehensive from mid 1990s-present)
- Franklin County: Worthington News Index - indexes some newspaper obituaries

South Carolina
- Southern Christian Advocate and South Carolina United Methodist Advocate Obituaries Index
- Greenwood County Library Obituary Index for Greenwood, SC Newspapers (work in progress)
- Richland County Library Obituary Index - Columbia, SC Newspapers (ongoing project)

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index 1914-1922 (update - 3 years added)
- Blount County: Index to Miscellaneous Obituaries 1867-1940 -- not complete, but has 11,000 entries
- Davidson County (Nashville) Death Records Index 1900-1913
- Davidson County: Nashville Obituaries & Death Notices Index for 1913

Texas
- Collin County: McKinney Obituaries Indexes

Utah
- Weber County: Ogden City Cemetery Burials Index

Virginia
- Portsmouth USGenWeb Archives -- includes Portsmouth Deaths 1856-1895, some Portsmouth cemeteries and other records

Wisconsin
- Monroe County Newspaper and Cemetery Indexes -- also includes other genealogy indexes
- Winnebago County: Omro Herald Vital Records Index, 1977, 1978 & 2002 to present -- includes obituaries

Online Death Certificates

This article has been updated and moved to: Online Death Certficates

Ship Passenger Lists and Indexes You Can Find Online

One of the most popular webpages on my German Roots genealogy website is one called "What Passenger Lists Are Online?" It's a directory of Internet sources for some transcribed or digitized ship passenger lists or name indexes of passengers. These are for ships that brought immigrants and other passengers to the USA and to or from many other countries. There are also links to other finding aids for some ports.

The top half of the webpage is for USA arrivals and includes sub-sections for New York, Alaska, Baltimore, Boston & New England, Florida, New Orleans, Oregon, Pennsylvania, San Francisco & Hawaii, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. About half way down the page you will find an international section with sub-sections for Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Some of the items listed on the webpage are free to use, some are fee-based -- these latter are usually marked "requires payment" or something similar. You can find the passenger lists directory at:

What Passenger Lists Are Online? - Internet Sources for Transcribed Passenger Records and Indexes

Online Naturalization Records Indexes - Recently Added

Links to the items listed below were recently added to: Online Searchable Naturalization Records and Indexes

Iowa
- Cerro Gordo County: Mason City Naturalization Index - Petitions and Declarations, 1942-1961
- Lee County: Keokuk - Index to Miscellaneous Records Pertaining to Naturalization, 1840-1888
- Union County: Creston Naturalization Index - Declarations and Petitions, 1930-1951
- Wapello County: Ottumwa Naturalization Index - Petitions and Declarations, 1916-1951

Kansas
Assorted Kansas Naturalization Indexes - includes:
- Fort Scott Naturalization Index to Petitions and Declarations, 1915-1967
- Kansas City Naturalization Records Index, 1948-1970
- Topeka: Index to Declarations of Intention ("first papers"), 1852-1942
- Topeka: Index to Overseas Naturalization Petitions, 1943-1954
- Topeka: Index to Naturalization Petitions, 1868-1984

Michigan
- 11 counties have been added to the Michigan State Archives naturalization indexes database (now has 32 total counties)

New York
- Clinton County Naturalization Records Index 1865-1906
- Essex County Naturalization Records Index 1836-1880
- Queens County Naturalization Records Index 1906-1957

Ohio
- Summit County (Akron), Ohio Naturalization Records Search (includes images)

Pennsylvania
- Centre County Naturalization Records 1802-1929 -- includes digitized images of the records
- Chester County Naturalization Records Index 1798-1935 (Updated: previously went to 1906)
- Pennsylvania now has its own separate webpage - see: Online Pennsylvania Naturalization Records and Indexes

Social Security Death Index Now Has 80 Million Entries

The online Social Security Death Index (SSDI) at Genealogy Bank has surpassed 80 million entries. It has been updated to include some August 2007 entries. The SSDIs at FamilySearch and Ancestry now include July 2007 entries. The Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch is free to use (with registration). For links to all three of these SSDIs see: The Social Security Death Index - Online Searching

Los Angeles Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

The online death indexes directory now has a new separate webpage for Los Angeles County, California. Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the United States with over 9.7 million residents, and includes Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, Torrance and many other cities.

