Step-by-Step Michigan Research, 1880-Present

Michigan Step-by-step research 1880--present

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Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records:
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What should be asked?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews What to Ask the Relatives
 * Genealogy: 150 questions to ask family members about their lives
 * Creating Oral Histories

Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1880-1950, online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household (depending on the year). their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.



Use the clues found through family sources to lead to census record searches.
Let's assume that, for example, this old military release is found in the home of a relative. Analyzing this document tells which census records to search for the family.
 * The document shows that John P. Pemberton was born in 1928 in Port Huron, Michigan.
 * In 1946, he enlisted in the military at Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan.
 * Between 1928 and 1946, there are two censuses that should be searched: 1930 and 1940, in St. Clair County, Michigan.

1940 census of Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan

1930 census of Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan

Notice the new information found: - The next step would be to search the 1910 and 1920 census for John V. Pemberton listed living with his parents.
 * John P. Pemberton's parents were John V. and Mabel E. Pemberton.
 * They were born in about 1908 and 1910 in Michigan.
 * Five of his siblings are listed: Eva M., William H., Franklin M., Evelyn M., and Nancy L.

Here is the next generation.
 * John V. Pemberton, father of our John P. Pemberton, was the son of Lovell and Alvina Pemberton.
 * They were also born in Michigan, in about 1878 and 1887.
 * The next step would be to search for Lovell listed in his parents' home in the 1880 and 1900 U.S. censuses and the 1884, 1894, and 1904 Michigan state censuses.

1880 census of Mt. Clemens, Macomb County, Michigan

Here are the search results.
 * The Michigan state censuses, it turns out, do not cover every county, particularly St. Clair and Macomb County.
 * The indexes dod not show Lovell Pemberton in 1900, but he did show up in an 1880 index.
 * His parents are John and Mary Pemberton:, both born in Canada, with parents born in New York.

==='''Now you try it. Find your ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.''' === For more information, see Michigan Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or (even towns in some states) recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
 * In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. *A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
 * A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
The census records identified three generations of Pemberton couples. In each case, the census record does not give the maiden name of the mother. Finding marriage records can:
 * establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
 * find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.

Using census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death:
 * birth date and place of the deceased
 * maiden name of the wife
 * names of the deceased's parents
 * birth places of the deceased's parents.

Now you try it. Gather as many birth, marriage, and death records as possible.
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Michigan, see How to Find Michigan Birth Records, How to Find Michigan Marriage Records, and How to Find Michigan Death Records.

Studying what you have found and what you need to find:
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 * Next comes a process of going back and forth between various certificates, and back and forth to the census records.
 * Review what you have found to see if there is missing information that could be found in another birth, marriage, or death certificate for your ancestors or their children.
 * If you are missing the names of parents, find a person's death certificate. It may contain the names of the deceased's parents, which would extend your pedigree back one more generation. This can lead to following the new-found parents in census searches.
 * Or if certificates do not show the parents, look for the child listed with the parents in a census.
 * If you find a child listed in a census record, try to find their actual birth certificate to learn their full birth date.
 * If a married couple is shown in the census records, find the wife's maiden name by searching for their marriage record or her death record. The mother's maiden name should also be given in her children's birth certificates.

How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
 * online databases
 * writing to a county courthouse (prior to state civil registration beginning in 1867)
 * purchasing them through the mail

Records at the County Courthouse.
For contact information and for dates when records were kept at the county level, see the Wiki article for each county. County clerks can be contacted by e-mail or telephone.

Ordering certificates through the mail.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).


 * Where to Write for Vital Records

Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.

Now you try it. Gather as many obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records as possible.
For more information, see Michigan Obituaries and Michigan Cemeteries.

Obituary Collections

 * Index and image.
 * Online Michigan Death Records &amp; Indexes, links by county
 * Obits Archive Michigan
 * Obituaries Help Michigan
 * Michigan Obituaries
 * Web: Southwest Michigan, Obituary Index, 1875-2012, index, ($)
 * — index and images

Cemetery Record Collections

 * Online Michigan Death Records &amp; Indexes, links by county
 * Findagrave.com
 * Michigan Cemetery Records at Interment.net
 * BillionGraves.com Michigan Cemeteries
 * USGenWeb Michigan Tombstone Transcription Project.
 * Web: Indiana and Michigan, Michiana Genealogical Cemetery Index, 1800-2010 Index only ($)
 * Michigan Linkpendium
 * Michigan Cemetery Records (Michigan Genealogy), Cemetery inscriptions online organized by county and city.
 * I Dream of Genealogy Michigan Cemeteries
 * I Dream of Genealogy Michigan Cemeteries

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at
 * Also at Ancestry.com, ($), index.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.


 * If you find your ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and World War II draft cards and Civil War pensions.

 * There are many different types of military records, some covered in online collections, some microfilmed, and some requiring you to order them from government repositories with a fee. For more information, read the U.S. Military Records Class Handout. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.

World War I Draft Registration

 * One of the most helpful military records is the draft registration of 1917-1918. During three separate registrations, men born between 1873-1897 were required to register in the draft for World War I. Cards may give birth date, birth place, residence, occupation, employer, physical description, next of kin (usually the wife or mother), and number of dependents. Search for your male relatives born in this time period at.

World War II Draft Registration
Likewise, the World War II draft in 1942 may give birth date, birth place, residence, occupation, employer, and other family members as contacts. Search for your male relatives born in this time period at
 * , index and images.

Civil War Pensions

 * Pensions were given to Union Civil War soldiers who sustained war-related disabilities from the Federal Government.
 * There are several Civil War pension indexes online:
 * at FamilySearch
 * General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Civil War at Ancestry - $
 * Civil War Pensions Index at Fold3 - $


 * This collection indexes approved pension case files of widows and other dependents of soldiers submitted between 1861 and 1934 and sailors between 1910 and 1934. The pension files are being uploaded and attached to this index as they become available. If the pension images are not available, they must be obtained from the National Archives. The wife's maiden name is used in the index along with her married name.





