Chickasaw County Iowa


Research Tips

We want to share the following collection of research tips with our visitors in the hope of giving you some ideas to perhaps help you develop some new "trails" to follow. The veteran researchers will, no doubt, smile and muse…. "yes, of course" and the newer, less experienced will perhaps slap their knee and say…. "why didn’t I think of that!!!"


MOST OFTEN USED RESOURCES ~ and ~ WHY

  1. Census schedules and the soundex indexes
  2. Vital records (birth, death, and marriage)
  3. Newspapers (news articles, announcements, social, obituaries)
  4. County histories, Biographies
  5. Cemetery transcripts, cemetery records, gravestones
  6. Atlases, Maps, City Directories, County Plat Maps
  7. Libraries (Local, Genealogical, Public, Private, University, Seminary, Historical)
  8. Church records
  9. Adjutant General ~~ Graves Registration ~~ Military Records
  10. Probate Court Records (Wills, Guardianship, Conservatorship)
  11. Deeds ~~ Grantor, Grantee Indexes ~~ Land Records/Grants/Patents
  12. National Archives (Pensions ~ Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War)
  13. Divorce records (petitions, affidavits, subpoenas, decrees)
  14. Voter registration records or indexes, election records
  15. Naturalization records (First papers, naturalization certificate/record)


Search objectives and what records can be utilized:

  • Hunting for birth dates or ages: Search in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13
  • Hunting for marriage dates: Search in 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13
  • Hunting for place of marriage: Search in 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 13
  • Hunting for death dates: Search in 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
  • Hunting for a persons parents: Search in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10
  • Hunting for a woman’s maiden name: Search in 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13
  • Hunting for birth place: Search in 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15
  • Trying to locate a person/family: Search in 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14
  • Hunting for children’s names: Search in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13
  • Hunting for military records: Search in 3, 4, 7, 9, 12
  • Hunting for evidence of military service: Search in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12
  • Hunting for evidence of citizenship: Search in 1, 3, 4, 7, 14, 15


A WORD ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

  • The lines of descent of brothers and sisters of direct ancestors are known as collateral lines and include uncles, aunts and cousins.
  • A granduncle is the brother of an individual's grandfather or grandmother.
  • A grandaunt is the sister of an individual's grandfather or grandmother.
  • The brother of an individual's great-grandfather or great-grandmother is a great-granduncle.
  • The sister of individual's great-grandfather or great-grandmother is a great-grandaunt.
  • If collateral relatives of an individual intermarried, the relationship of the children of such marriages should be determined from the spouse who is the more closely related to the individual.
  • If a direct ancestor of an individual married more than once, there exists between the individual and the other spouse(s) of the direct ancestor a step relationship, as well as any children from the marriage(s).
  • A Consanguinity Chart ~~ Figuring Out Relationships



Often Confused Titles and Relationships
Used in Early Records

  • MR ~ Landed gentry, ministers and officials
  • MRS ~ Married and unmarried females of gentle birth (pronounced "mistress")
  • GOODMAN ~ A substantial citizen
  • GOODWIFE ~ Wife of a GOODMAN; also seen shortened to "goody"
  • SERVANT ~ One who serves or apprentices
  • MASTER ~ Tradesman, teacher
  • NATURAL SON ~ A son by blood
  • BASE SON ~ Illegitimate son
  • NEPHEW ~ Grandchildren (boys or girls); son of a brother or sister; daughter of a brother or sister
  • COUSIN ~ Niece, nephew, first or distant cousin; spouse of a relative, indirect relatives
  • BROTHER ~ Brother by birth or in faith
  • SISTER ~ Sister by birth or in faith
  • MY BROTHER ~ Brother by birth, wife's brother, sister's husband, sister's husband's brother
  • MY SISTER ~ Sister by birth, wife's sister, wife's brother's wife
  • FATHER-IN-LAW ~ Wife's father, Mother's second husband (stepfather)
  • MOTHER-IN-LAW ~ Wife's mother, father's second wife (stepmother)
  • SON-IN-LAW ~ Daughter's husband, son of second wife
  • DAUGHTER-IN-LAW ~ Son's wife, daughter of second wife
  • MY NOW WIFE ~ A legal phrase used to protect the wife in the event of a future marriage; it does not indicate earlier marriages



    







Thanks to Chris for the generous use of her graphics


Thanks to Gloria for the generous use of her backgrounds