Iowa, Polk County Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes probate case files in a loose paper format from 1914 to 1924 at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Des Moines.

General Information About Probate Records
Probate records fall into two general categories: wills and estate papers. The records include petitions, inventories, accounts, decrees, oaths of executors, forms about guardians and other court documents. Most records mention the names of heirs and frequently specify how those heirs are related. Names of children may be given, as well as married names of daughters. Probate records may not give an exact death date, but a death most often occurred within a few months of the date of probate.

Probate records are used to legally dispose of a person’s estate after his or her death. The probate process transfers the legal responsibility for payment of taxes, care and custody of dependent family members, liquidation of debts, and transfer of property title. The transfer is to an executor or executrix if the deceased had made a will, to an administrator or administratrix if the deceased had not made a will, or to a guardian or conservator if the deceased had heirs under the age of twenty-one or if heirs were incompetent due to disease or disability.

Most probate records were created on a county level, though many were later sent to the Archives. The contents of probate records vary greatly depending on the prevailing law and the personality of the record keeper.

The death date, residence, and other facts that were current at the time of the probate proceeding are quite reliable, though there is still a chance of misinformation. The records may omit the names of deceased family members and those who have previously received an inheritance, or the spouse mentioned may not be the parent of the children mentioned.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Probate
 * Name of testator or deceased
 * Event year
 * Event place
 * Names of heirs such as spouse, children, and other relatives or friends
 * Sometimes the date of death

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching the collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The place where your ancestor lived
 * The approximate date of death
 * The approximate date of probate
 * The names of family members who may be listed in the probate file

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s probate 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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use probate records to identify heirs and relatives
 * You may be able to use the probate record to learn about adoptions or guardianship of any minor children and dependents
 * Use the document (such as the will) or the recording dates to approximate a death date
 * Use the information in the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records since the probates exist for an earlier time period
 * You may be able to use the probate record to learn about land transactions
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of the deceased to locate census, church, and land records
 * Use the recording date approximate the death date. (For example, a letter of administration was usually written shortly after the time of death.)

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Check for probate records in nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Iowa.
 * Beginning Research in United States Probate Records
 * Iowa Guided Research
 * Iowa Record Finder
 * Iowa Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Iowa Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Polk County, Probate records, 1852-1967
 * Polk County, Probate case files, 1895-1905
 * Polk County, Probate case files, ca. 1847-1915
 * Polk County, Probate records, 1860-1886 ; index, 1847-1912
 * Polk County, Probate records, 1866-1902
 * Polk County, Wills, 1850-1866
 * Polk County, Wills, 1866-1893

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Lorenzo F. Andrews. Pioneers of Polk County, Iowa, and reminiscences of early days. 2 volumes. Des Moines, Iowa : Baker-Trisler Co., 1908

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Iowa, Registros testamentarios del condado de Polk (Registros históricos de FamilySearch)