Sunflower County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
Sunflower County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Sunflower County Courthouse 200 Main Street PO Box 988 Indianola, MS 38751 Phone: 662-887-4703 Sunflower County Website Clerk Chancery Court has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from from 1871.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Cemeteries

 * Listing of Sunflower County cemeteries, with some transcribed by the MSGenWeb.

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1845 State Census Returns 1845 - Sunflower County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1866 State Census Returns 1866 - Sunflower County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1880  State Census Returns 1880 - Sunflower County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Funeral Homes

 * Boone Funeral Home in Indianola.
 * Burton Funeral Home in Indianola.
 * Byas Funeral Home in Indianola and Ruleville.
 * Williams and Lord Funeral Home in Ruleville.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1861-1951 Military grave registrations - Sunflower County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Mexican-American War 
 * 1846-1848  How to Use this Collection;  at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865- at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry Free Index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry Free Index
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1939 Civil War records 1936-1939 - Sunflower County Collection at FamilySearch - images only


 * - 3rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company B - Sunflower Dispersers

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1836-1941 Naturalization index take-off cards 1836-1941 - Sunflower County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Other Records
 State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

Voter List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1884-1972 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and 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.

Tax Records

 * 1842-1898 at FamilySearch - index and images - incomplete
 *  1842-1898 County Tax records 1842-1898 - Sunflower County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi, Compiled Marriages, 1800-1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1844-1913 Sunflower County Marriage Books 1-6, 14-15, SL-S11, W Index 1844-1913 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Death

 * 1822-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive - images of index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Columbus Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * El Dorado Arkansas FamilySearch Center
 * Greenville Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * Pine Bluff Arkansas FamilySearch Center


 * Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Arkansas Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Sunflower County Historical Society Sunflower County Library 201 Cypress Dr Indianola, MS 38751 Website

Websites

 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Sunflower County Mississippi Genealogy and History Network
 * Sunflower County, Mississippi MSGenweb
 * Mississippi GenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * – 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.