Online Los Angeles Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

There you will find listings for online death indexes, obituary indexes for the L.A. Times and other Los Angeles County newspapers, some cemetery burial indexes, and ordering information for California death certificates.

For other California cities and counties see: Online California Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

New Online Death Records Indexes

Links to the items listed below were recently added to: Online Death Records Indexes, Obituaries and Cemetery Burials

Arkansas
- Catalog of Arkansas Resources and Archival Treasures (indexes some obituaries and other genealogy-related records)

California
- Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society Website (includes a burial index for the Mission City Memorial Park Cemetery and 2 funeral home indexes)

Idaho
- Idaho Death Index 1911-1956 (update: the years 1952-1956 added)

Indiana
- Delaware County: Muncie Public Library Record Image Search and Obituary Index -- includes obituaries index 2002-July 2006, wills 1831-February 1975, and some funeral home and court records

Kansas
- Johnson County Obituaries Index 1977-present (work in progress; presently includes surnames A-C)

Missouri
- Ste. Genevieve County Cemeteries

Montana
- Montana Library Network Newspaper Index -- indexes various Montana newspapers; includes obituaries

New Mexico
- New Mexico Death Index Project 1941-1949 (1890-1940 also available)

New Jersey
- Burlington County Library Newspaper Notices Index -- includes birth & marriage announcements, death notices and obituaries

North Carolina
- Buncombe County Register of Deeds Index Search -- includes deaths 1913-recent (requires registration)

Ohio
- Jackson County: Fairmount Cemetery Burials, City of Jackson (PDF file)

South Carolina
- Colleton County: The Press and Standard Newspaper Index 1873-present (Walterboro, SC)

Virginia
- Fauquier County Cemeteries
- Richmond Funeral Home and Monuments Indexes (includes: L. T. Christian Funeral Home Records Database, and J. Henry Brown Monuments, Inc. Order Books Collection Index - partial)

World War I Draft Registration Cards of Famous, Infamous, and Interesting People

This article was updated on 14 January 2019

While wandering around the National Archives website I came across several scanned World War I draft cards of a few famous and interesting people. I was fascinated by some of the details of the lives of these people, especially those who were not yet 20. Some were already well known. Some became famous much later.

The World War I draft card for legendary "Scarface" gangster Al Capone says the 19-year-old Alphonse Capone was a paper cutter for the United Paper Box Company in Brooklyn, New York in 1918.

George Gerswhin's draft card, filed in New York City, gives his occupation as "actor - composor (sic)" at age 19. He would go on to write Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and Porgy and Bess (1935), among other great works. Another 19-year-old New York resident, Frederick Austerlitz Astaire, was already an actor. His place of employment in 1918 was "Winter Garden, Broadway & 50th St. NY." The Abba musical, Mamma Mia, once played at this theater. On the back of the famous dancer's draft card it says "legal name is Austerlitz but goes by name of Astaire." Fred Astaire would later star in George Gershwin's musical, Funny Face, in 1927, and the film version 30 years later with Audrey Hepburn.

The 19-year-old Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was a Federal government messenger in the War Dept. in Washington, DC. Unlike Gershwin, his 1918 draft card gives no indication of his future as one of the 20th Century's greatest composers.

On his June 5, 1917 World War I draft card, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, age 28, lists his dependents as "wife and 2 children." His wife was Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1890-1995). His children at the time were Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. (1915-1944), who died during World War II, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), who was elected president of the United States in 1960. JFK was born just a week before his father registered for the draft.

My favorite one is for master magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926). On his 1918 draft card he put his middle name as "Handcuff," likely because he had become known as the "handcuff king."


