Marion County, Kansas Genealogy

Guide to Marion County, Kansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for Francis Marion of South Carolina. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Marion County Courthouse 204 S. 4th Street P. O. Box 219 Marion, Kansas 66861 Phone: 316.382.2185 Marion County Website County Clerk has birth and death records 1885-1911. Clerk District Court has marriage records from 1800’s, divorce, probate and court records. Register of Deeds has school records 1873-1964 and land records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Mennonite Villages


 * Alexanderfeld
 * Ebenfeld
 * Friedenstal (Alvin)
 * Gnadenau (Grace Meadow)
 * Hoffnungsthal (Hope Valley)
 * Schoenthal (Fair Valley)
 * Steinbach

Alexanderwohl Mennonite Villages


 * Blumenfeld (also in McPherson County
 * Blumenort (also in McPherson County
 * Emmathal
 * Gnadenfeld
 * Gnadenthal
 * Gruenfield (Green Field) abandoned then later became Goessel
 * Hochfeld
 * Springfield

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

State and Territorial Census Records

 * 1855-1925 - Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images; covers census years 1855-1859, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1860 - 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Kansas Territory at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
 * 1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1875 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1915 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1919-1961 - Kansas, City and County Census Records, 1919-1961 at Ancestry — Partial index (4 counties) and images
 * 1925 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Federal Census Records
The 1870 Census was the first Federal Census taken for Kansas after it became a state in 1861. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Kansas Census.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1861-1918 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * FamilySearch Places

Funeral Homes

 * Jost Funeral Home in Hillsboro
 * Wiggins Funeral Homes in Goessel
 * Yazel-Megli Funeral Homes in Hillsboro and Marion

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land records at Kansas Historical Society


 * 1885 Land Plat book for Marion County - image of plat book
 * 1902 Land Plat book for Marion County - image of plat book
 * 1921 Land Plat book for Marion County - image of plat book


 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796-1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863-1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

For more information see Kansas Land and Property

Local Histories
Online County Histories


 * Portrait and Biographical Record of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and Marion Counties. 1893.  Chicago, Illinois : Chapman Bros.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Township Map of 1887 Marion County, Kansas with enlarged views of each township (My Genealogy Hound)

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Kansas. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Kansas Military Records. Collections Covering Multiple Wars


 * Kansas Military Index at Kansas Historical Society - Index only, includes Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts
 * Records of the Deaths and Burials at the Kansas State Soldiers Home - Index only, the home is located in Fort Dodge, Ford County, Kansas.

Civil War


 * During the Civil War Marion County was designated as a minicipal township attached to Chase County for judicial purposes. The population was only about 80 in 1861.  See Chase County for information about Civil War Records.
 * Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index only
 * 1862, 1863, 1868: Kansas, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862, 1863, 1868 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1866-1931: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Bound Post Records, 1866-1931 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1880-1940: Kansas, Grand Army of the Republic Post Reports, 1880-1940 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1889: Kansas, Enrollment of Civil War Veterans, 1889 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * Kansas Civil War Soldiers at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

Spanish-American War (1898)


 * 1945-1970: Kansas, United Spanish War Veterans Reports of Deaths, 1945-1970 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

World War I


 * History and Roster of the Kansas State Guard (WWI) at KSGenWeb - Taken from the book by the Adjutant General's Office
 * 1917-1919: Kansas, World War I Veteran Collection, 1917-1919 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * 1930: Kansas, Enrollment of WWI Veterans, 1930 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images

World War II


 * 1940-1946: Web: Kansas, WWII Selective Service Index, 1940-1946 at the Ancestry.com - ($), Index and images
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Kansas, War Dept-June 1946 at KSGenWeb - Index only

Korean War


 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Korean War for Kansas - Index only

Vietnam War


 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War for Kansas - Index only

For further information see Kansas Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1864 - 1972 - Kansas, Naturalization Abstracts, 1864-1972 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1865 - 1874 - Kansas Indian Naturalizations, ca. 1865-1874 at the National Archives — Index, District of Kansas, Record Group 21.
 * 1865 - 1984 - Kansas, Federal Naturalization Records, 1865-1984 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images
 * 1917 - 1918 - Kansas, Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918 at Ancestry — ($), Index and images, includes German and other aliens living in Kansas

Newspapers
Kansas Newspapers Online
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Kansas Newspapers at Newspapers.com - ($), free to Kansas residents through Kansas Historical Society
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Kansas newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Kansas newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites

Kansas Newspaper Catalogs


 * Kansas Online Historical Newspapers - contains a list of known Kansas newspapers online and the websites they are found on
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Other Records
Voter Records


 * 1854 - Kansas Election List, 1854 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1854 - 1856 - Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 at Ancestry — ($), Index

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1803-1987 Kansas Wills and Probate Records 1803-1987 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1868-1918 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1870-1918 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1871-1918 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1818 - 1936  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1885 - 1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and images, only covers Bulter, Cherokee, Clay, Elk, and Marion Counties.
 * 1885 - 1911 Kansas, Births and Christenings Index, 1885-1911 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1946 - United States Marriages – Kansas, 1800-1946 at findmypast — ($), Index and images
 * 1811 - 1911 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1811 - 1911 - Kansas, County Marriages, 1811-1911 at Ancestry — ($), Index
 * 1840 - 1935 - at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1861 - 1918 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Death

 * 1885 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1885 - 1930 Kansas, Deaths and Burials, Index, 1885-1930 at Ancestry.com — index $

Museums
http://www.kansastravel.org/marionmuseum.htm
 * Marion Historical Museum 623 East Main Street Marion, Kansas 66861 Phone 620-382-9134 [http://www.kansastravel.org/marionmuseum.htm

Societies

 * Marion County Historical Society PO Box 132 ​Marion, Kansas 66861 Website
 * Marion County Genealogical Society c/o Mary Ford, Sec. 401 S. Cedar Marion, KS 66961-1331

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Marion county KS Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Marion county KS, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * Marion County, Kansas Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Marion County Kansas Genealogy Research (JenkinsGenealogyResearch)
 * Marion Genealogy (in Marion County, KS) (LDS Genealogy)
 * The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records