Bremer County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Bremer County was named for Fredrika Bremer and is located in northeastern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Bremer County Courthouse 415 E Bremer Ave Waverly, IA 50677 Phone: 319-352-5661 Bremer County Website

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:

History Timeline

 * Bremer County was attached to Delaware, Buchanan, and Black Hawk Counties.

Biographies

 * Bremer County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories

Census Records
State Census
 * 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images (individual cards, not family context)
 * 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Lutheran
 * U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

Court Records

 * 1853-1866 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1854-1862 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1880-1948 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1881-1927 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1906-1921 (*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Becker & Son Funeral Homes in Sumner
 * Becker & Son Funeral Homes in Tripoli
 * Kaiser Corson Funeral Homes in Denver
 * Kaiser Corson Funeral Homes in Readlyn
 * Kaiser Corson Funeral Homes in Waverly
 * S. K. Rogers Funeral Home in Sumner

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1863-1945   at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Local Histories

 * Grawe, J. F., History of Bremer County, Iowa a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement. (Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1; FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2.
 * Lucas, W. V., Pioneer days of Bremer County, Iowa, (Waverly, Iowa: Waverly Democrat, 1918). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * History of Butler and Bremer counties, Iowa together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history ; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the prehistoric race, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history. (Springfield, Illinois: Union Pub. Co., 1883). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Ancestry — ($)
 * Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Bremer County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Bremer County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1885-1935 Fire Insurance Maps for Bremer County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1885 and 1935.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * Bremer County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * IAGenWeb - Bremer County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Bremer County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Bremer County at State Library of Iowa.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War service men in Bremer County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1956 Bremer County Independent and Waverly Republican (Waverly, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1976 Plainfield News (Plainfield, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1881-2008 Sumner Public Library Archives, Bremer County has the Sumner Gazette (1881-2008) available online. Requires log-in.
 * Historical Iowa Newspapers at NewspaperArchive ($) This database is sometimes free at libraries.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1852-1927   at FamilySearch Catalog - 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 and images, ($)

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1518-1996 Iowa, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index ($)
 * 1809-1992 Iowa, Marriages, 1809-1992 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1836-1926 Iowa, Marriages, 1836 - 1926 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Death

 * 1850-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1920-1967 Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Family History Centers
To locate the closest family history center or affiliate library, use the link listed above.

Libraries
Tripoli Public Library 101 4th Avenue SW PO Box 430 Tripoli, IA 50676 319-882-4807 Email: [mailto:director@tripoli.lib.ia.us director@tripoli.lib.ia.us] Website Waverly Public Library 1500 W Bremer Ave Waverly, IA 50677 319-352-1223 Email: [mailto:waverly@waverly.lib.ia.us waverly@waverly.lib.ia.us] Website

Museums
The Bremer County Historical Society Museum 402 W Bremer Ave Waverly, IA 50677 Email: [mailto:bremercountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com bremercountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Bremer County Iowa Genealogical Society 426 Washington St Waverly, IA 50677-9033 Website The Bremer County Historical Society Museum 402 W Bremer Ave Waverly, IA 50677 Email: [mailto:bremercountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com bremercountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * State Historical Society of Iowa — Select from research collection topics
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection — digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions
 * State Library of Iowa — electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies
 * IAGenWeb Project — Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb Archives — Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * – 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.