These World War One draft cards of notable people at the National Archives website were scanned from the original cards, not microfilm, so you can get an idea of what the draft cards actually look like - they have been scanned in color and are reproduced fairly well. You can find scans of the cards mentioned in this article, along with draft cards of a few more famous people at: Notable Registrants of the World War I Draft at the National Archives at Atlanta

For help finding draft cards of your relatives and ancestors see:
How to Find World War One Draft Registration Cards 1917-1918

New Mexico Death Records Index Updated

A group of great volunteers has finished transcribing an index for New Mexico deaths from 1941-1949. An earlier index they previously transcribed covers 1890-1940. For links to both indexes, along with some individual New Mexico county death indexes see:

Online New Mexico Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

California Vital Records Indexes Online

Ancestry has recently added indexes for California marriages (1960-1985) and divorces (1966-1984) to their subscription-based collection of online genealogy databases. They also have indexes for California births (1905-1995) and deaths (1940-1997). For links to these and some other California genealogy indexes see:

Directory of Online California Vital Records Indexes - Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

Recently Added Online Death Records Indexes

The Online Death Indexes and Records Directory has recently been updated with the following links...

Alabama
- Walker County: Davis Cemetery Burials to 1994 - Dora, Alabama

Arizona
- Arizona Death Records Index 1878-1956 & Birth Index 1887-1931 (update: 1956 added to the death index; 1931 added to the birth index) includes downloadable digitized copies of the death certificates

Colorado
- Jefferson County Cemeteries - includes Mount Lindo Cemetery (near Morrison) and Golden Cemetery (in Golden)

Florida
- Highlands County Obituaries Index - early 1982-mid 2006

Illinois
- Cook County: Wilmette Online Vital Records Indexes - includes a Death Certificate Index 1913-Oct. 1953 and other indexes
- Kankakee County: Kankakee Area Obituaries Index

Indiana
- Hendricks County Obituary Database and Card File from the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library
- LaGrange County Index to Death Records 1882-1924

Kansas
- Greenwood County: Records of the J. S. Maben Mortuary, Severy, Kansas 1901-1952
- Wilson County: W.A. Rankin Memorial Library Obituary Index ca. 1870-present (ongoing project)

Kentucky
- Boyd County Cemeteries

Michigan
- Missaukee County Cemeteries
- Wayne County: Assorted Cemetery Listings for Plymouth, Michigan -- includes Civil War Veteran Burials, Old Baptist Cemetery, Presbyterian Cemetery, Riverside Cemetery, Shearer Cemetery
- Wayne County: Plymouth Historical Museum Archives -- includes mortality schedules and funeral home records

New Mexico
- Grant County Death Records and Obituaries

North Carolina
- Craven County Death Index 1914-2005 - also includes births (1914-2005) & marriages (1964-recent)
- Moore County Death Records Index 1987-present - also has indexes for births and marriages

Ohio
- Hamilton County: Walnut Hills Cemetery Burials (Cincinnati)
- Jefferson County: Steubenville Herald-Star Newspaper Obituaries 1987-1999
- Scioto County: Gravestone Inscriptions from Greenlawn Cemetery pre-1900
- Summit County: Akron-Summit County Public Library Genealogy Indexes -- includes: Mount Peace Cemetery Interment Records 1880-1916; Springfield Township Cemetery Transcriptions; Akron Beacon Journal Obituaries Index

Pennsylvania
- Greene County Genealogy Records - includes indexes for births, marriages, obituaries, wills and deaths

Texas
- Denton County: Denton Record-Chronicle Obituary Indexes - Assorted Years (PDF files) also has birth & marriage indexes

Virginia
- Norfolk City - Assorted Cemetery Listings

Canada
See: Online Death Indexes and Records for Canada
- Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics - indexes Births 1864-1877, Marriages 1864-1930, and Deaths 1864-1877 & 1908-1955

World War II Database of Missing U.S. Service Personnel Now Online

The U.S. Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office has compiled a database of service members still unaccounted for following World War II. The database contains more than 70,000 names and was derived from records from the National Archives and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. You can access the database online here:

Service Personnel Not Recovered Following World War II (MIA)

Names will be removed from the database as remains are recovered and identified.