This collection consists of two card indexes to widows who had applied for a pension renewal. The first covers service between 1812-1860 and the second covers service in the Civil War and later. This is helpful in locating a woman in census and death records under her new surname.



Online Resources
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 * ca.1847 - ca.1965' at FamilySearch - index and images

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Step 6: If your ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that your ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records are the next goal. Immigration refers to people coming into a country, such as the United States, and emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. Usually these records are passenger lists of the ships they sailed on. A typical record will show name, age, and country of origin, but in ship lists after 1906 you can find the actual town of birth, the next of kin still living in the old country and their residence, and the names of relatives in the place they are traveling to.

Census clues to Immigration records
Census records can provide important clues about nationality and immigration. This chart lists data that can be found in each of the census records. Gather the information in the census records specifically about immigration, as it will help narrow down your search.

Immigration records
This two page illustration is of a 1917 San Francisco passenger arrival list: Michigan passenger list page 1 Michigan passenger list page 2.png Passenger lists and border crossing lists are the most common immigration records. There are many immigration records available. Click here to see a complete list of available immigration records online. Notice that they are listed by state, but under the letter "U" there is a long list of records that cover all of the United States. Unless family information tells you the port where family arrived, you will need to search all of the United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records for the time period when your ancestors arrived.

Naturalization (Citizenship) Records
Naturalization is the process of becoming a citizen. Records can include the immigrant's declaration of intent to become a citizen, petitions for citizenship, and final certificate of naturalization. Naturalization records after 1906 can show birth date and place, spouse's name, marriage date and place, and lists of children with their birth dates.

Michigan naturalization records could be recorded at the county court or the Federal District or Circuit Court. You must look for them in both locations. Try searching first in any county where the person lived, unless the census tells you the year they were naturalized, and you have evidence of where they lived that year. If you cannot locate them in the county records, try searching for them in the Federal courts.

Michigan Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * Michigan Eastern District Naturalizations Index only ($)
 * Naturalization.
 * U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes for Michigan - Eastern and Southern Districts - U.S. District Court, 1907-1995 ($)
 * Iosco County, Michigan Naturalization Index, 1885-1910 ($)
 * Michigan, Federal Naturalization Records, 1887-1931, index & images ($).

Local Histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * The authors usually invited the residents of the county to submit their personal family histories.
 * Histories can also give lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials.


 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords Michigan; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "Michigan" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry ;the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "Michigan" and the county name.
 * Genealogy Book Links, Michigan. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Michigan and the name of the county.


 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
 * If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find out about local histories by:
 * Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
 * A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.

Biography Collections
These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or you can use the "Find" function on your computer.
 * County Histories and Atlases, with biographies
 * Michigan Biographical Index.
 * Biographies &amp; Memoirs in Michigan History
 * Michigan Biographies, ($), index
 * Massachusetts Pioneers to the West Index, ($), index
 * Michigan, a centennial history of the state and its people, ($), index
 * Michigan Memories, 1837-87, ($), index
 * Michigan Biographical Sketches, 1870-1900, ($), index
 * Michigan Biographies, 1878, ($), index
 * Michigan pioneer experiences, 1710-1880 : with genealogical data and anecdotes, ($), index
 * Portrait and biographical record of northern Michigan, containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States
 * Michigan Biographical Index, use alphabetical links on the right side
 * But men are more interesting than rivers : Michigan biography, e-book

Step 9: Write to a county for wills and probate packets.

 * "Probate is the legal process through which an individual’s real estate (property) and personal estate (possessions) are distributed to his or her heirs, whether or not there is a will. Testate is the term used when a will existed in the settling of the estate. Intestate is the term used when there was no will written and the court decides how the estate is to be distributed.


 * "Not everyone in the United States wrote a will or went through probate. Nearly 10% of the pre-1900 adult population made wills, usually males with property. Before 1900, about 25% of estates were probated, even though no will had been written. However, this percentage is higher for rural areas because that is where the land was owned.


 * "The single most important value of probate records is the proof of relationships. In a will, people are identified as a wife, son, daughter, nephew, niece, brother, sister, etc. If there is no will, the distribution is made by the court to the heirs who are usually family members. Other helpful and interesting information that may be learned from probate files are: date and place of death, name of the spouse and other possible family members and relationships, location of the heirs, property ownership, and guardianship of minor children." Jill Shoemaker, U.S. Probate Records Class Handout

County probate records

 * County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration. In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet. Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.


 * Currently, these records are microfilmed and digitized:
 * Michigan, Wills and Probate Records, 1784-1980, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Images only.


 * Eventually more of these records may become available online.


 * In the meantime, this online directory by Genealogy Inc. will enable you to arrange to have them searched for a fee: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the Courthouse and Government Records to find the address and phone number of the County Clerk of Court. Ask them about the years covered by their probate records and their procedure and fees for ordering copies probate packets. When you write, always ask for the full probate packet, not just the will or administration.

This link will take you to an example of a full probate packet, where you can see the many types of documents, beyond just the will, that can be found in a probate packet: Probate packet of Susanna Pemberton Incidentally, Susanna is the mother of John Pemberton who was born in Canada in 1839, as proven in these documents.

Step 10: Contact a county historical or genealogical society.
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 * County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked. Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc. Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county. Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.
 * County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked. Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc. Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county. Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.


 * If you can find the society on the internet, they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, you can hire one of their members to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * Michigan, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * Michigan, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Michigan Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Michigan Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Michigan Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * Michigan Online Genealogy Records