Minnesota, Stevens County Genealogical Society Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of digital images of records stored at the Morris Public Library in Donnelly, Minnesota for the years 1876 to 2006. The records include:


 * Obituaries and index (1811-2006)
 * Marriage card file index (1875-1971)

County officials began keeping records from the time the county was formed. Each type of record within the county was created for a different purpose, but most were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests and the legal interests of their heirs. The indexes were created as a rapid access to specific individuals withing the original records.

The information is generally reliable. However it depends on the reliability of the informant on the original documents. In addition, there may be transcription errors.

Record Content
Information found in the Genealogical Society Records of marriages include only the following:


 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Date and place of the marriage

Information found in the Genealogical Society Records of obituaries may include all the following:


 * Full Name of deceased
 * Residence
 * Age and gender
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of Death
 * Burial Date
 * Cremated or not
 * Name of Cemetery
 * Branch of service, if military
 * Rank, company and regiment
 * Served in what war
 * Occupation
 * Marital Status
 * Name of Spouse
 * Social Security Number
 * Nationality
 * Names of Parents
 * Names of Children

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:
 * The name of the individual or individuals such as the name of the deceased
 * Identifying information such as the approximate date the event occurred, the place it occurred or names of other family members

Search the Collection
To search the collection, ⇒Select Browse through images on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Record Category" ⇒Select the "Record Type and Contents" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment records or military records.
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * The name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as more recent records.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Related Websites
Morris Public Library

Related Wiki Articles

 * Minnesota Genealogical Society
 * Minnesota

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation

Image Citation