For a directory of more online World War II databases see:

World War II Indexes, Records and Databases on the Internet - USA

Recently Added Online Passenger Lists and Records

Links to the items listed below have been added to the Directory of Online Ship Passenger Lists and Records

Boston and New England section
- Maine Passenger Lists Index 1820-1867 (coverage varies by port)
- Assorted Pilgrim and Great Migration Ship Lists 1602-1638

New York
- Andrea Doria - Genoa to New York, July 1956 - list of passengers for the Andrea Doria, which collided with the Stockholm on 25 July 1956 near Nantucket, Massachusetts

Australia
- Tasmania Passenger Lists - Index of Convicts Transported to Tasmania - 19th Century & Index to Departures 1817-1867

Brazil
- Memorial do Imigrante - Sao Paulo, Brazil (pre-1907 Brazil passenger arrivals) website is in Portuguese

Canada
- Quebec & Halifax Passenger Lists Indexing Project - currently indexes Quebec ports (including Montreal) from Nov. 1907-Oct. 1910 with some gaps; this is an ongoing project
- Port of New Westminster, British Columbia - Register of Chinese Immigration 1887-1908
- Canada Passenger Lists, 1865-1922 - can be searched by date, port and ship only - not searchable by name of passenger - time frame varies by port

Cuba
- Assorted Passenger Lists to and from Cuba

United Kingdom
- Passenger Lists Leaving the United Kingdom (UK) 1890-1960 -- presently available online for 1890-1919 (more years are being added) searches are free - full results require payment

Minnesota Vital Records Indexes and State Census Records Online

Minnesota State and Territorial Census Records
Ancestry has recently added a database for Minnesota Territorial and State Censuses. These censuses were generally taken between the Federal census years. Ancestry's database contains Minnesota territorial and state censuses for 1849-1850, 1853, 1855, 1857, 1865, 1875, 1885, and 1905. It is presently free to search with registration. See the Minnesota section at: Genealogy Research Guides - State Census Records

Minnesota Vital Records Indexes
The Minnesota Historical Society has an online death index that covers 1904-2001, and a recently updated online birth index from 1900-1934. Ancestry has an online Minnesota birth index that covers 1935-2002. They also have indexes for Minnesota marriages 1958-2001 (excluding 1996), divorces 1970-1995, and deaths 1908-2002. Ancestry's indexes are part of their subscription-based service. For links to all of these indexes see: Online Minnesota Vital Records Indexes

Gregory Peck in the Social Security Death Index and his SS-5 Form

In 2003 when I first heard that Gregory Peck had died, my reaction was, oh no, we've lost Atticus Finch. Harper Lee may have created the Atticus Finch character in her beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, but Gregory Peck made him real in the equally beloved film version. It seemed as though he wasn't playing a role at all, but putting his own sincerity and feelings about racial inequality onto the screen. So when he died it wasn't that we had lost a great and popular actor. It felt like we had lost America's kind and noble grandfather. He was one of those rare Hollywood celebrities who you seemed to know and respect even if you had never met him.

Here is Gregory Peck's listing in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI):

GREGORY PECK
Birth: 05 Apr 1916
Death: 12 Jun 2003 (V)
Last Residence: 90077 (Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA)
Last Benefit: (none specified)
Social Security Number: 547-16-9811
Issued: California

Using the information from an SSDI listing, a copy of the person's SS-5 form can be obtained from the Social Security Administration for a fee. The SS-5 is the form a person filled out when they applied for a Social Security Card. Here's a copy of Gregory Peck's SS-5 (click on it to see a larger view).

As you can see it gives all sorts of information about the person that can be useful for further genealogy research. The SS-5 for Gregory Peck shows his full name (Eldred Gregory Peck), his date and place of birth (April 5, 1916 in San Diego, California), and the full names of his parents (Gregory Pearl Peck and Bernice Mae Ayres). Note that the maiden name of his mother is given. (There are restrictions regarding the release of the parents' names -- see the link below.) This SS-5 also shows the name and location of his employer, and his address in San Diego when he applied for his Social Security Card in 1937, which is about 6 years before he made his first film.

