Minnesota, Stevens County Genealogical Society Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of digital images of records stored at the Morris Public Library in Donnelly, Minnesota for the years 1876 to 2006. The records include:


 * Obituaries and index (1811-2006)
 * Marriage card file index (1875-1971)

County officials began keeping records from the time the county was formed. Each type of record within the county was created for a different purpose, but most were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests and the legal interests of their heirs. The indexes were created as a rapid access to specific individuals withing the original records.

The information is generally reliable. However it depends on the reliability of the informant on the original documents. In addition, there may be transcription errors.

Coverage Map
To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Minnesota marriages click here.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Information found in the Genealogical Society Records of marriages include only the following:


 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Date and place of the marriage

Information found in the Genealogical Society Records of obituaries may include all the following:


 * Full Name of deceased
 * Residence
 * Age and gender
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of Death
 * Burial Date
 * Cremated or not
 * Name of Cemetery
 * Branch of service, if military
 * Rank, company and regiment
 * Served in what war
 * Occupation
 * Marital Status
 * Name of Spouse
 * Social Security Number
 * Nationality
 * Names of Parents
 * Names of Children

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching the collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate date of event such as marriage or death.
 * The place where the event took place.
 * The names of other family members and their relationships.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Record Category
 * 2) Select the Record Type and Contents category 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.

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. For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

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 the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

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.


 * Collection Citation: