United States, YMCA World War I Service Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of digital images of about 26,000 4x6 "service punch cards" listing names of individuals who served with the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in supporting troops during World War I through the National War Council. The collection covers the years 1917 to 1919 and is complete through the surname "Wilson." About 20% of the workers were women.

This collection of index cards was kept by the Kautz Family YMCA Library at the University of Minnesota. For details about the collection see the World War I-Related Records Summary. Service Punch Cards, 1917-1919

Related Digital Books
 * Service with Fighting Men. An Account of the Work of the American Young Men's Christian Associations in the World War. Volume 1 New York: Association Press, 1922
 * Service with Fighting Men. An Account of the Work of the American Young Men's Christian Associations in the World War. Volume 2 New York: Association Press, 1922
 * Summary of World War Work of the American YMCA
 * Hand Book of American YMCA, AEF
 * Manual of Instructions YMCA Work Work Fund November 11-19, 1917

What Can These Records Tell Me?
A punch card was created for each worker, including some or all of the following data:
 * Name
 * Gender
 * Year of birth
 * Residence or mailing address
 * Dates of service
 * Work Placement
 * Date of Placement
 * Place of service
 * Occupation
 * Salary
 * Date left or returned
 * Religion
 * Qualifications
 * Marital status
 * Education

It should be noted the cards were different colors and had different designations:
 * Men were listed on buff cards
 * Women were listed on white cards
 * African American Y/N were listed on blue cards

For more detailed information please see Service Punch Cards

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age of your ancestor
 * The place where your ancestor lived
 * The names of family members and their relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Surname Range to view the images.

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 World War I Service Card, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Search for a birth record
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Search for the family in church, land, and probate records

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the military records at Fold3

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.