While putting this article together I asked my mother what her favorite Gregory Peck movies were. Here is her list: Keys of the Kingdom (1944, his second film), Duel in the Sun (1946), Gentleman's Agreement (1947), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), Roman Holiday (1953, with the great Audrey Hepburn, who became a lifelong friend), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). During his film career he received five best actor Academy Award nominations, and won the Oscar just once. That was for To Kill a Mockingbird. I think it's fitting that he will likely be remembered for the role of Atticus Finch. Gregory Peck may have died in 2003, but thanks to him and Harper Lee, Atticus Finch will live on in the film and novel.

Helpful Links
Social Security Death Index - Online Searching

How to order a copy of the Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5) of a deceased person Note the restrictions given there regarding proof of death and the release of parents' names.

Ancestry Adds Mexican Border Crossing Records 1903-1957

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Ancestry has added a database of Mexican border crossing records (1903-1957) to their subscription-based U.S. genealogy records collection. This database contains more than 3.5 million entries and includes images from the National Archives microfilm of these records. Many of the later records include a photograph of the person.

See the Mexico Border Crossings section at US Ports of Arrival and their Available Passenger Lists 1820-1957

Happy First Birthday, Genealogy Roots Blog!

I've been doing this crazy genealogy blogging thing for a year now. I started this blog a year ago today. The original idea was to list updates to my various directories of online genealogy records. But then I started adding all sorts of unexpected things. And I made some new online friends from this.

So the Genealogy Roots Blog is now a toddler, just learning to walk...

I hope you've found some helpful genealogy sources from reading this blog. And thanks for stopping by.

Newly Added Online Military Records Indexes

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

Revolutionary War
- Sons of the American Revolution - Revolutionary War Patriots Index and Graves Registry
- List of 8000 Prisoners on the Old Jersey Prison Ship
- Georgia: List of Loyalists Banished from Georgia - 1783
- New Jersey: Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War
- New York: Index to New York Revolutionary War Invalid Pension Records 1801-1815
- New York Revolutionary War Pension Lists of 1792-1795

Mexican War
- Pennsylvania Soldiers in the War with Mexico, 1846-1847

Civil War
- Kentucky: Records of Death and Interment at Camp Nelson, KY, 1864-1865
- Michigan Civil War Principals and Substitutes Index
- Mississippi: Beauvoir Soldiers Home Veterans
- Missouri: Index to Descriptive Recruitment Lists of Volunteers for the United States Colored Troops for the State of Missouri, 1863-1865
- Pennsylvania Civil War Era Newspapers - Digitized and Searchable - a project of Penn State University

World War One
- Colorado: Fallen Heroes of World War I from Denver, Colorado

World War Two
World War II Prisoners of the Japanese, Data File (AAD)

American Merchant Marine Databases:
- Names of WWII Merchant Marine Killed
- Names & Fates of WWII Merchant Marine POWs
- Names of U.S. Naval Armed Guard Killed and Wounded

Vietnam War
- Names of Vietnam War Merchant Marine Killed

Illinois Genealogy: the Musical - Well, Sorta

Come on Feel the Illinoise!
Some thoughts on the great state of Illinois, having Illinois ancestors and an album called Illinois (this is actually a wacky CD review with a bit about genealogy - yeah, sneaky, I know)...

In 2005 a rather obscure musician/songwriter named Sufjan Stevens released an album called Illinois that is slowly making its way toward underground classic status. Apparently Mr. Stevens would like to make 50 such albums, one for each state, but he has quite a ways to go. In 2003 he released one for Michigan. And now just 48 states remain between him and immortality.

