Montana, County Births and Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of registers and certificates of births and deaths acquired from county courthouses for the years 1840 to 2004. The following counties have records in this collection:
 * Broadwater
 * Deer Lodge
 * Jefferson
 * Lewis and Clark
 * Powell
 * Silver Bow

Some counties began recording births and deaths as early as 1864. These records have usually been kept by the clerk of the court in each county. Statewide registration of vital statistics began in Montana in 1907 and was generally complied with by 1920. These records were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests. They are generally reliable but can vary depending on the knowledge of the informant.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Child’s name, gender and race
 * Child’s birth date and place of birth
 * Whether child was stillborn or living
 * Number of child in the family, 1st, 2nd, etc.
 * Names of parents, including maiden name of mother
 * Parents' residence
 * Father’s occupation
 * Birthplace of father
 * Birthplace of mother

Death
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date and place of death including county, township and city/village
 * Age in days, months, and years
 * Gender, race, marital status, occupation and residence of deceased
 * Birthplace of deceased
 * Name of parents and their birth place
 * Name of spouse
 * Cause of death
 * Name and address of person reporting death
 * Burial information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The date of the birth or death
 * The place where the birth or death occurred

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.

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

 * Use the information to find a marriage
 * Use the information to find the family in census records
 * Search for church, land, and probate records

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
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. 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.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Montana.
 * Montana Guided Research
 * Montana Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Montana Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Historical Records Survey Project, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration. Guide to public vital statistics in Montana. Bozeman, Montana : Historical Records Survey (Montana), 1941. FS Library 978.6 V2h
 * Broadwater County, Montana, birth records and index, 1857-1930
 * Broadwater County, Montana, death records and register of births, 1903-2002
 * Index to births, ca. 1886-1942 ; birth records, ca. 1903-1932, Deer Lodge County, Montana
 * Index to death records (1896-2004), death records (1903-2004), Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana
 * Jefferson County, Montana, births, marriages and deaths and indexes, 1895-2003
 * Lewis and Clark County, Montana, death records, 1869-1950; birth records, 1841-1930; indexes, 1841-2001 --, 1841-2001
 * Powell County, Montana, birth records and index, 1907-1930
 * Powell County, Montana, death records, 1907-2002
 * Birth records 1890-1931, death records 1890.-2004, and indexes 1881-1972, 2004, Silver Bow County, Montana

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Montana Marriages, 1889-1947
 * Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950
 * Montana Death Index, 1860-2007

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.