Colorado, Denver County Probate Case Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
This collection includes probate case file records acquired from the Colorado State Archives in Denver, for the years 1900 to 1925. The collection begins with case number 6407.

Files regarding insanity records and adoption material were restricted by the state when the records were acquired and are missing from this collection.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Probate records include petitions, inventories, accounts, decrees, and other court documents. Information found in entries may include:


 * Name of testator or deceased
 * Date of decedent's death
 * Names of heirs such as spouse, children, and other relatives or friends
 * Name of executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residence of testator
 * Pertinent documents and recording dates (Used to approximate event dates i.e. a will was usually written near time of death.)

Sample Images
Click on the image for a larger view.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the deceased.
 * The place of residence.
 * The approximate death or probate date.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Document Type
 * 2) Select Case File Number and Year Range

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?

 * Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.
 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section. It's always a good idea to keep your citation on a Research Log. This is an important tool to help keep track of what you have and have not found.  Family search wiki has a  Example Research Log that you can download and use.
 * Print or download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed.

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

 * Use a probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives.
 * Use a will to approximate a death date, then find a death certificate.
 * Use the information in the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records for earlier years.
 * Use the information to locate census, christenings, marriage and land records.
 * Use the occupations to find employment or military records.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

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

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names.
 * Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation.
 * Search the indexes and records of Colorado, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Colorado Archives and Libraries.

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.


 * Collection Citation:

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