Berrien County, Michigan Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for John M. Berrien. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Berrien County Courthouse 811 Port Street St. Joseph, MI 49085 Phone: 269-983-7111 Berrien County Website County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1831, naturalization records 1835-1985 and military records from 1918. Probate Court has probate records from 1832. Register of Deeds has land records from 1831. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1835.

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:

Bible Records

 * Bible Records of Berrien County, Michigan at Berrien County Genealogy Project

Cemeteries

 * 1799-1999 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles, Michigan has a Name Searchable Database.

Census Records
 State Census


 * 1894 Michigan Department of State. Census of the State of Michigan, 1894. Vol 3. Lansing, MI: R. Smith & co., state printers, 1896. (Civil War veterans only) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Church Records

 * 1819-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Lutheran List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Baroda, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust Digital Library — images
 * 1903 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1909-1910 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Berrien County Directory and History : Containing Historical and Descriptive Sketches of the Villages and Townships within the County, and the Names and Occupations of Persons Residing Therein - 1871. By Cowles, Edward B. Niles, Michigan : Ed. B. Cowles, 1871. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Also Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1929-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Funeral Homes

 * Bowerman Funeral Home in Eau Claire.
 * Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Niles.
 * Duffield and Pastrick Family Funeral Home and Cremation in Coloma.
 * Florin Funeral Services in Benton Harbor, Coloma and St. Joseph.
 * Halbritter Wickens Funeral Services in Niles.
 * Hutchins Funeral Home in Watervliet.
 * Pike Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Bridgman.
 * Robbins Brothers Funeral Home in Benton Harbor.
 * Starks Family Funeral Homes and Cremation Services in Berrien Springs, Buchanan, New Buffalo and St. Joseph.
 * Wagner Family Funerals in Three Oaks.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
 * 1863-1922 Michigan State Gazetteers and Business Directories at Hathi Trust, images – includes business directories for towns across the state
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Civil War Civil War service men from Berrien County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Berrien County.


 * - 12th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Companies B, C, E, I, and K
 * - 17th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Company B


 * 1861-1865 Record of Service of the Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War 1861-1865 at Michiganology — images, multiple volumes organized alphabetically by surname
 * 1876-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1894 Michigan Department of State. Census of the State of Michigan, 1894. Vol 3. Lansing, MI: R. Smith & co., state printers, 1896. (Civil War veterans only) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

 * Digital Michigan Newspapers at Central Michigan University

Obituaries

 * 1820-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Southwest Michigan Obituary Index from the earliest date to 2000.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1784-1980 Michigan, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1784-1980 at Ancestry.com ($) — index & images
 * 1797-1973 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1832-1915 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1832-1933 (*); 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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1902 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.

Marriage

 * 1585-1945 Michigan, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1820-1937 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1820-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1868-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.

Death

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1867-1897 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * 1867-1952 Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1897-1952 Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index and images, organized by county and then last name.

Divorce

 * 1897-1952 Michigan, Divorce Records, 1897-1952 at Ancestry ($) — index and images

FamilySearch Centers

 * St Joseph Michigan FamilySearch Center
 * South Bend Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Valparaiso Indiana FamilySearch Center


 * Hartford Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Van Buren District Library - an affiliate library

Museums
North Berrien Historical Museum 300 Coloma Ave PO Box 207 Coloma, MI 49038 Phone: 269-468-3330 Email: [mailto:info@northberrienhistory.org info@northberrienhistory.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Berrien County Genealogical Society 3653 Niles Rd PO Box 571 Stevensville, Michigan 49127 Email: [mailto:info@bcgensoc.com info@bcgensoc.com] Website Facebook Berrien County Historical Association 313 N Cass Street PO Box 261 Berrien Springs, MI 49103 Phone: 269-471-1202 E-mail:[mailto:info@berrienhistory.org info@berrienhistory.org] Website Facebook Galien Woods Historical Society 305 Kiley Dr Galien, MI 49113 Phone: 269-545-8871 Facebook The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center 601 Main St St Joseph, MI 49085 Phone: 269-983-1191 Email: [mailto:info@theheritagemcc.org info@theheritagemcc.org] Website Facebook North Berrien Historical Society 300 Coloma Ave PO Box 207 Coloma, MI 49038 Phone: 269-468-3330 Email: [mailto:info@northberrienhistory.org info@northberrienhistory.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Berrien County, MI-Roots Michigan Roots is a member of the PA-Roots family of websites.
 * The Berrien County MIGenWeb Project, an member of The MIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Berrien County MI Genealogy LDS Genealogy (Michigan 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.