Genealogy, Family History & Temple Work

"Ask living members of your family what they know about your extended family. Look at records close at hand, such as family Bibles, to find more details about your forebears. Then you can reach out to other sources such as vital records, church records, census records, and military records. If you have access to a computer, you can put your computer skills to work and log on to the Church’s FamilySearch.org Web site. Family history has become a sophisticated activity where computers provide immense resources for your search. You can easily access a vast collection of family history records using the Internet on your home computer or at your nearest family history center. - James E. Faust, “The Phenomenon That Is You,” Liahona, Nov 2003, 53–56

What are Vital Records?

When it comes to Genealogical records, those termed vital records are some of the most sought after. Vital records refer to records of Birth, Marriage and Death. The range of years for when these records are available will vary from state to state. As will the year that the state mandated that they be kept. Sadly, most states did not mandate vital records until the early 1900's.

What will Vital Records tell me?

Again, it depends on the state but most vital records issued after 1900 will tell you at least some of the following:

Birth Records - Full name of the recorded individual, date and place of birth, mother's full name plus maiden name, father's full name, mother's age, father's age, whether mother has born any other children.

Marriage Records - Groom's full name and age, Bride's full name and age, county of residence, name of witnesses, name of officiator, name of parents.

Death Records - Full name of the deceased, age at death, cause of death, town and/or county and state of death, place of interment, social security number, place of residence, full name of father, full name plus maiden name of mother, the attending physician, the informant, name of spouse, occupation.

Records kept prior to 1900 will vary even more in the information given state to state and will often hold much less information than more current records. It is also important to note that each type of vital record may have been mandated in a different year. So while a state may have begun keeping birth records in 1905, this doesn't mean that marriage records were mandated then as well. They could have been mandated later or earlier. This goes for death records also.

Ordering Vital Records

There are many different options for ordering Vital records online. One popular service that I've heard of but haven't used is VitalChek. Their website is very easy to navigate so I'll let you check it out for yourself.

Another good resource which not only enables online orders, but also provides addresses to state record holdings if you prefer snail mail is Vitalrec.com. Once there, scroll down the page just a bit and you'll see a list of States. Click on your state of interest and once on that page scroll down a bit again. You'll find the address and phone number for that states record holdings, what records are available for what years, and how much the records cost, along with an option to order online.

If the vital records are available, get them whether you already know all that information about Great Grandpa or not. They'll be a valuable keepsake and you may just be surprised to find something on one of them that you didn't know.

"The need for safeguarding the world’s vital records, original manuscripts, histories, biographies, and other genealogical records has long plagued mankind. Where and how can records be protected from destruction by the elements, the ravages of time, and the destructions of man?

Through microfilming, copies of original documents are being made in every corner of the earth; and thereby, copies of millions of pages of records are presently being stored safely and securely." - Theodore M. Burton, “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, May 1973, 48

Unfortunately, most state vital records weren't mandated until the early 20th century. So what should you do when a certain official vital record cannot be found? Search for the next best thing, a substitute. Something that while not official perhaps, is likely a trustworthy source of information. Below are some possible substitutes:

1. Federal or State Census Records - Certain Federal Census Records will contain some vital information depending on the year. All census records from 1850 to the present will at least list the age of every person in the household and place of birth giving you an approximate birth date and place. The 1900 census was even more specific, providing the month and birth year of every person in the household. Some other censuses asked how many years a couple had been married, helping you narrow down the year of their marriage. See what other information you might be able to glean from the United States Census 1850-1930

2. Newspaper Announcements - Births were sometimes announced in the local paper, although sometimes a birth announcement might give the date of birth and not the child's name, only who they were born too. Marriages we're sometimes announced and sometimes you might find 25, 50 or 75 year anniversary celebration announcements. Then of course there are obituaries which could provide not only a death date but also a date of birth and marriage.

3. Biographical Sketches - If your ancestor lived in a certain town or county for a long period of time they may have been honored with a biographical sketch in a town or county history book. Sketches could provide all sorts of interesting tidbits about your ancestor including date of birth, where they migrated from, who they married and when, their occupation, etc.

4. School Records - Sometimes Report Cards provided the date of birth for a student as was the case of my Great Uncle. The state of his birth did not record births until 6 years after he was born and so far his report card has proven my only record of his birth date.

5. Land or Property Records - At times a father would provide his daughter "dower property" upon her being married. The time frame in which this was recorded was likely very close to the time of her marriage.

6. Military Pension Papers and Service Records - Pension records usually list a spouse and may include a copy of the marriage license to prove relationship in order to receive the benefits of the pension. Service Records usually provided the age of the person at enlistment along with the date on which they enlisted.

Other records that could help you out are Probate Records, Cemetery Records, Church Records and Coroner or Funeral Home Records. With so many possibilities, hopefully you'll find that vital information you've been searching for, very soon.