The first song on the Illinois album is called "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois." And now you know that Highland is the Roswell of Illinois. My great great grandparents, Frank and Mary Appel, came (separately) from Germany and settled in Highland, Illinois in the middle of the 19th Century. Frank was briefly on the first Highland city council, but he didn't like it that pigs were roaming around everywhere, so he and the other councilmen passed a law banning livestock from the city limits. The local farmers didn't like this at all and Frank was not re-elected to the city council - he received a mere 6 votes in the election. Let this be a lesson to all you politicians out there who do stupid things. Instead he opened a saloon, which was probably frequented by space aliens and drunken pigs.

My favorite song on the Illinois CD is "Chicago" which is about the city where my brother was born. Ok, he was actually born in Cook County, in a place called Des Plaines, which is also where Ray Kroc started building his McDonald's restaurant chain.

The best thing about the album really, aside from all the melancholy songs and quirky arrangements, is the weird song titles. Here's one: "They are Night Zombies!! They are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" That's really one of the titles. It's an Illinois thing. You'll understand if you once lived there or live there now. Or if you have saloon-keeping great great grandfathers from Highland, Illinois, who were not liked by zombie pig farmers.

And if you're going to rhyme "Decatur" with "alligator" like Mr. Stevens does, well, I'm going to think you're cool. And I'm going to write a non-sensical genealogy blog post that has nothing to do with genealogy, but actually kinda does...

-former Cook County resident, Joe B.

You might be interested in...

• Online Illinois Death Records, Indexes, Obituaries and Cemetery Burials


• Illinois State Archives Online Genealogy Databases


• Illinois CD by Sufjan Stevens

Canadian Border Crossing Records Now Online

Ancestry has added a database of Canadian border crossing records from 1895-1956 to their collection of online genealogy records. (Note that these records are not available prior to 1895.) Sometimes you may find that your immigrant ancestor arrived by ship at a Canadian port and then later crossed over from Canada into the USA at a land port - you might find their arrival details in these records. You can also find U.S. and Canadian citizens who crossed over the border. More than 100 land ports of entry are included in Ancestry's database.

For more details see the Canada Border Crossings section at U.S. Ports of Arrival and their Available Passenger Records

Iowa State Census Records Collection Now Online

Ancestry has launched a collection of indexed and digitized state census records for Iowa. These are censuses that were taken between the federal census years. Coverage in this collection varies by county and year as some records have not survived and some censuses were only taken for specific counties. But the collection does include all counties for 1885, 1905, 1915 and 1925. See the Iowa section at:

Genealogy Research Guide - State Census Records

The 1925 Iowa census, included in Ancestry's collection, asked for the names, ages and birthplaces (state) of the parents of each person, including mother's maiden names. It also asked for the place of marriage for the parents.

Newly Added Online Death Indexes

The links listed below were recently added to the Directory of Online Death Records and Indexes

Arkansas
- Benton County Cemeteries - Index of Burials

Connecticut
- Connecticut Jewish Ledger Obituary Database 1975-2002 (not complete)

Florida
- Broward County, Florida Cemetery Records - ongoing project
- Collier County: Naples Daily News Obituary Index 1927-1936 & 1947-2005

Georgia
- Quitman County Deaths 1919-1930
- Seminole County Death Index 1923-1931 & 1942
- Stewart County Deaths 1919-1930
- Terrell County Deaths 1919-1930
- Twiggs County Deaths 1919-1930

Illinois
- Winnebago County Cemeteries

Indiana
- Jay County, Indiana Cemeteries

Iowa
- Jones County Death Register 1880-1897, and Cemetery Records

Massachusetts
- Middlesex County: Gravemarker Data from the South (Main Street) Burying Ground and the Old Hill Burying Ground, Concord, Mass

Minnesota
- Scott County: Calvary Cemetery Burials, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Jordan, MN

Missouri
- Missouri Death Certificates Index 1910-1956 (udpated: 1956 added to index; more images added)
- St. Louis: Westliche Post Obituaries Index 1880-June 1881 (St. Louis German-language newspaper)

