Step-by-Step Arizona Research 1900--Present

Arizona Step-by-step research 1900--present

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 are the best questions to ask?
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 :
 * 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History


 * Creating Oral Histories

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2. Find your ancestors in every possible census record, 1910-1950, 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 you might find (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.



Using the clues to lead to census record searches.
This newspaper clipping of a wedding announcement guides searches in census record.:
 * Monico Garcia and Amelia Hunt were married in Winslow, Arizona in 1902.
 * Searches in the 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950 would trace this family's development through the decades.
 * Searches in the 1900 census would possibly find them living in their parents' homes, identifying the earlier generation.
 * 1910 Monico and Amelia
 * 1920 Monico and Amelia
 * 1930 Monico and Amelia
 * 1940 Monico
 * 1950 Monico
 * 1900 Monico
 * 1900 Amelia

Look for 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.

 * 1850 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1860 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1870 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1880 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1900 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1910 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1920 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1930 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1940 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1950 census: NARA Index FamilySearch Images

For more information, see Arizona 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 the census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records. In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents. Example of a birth certificate.

Using the census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can: Example of a marriage certificate.
 * 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 the 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: Example of a death certificate.
 * 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.

'Some of the examples shown above are index entries''. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists'''. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. Instructions are given below on obtaining the original certificate. -

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 the beginning of state civil registration)
 * purchasing them through the mail

Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Arizona Counties.

Order Certificates from Arizona Vital Records Department.
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 Arizona Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Arizona, see How to Find Arizona Birth Records, How to Find Arizona Marriage Records, and How to Find Arizona Death Records.

Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
When a person dies, several records will be created: death certificates, Social Security records, obituaries, and cemetery records.
 * Birth records were not available until 1905. Death certificates can give birth information for people born before then. Death certificates frequently give the birth date and place, parents' names, and birth places of parents.


 * The Social Security Death Index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits. The index entries give the person's full birth date, last known residence, and residence at the time they first enrolled.


 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index provides information filed in the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birth place, and parents’ names.


 * Cemetery records can be as simple as the information on the headstone or, in some FindAGrave records, they can report more thorough information about birth, parents, spouses, children, and siblings.

Example of a FindAGrave cemetery record.
 * Obituaries can also vary from simple announcement of the death, to birth and marriage information, parents, siblings, descendants, and residence and occupation histories.

Death Indexes

 * 1800-1972 Arizona Genealogy Record Search at Arizona Department of Health Services — images
 * 1870-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1870-1963 Arizona Death Certificates, 1870-1963 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1910-1911, 1933-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry($)

Ordering Certificates from the Arizona Vital Records Department.
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 Arizona Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records

U.S. Social Security Death Index

 * 1935-2014 US Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1936-2007 US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1962-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

'''Obituaries

 * Online Arizona Death Records &amp; Indexes
 * Arizona Obituary Archive
 * Native American Obituaries Digitized with full name index.
 * GenealogyBuff Arizona
 * — index and images
 * — index and images

Cemeteries

 * Findagrave.com
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
 * Billion Graves
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection
 * Arizona Cemetery at at AccessGenealogy
 * Arizona Cemetery Records at Interment
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Arizona Gravestones Photo Project at Arizona Gravestones
 * Arizona Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
 * Online Arizona Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
 * Pioneer Cemeteries at Pioneers' Cemeteries Association - PDF lists
 * Arizona Cemeteries at American Pioneer and Cemetery Research Project

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards online.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. 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. Example of a World War I draft card.

Example of a World War II draft card.

===Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives. Even though these are 1917 and 1942 records, the men in them were born in the 1880-90's.''' ===

- For more information and additional collections, see Arizona Military Records.
 * , index and images.
 * , index and images.

Step 6: Look for church records online.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.



FamilySearch

 * 1909-1917 Arizona, births and christenings, 1909-1917, index
 * 1910-1911; 1933-1994 Arizona, deaths and burials, 1910-1911; 1933-1994, index
 * 1865-1949 Arizona, marriages, 1865-1949, index

Episcopal

 * 1889-1971 Episcopal Diocese of Arizona church records : jurisdiction of New Mexico and Arizona, 1889-1971, images

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

- For help with church records kept in Arizona, see Arizona Church Records. To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an 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 would be the next step.



Arizona Immigration Records

 * United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records
 * Border Crossings:From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 Index and images ($)
 * , images only
 * , images only

Arizona Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records
 * U.S., Naturalization Records - Original Documents, (World Archives Project) for Arizona, 1864-1955 - U.S. District Court ($)
 * Arizona, State Court Naturalization Records, 1869-1976, index, images, incomplete, ($).
 * Arizona, Naturalization Records, 1909-1991, index & images ($).
 * Arizona, Naturalization Records, 1912-1991, images/index ($)

For more information, see Arizona Emigration and Immigration and Arizona Naturalization and Citizenship.

Local Histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: Arizona; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "Arizona" 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 "Arizona" and the county name.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Arizona and the name of the county.

FamilySearch Collected Local Histories

 * 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 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

 * A Historical and biographical record of the territory of Arizona, ($). Images, partial index.
 * A Historical and biographical record of the territory of Arizona, ($). Images, partial index.
 * Arizona Memory Project. Index.
 * Who's who in Arizona, 1913, e-book
 * Portrait and biographical record of Arizona, 1901, e-book

Step 9: Search for wills and probate packets.

 * 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.

Search these indexes and images for probate records.

 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: Arizona
 * Arizona, Wills and Probate Records, 1803-1995, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Arizona, Wills and Probate Records, 1866-1974 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Arizona county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including the address of the county courthouse: Arizona Counties

For more information, see Arizona Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 10: Search land records online.
These records can give: -
 * the name of the owner,
 * the date they obtained the land,
 * the county, and the exact location of the land,
 * clues to family members who shared ownership of the land, sold or gave land to a child, or witnessed the sale,
 * previous or new residence of the parties to the deed.

Online Records
Example of land record index.
 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: Arizona
 * Images only.
 * Arizona Land Patents online. Index.
 * The County Recorder. Online searchable land records for Arizona.

Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
{|
 * style="vertical-align:top"|
 * 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 area.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.


 * Find the society on the internet, and 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, one of their members can be hired 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. Example of a local genealogical society home page.

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

Arizona Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Arizona 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 Arizona 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.
 * Arizona Online Genealogy Records

Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Arizona.
This article focused more on Arizona state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Arizona. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.