Iowa, Jasper County Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Iowa Jasper County

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of digital images of some probate records from Jasper County for the years 1840 to 1941. Additional records are available on microfilm at the Family History Library and at family history centers. Please check the Family History Library Catalog for details about records on microfilm.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Probate records include petitions, inventories, accounts, decrees and other miscellaneous court documents such as mortgages. Information in the entries may include:


 * Name of testator or deceased
 * Names of heirs such as spouse, children, and other relatives or friends
 * Name of executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residence of testator
 * Document and recording dates

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The name of the deceased
 * The approximate date of death
 * The approximate date of probate
 * The names of other family members and their relationships

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record Type, Volume, and Year Range" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use probate records to identify heirs and relatives
 * Use the document (such as the will) or the recording dates to approximate a death date
 * Use the information in the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records since the probates exist for an earlier time period
 * You may be able to use the probate record to learn about land transactions
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of the deceased to locate census, church, and land records
 * Use the occupations listed to find other types of records such as employment records or military records
 * Probate records often have information about adoptions or guardianship of any minor children and dependents. Be aware that the spouse named may not be the parent of the children listed.
 * The records may omit the names of deceased family members and those who have previously received an inheritance.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.
 * The death date, residence, and other facts that were current at the time of the probate proceeding are quite reliable, though there is still a chance of misinformation.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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