New York
- new webpage introduced for New York City Death Records

- Allegany County Cemeteries
- Orange County: Middletown Thrall Library Obituary Database, Jan. 1983-March 1988
- Schenectady County: Indexes to Vital Records in Newspapers of Schenectady County and the Capital District Area (for assorted years)

Ohio
- Lorain County Cemeteries
- Toledo-Lucas County Public Library - Blade Obituaries Index 1990-present

Tennessee
- Tennessee Death Index for 3 Counties - Jackson County 1914-1946, Putnam County 1908-1946 (except 1913), White County 1926-1946

Texas
- Harris County: Houston Jewish Herald-Voice Database 1908-1992 (updated: 1933-1992 added)

Virginia
- Assorted Virginia Cemeteries -- includes burial databases for some cemeteries in: Augusta County, Bath County, Fairfax County, Highland County, Rockbridge County, and Rockingham County

Memories of McDonald's

When you were a kid or perhaps when your children were kids, McDonald's restaurants looked a little different than they do today. Back then the Golden Arches were part of the design of the building. Today they're just a logo, something you see on the sign or the doors.


The first McDonald's I ever went to was on Broadway near Orchard in Littleton, Colorado (just south of Denver). It looked kind of like the picture above, but it didn't have a dining room - you ordered your burgers at the counter and ate in your car, or brought the food home. I'm convinced the basic McDonald's hamburger was the same then, although I'm sure they've made changes. It came with mustard, ketchup, a pickle slice, and some chopped-up onions, just like today. The Big Mac hadn't been invented yet. But the biggest difference has to be the French fries. Back then they left the skin on the potatoes - today's fries just don't compare. The cool McDonald's on Broadway later moved down the street and now it looks just like any other modern McDonald's.

I took the photograph at a retro McDonald's on Alameda near Federal here in Denver in January, 2007. You can click on the photo for a larger view. Or click here for a nighttime view: the Golden Arches at night

New York City Death Records Indexes

The online death indexes directory now has a new separate webpage for New York City. All 5 New York City Boroughs are included: Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island...

Online New York City Death Records Indexes and Finding Aids

There you will find listings for online death indexes, some cemetery and obituary indexes, offline finding aids, death certificate ordering information, and a short list of other helpful New York genealogy resources.

For New York State see: Online New York Death Records Indexes and Obituaries

Death Records Indexes for Canada on the Internet

Here you can find a directory of some online death records indexes for some Canadian provinces - many of them are free to use...

Online Canada Death Records Indexes

Recently Added Death Records Indexes

The following links were recently added to Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records:

Alabama
- Jefferson County: Birmingham Area Newspapers Obituary Index - August 1957-December 1976
- Jefferson County: Red Mountain Cemetery Record of Interments, 1888-1906 (4711 burials of indigent dead)
- Alabama Episcopal Church Registers Database 1830s-1970s -- includes 16 parishes in Baldwin, Dallas, Jefferson, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe and Walker Counties (14,000 people are listed)
- Alabama Coal Mine Fatalities 1898-1938

Colorado
- Colorado Obituary Project Index 1970s-1990 (does not include Denver - see the separate Denver section on the website)

Florida
- Indian River County: Obituary Index 2002-2005 in Excel format

New Hampshire
- Belknap County: New Hampton Village & Rural Cemetery Burials - downloadable PDF files

New York
- NYC/Queens: Mount Judah Jewish Cemetery Burials - Ridgewood, NY

North Carolina
- Catawba County: Index of Obituaries in the Hickory Daily Record 1915-1963
- Catawba County: Index of Obituaries in the Hickory Daily Record & Observer News Enterprise 1993-2004

Tennessee
- Nashville Christian Advocate Death Notices circa 1830s-1919 & 1929
- Knox County Death Records 1914-1925

The Origin of the "Wee-Monster" Genealogy Website

Update: The "Wee Monster" genealogy website has moved. It is now at: German Roots - German Genealogy Resources

Some popular pages on the Wee Monster genealogy website with links to where they are now:

Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes (USA)

Genealogy Records, Indexes and Databases on the Internet (USA)

What Passenger Lists Are Online?

