Missouri, Index to Independence Newspapers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection includes digital images of card index to genealogical information in The Jackson Examiner, published weekly from 19 February 1898 to 8 February 1901 and The Independence Examiner, published daily since 16 May 1905. This collection includes records from 1898 to 1960. The newspaper included articles about anniversaries, births, citizenship notices, deaths and obituaries, divorces, engagements and marriages.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The index lists the name, the event type and gives the date the information was published.

The newspaper articles may contain any of the following information:
 * Names
 * Birth dates and places
 * Death or burial dates and places
 * Marriage dates and places
 * Names of parents, siblings, or other family members
 * Residences
 * Occupations
 * Details about military service

Search the Index
Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page then:
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes with the information you know.
 * 2) Click Search. This will provide possible a list of matches.
 * 3) Compare the information in the lists to what you already know to determine if you found the correct person.

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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death records.
 * Use the information to find additional family members.
 * 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 Who 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 as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Missouri, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Missouri Archives and Libraries.

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

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.