Online Searchable Naturalization Indexes and Records (USA)

The Origin of the "Wee-Monster" Genealogy Website...
A bunch of genealogy bloggers are "tagging" other genealogy bloggers (as in "you're it") to get them to write a blog post where you list 5 things about yourself that your blog readers probably don't know. I've been tagged 3 times (!), first by Randy Seaver, then by George Morgan and Rick Crume. Since the main purpose of this blog is to help people find their ancestors I see no point in boring you with this sort of silliness.

But! I did come up with one thing you may not know about me that might indirectly help you find something about your ancestors: I used to have a dog named Monster.

So how is that going to help you find your ancestors? Well... when I first signed up for some web space back in 1998 I named it "wee-monster" after my dog. The website is actually called "German Roots," but the URL originally had the phrase wee-monster in it. Here's where the wee monster website is now: German Roots - German Genealogy Resources

The idea for the website was to help Americans with German ancestors find their roots, but the site soon went a little off the original topic, and it now has a few sections devoted to American genealogy in general. My Death Indexes and Records website was originally a single webpage on the German Roots website that got out of hand. Same thing happened with my Military Indexes and Records website. The Online Passenger Lists webpage is still there on the German Roots website. See? Maybe my dog was able to help you find something about your ancestors (insert smiley face here).

Here's a picture of the wee Monster contemplating her legendary status. As you can see, she was a totally ferocious beast so you better be afraid (insert another smiley face here).

Now go find some ancestors!

This article was updated on 9 September 2010.

A Book About Researching World War II Army Service Records

Book Review: Finding Your Father's War - A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II US Army by Jonathan Gawne

If you have an ancestor or relative who served in the Army during World War II here is an entire book about researching records of individual soldiers and Army units. The book is divided into five distinct sections.

The first section, "Introduction to Army Units," discusses rank, branches of service and unit size. Don't know the difference between a squad, a platoon, a battalion, etc? Here's where to find out. A subsection on rank covers enlisted men, technicians and officers. For each rank (private, sergeant, etc) the insignia is shown along with the base pay.

Section two describes the types of records kept for an individual soldier and explains the Army's serial number system. There's even an illustration of a soldier's dog tag, explaining what each line and code means. Section three describes organizational records for army units.

The fourth section, "Finding Records," tells you where to look for many of the records discussed in the book. Here you can learn about using the Freedom of Information Act, the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, the National Archives, Veterans Affairs records, and other topics. The author lets you know that some records are only available to next of kin, while others may be public domain and available to anyone.

The last section has all sorts of useful information and illustrations of insignias, badges, uniforms and medals - things you might find in the attic and are wondering what they mean. Insignias for WWII Armies, Army Groups, Corps, Major Army Commands, the Army Air Force, and Divisions (Infantry & Airborne, Armored, and Cavalry) are shown in appendices. Most of the book's illustrations are in color.

Overall this book contains a wealth of information about a soldier's World War II Army service and how you can find many of the records that have survived. I found it to be a nice resource for U.S. Army WWII genealogy research.

The book can be ordered from Amazon:
Finding Your Father's War: A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II U.S. Army revised third edition from Amazon

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May also be helpful: World War II Records and Indexes on the Internet

Hamburg Passenger Lists Now At Ancestry

Ancestry has recently added online images and a partial index to the Hamburg, Germany passenger departure records from 1850-1934 (except: 1 January--14 July 1853, which are missing, and the WWI years of 1915-1919). The years 1890-1913 have been indexed so far. These lists can be helpful if you have an immigrant ancestor who left from Hamburg because they usually give the place (town or city) of residence for the passengers.

For more information see: Hamburg Passenger Lists 1850-1934

Missouri Death Certificates Database Updated - New Images

The Missouri State Archives has added new images to its online Missouri death certificates database. Go to: Missouri Death Certificates Database 1910-1966

For more online Missouri death indexes see: Online Missouri Death Records, Indexes and Obituaries

This post was updated on 31 January 2018