Minnesota, World War I Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of digital images of four collections related to World War I from the the Minnesota Historical Society for the years 1918 to 1941. The collections include service records, 1918-1920, card applications for soldiers' bonus,1919-1943 and bonus files, 1916-1943. It also includes the Gold Star Honor Roll, 1914 -1921 which lists Minnesota men and women who died as a result of war service, and records of resident aliens in Minnesota (primarily German immigrants) who were required to register during the war.
 *  Alien Registrations include the following Counties: Aikin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parie, Lake, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmstead, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rick, Rock, Roseau, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright and Yellow Medicine.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name
 * Birth date and place
 * Age
 * Residence


 * Military service dates
 * Death date and place if they died while in the service
 * May include names of nearest family member

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The birth date of your ancestor
 * The birth place of your ancestor
 * The residence of your ancestor
 * The military division in which your ancestor served

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.

I Found the Person I was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the name, place of residence and birth date to obtain their military file from the National Archives
 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date
 * Use the soldier's age and and residence to find his family in census, church, and land records
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times

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. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.)

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Minnesota.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Minnesota Guided Research
 * Minnesota Record Finder
 * Minnesota Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Minnesota Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Minnesota, military records : World War I bonus application files, 1918-1943.
 * Minnesota, World War I military records, 1914-1943 Gold Star Roll, Service Records, Army, Navy and red Cross Nurses, War service records for non-military service, WWI military service records
 * Minnesota, World War I Selective Service System draft registration cards, 1917-1918
 * Minnesota, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, deaths, 1917-1919
 * Daniel Nelson, comp and published. An honor roll : containing a pictorial record of the men and women from Becker County, Minnesota, U.S.A., who served in the great war : 1917--1918--1919Detroit, Minnesota : D. Nelson, 1919?
 * Blue Earth County, Minnesota, in the world war : the story of Blue Earth County's part in the great struggle for democracy, told in story and in picture Mankato, Minn. : Free Press Co., 1920.
 * Mower County in the World War illustrated : a brief history containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men of Mower County, Minnesota, who served in the Great War and also of the civilian activities which kept the home fires burning during the years 1917-1918-1919.Austin, Minn. : Austin Herald, 1919
 * Victor George Lundeen, Otter Tail County, Minnesota in the World War : an illustrated historical record of the people from Otter Tail County, Minnesota, who participated in the world war, both at home and abroad, in the years 1917, 1918, and 1919Fergus Falls, Minnesota : Lundeen Pub. Co., c1919 FHL 977.689 M2L
 * Military personnel, Nicollet County, Minnesota biographical file ca. 1917 - 1919
 * Military personnel, Nicollet County, Minnesota card file ca. 1916 - 1918
 * Stevens County, military records, 1917-1918

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * World War I Draft Registration Cards
 * United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940
 * United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
 * United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, 1916-1939

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Willis Rowland Skillman. The A.E.F : who they were, what they did, how they did it. Philadelphia : G.W. Jacobs, ©1920
 * Army War College (U.S.). Historical Section. Order of battle of the United States land forces in the World War : American expeditionary forces. Divisions Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931
 * Hermine Scholz ; with accompanying chapter by Richard J. Sommers,  World War I manuscripts : the World War I survey Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania : U.S. Army Military History Institute, 1986
 * Prepared by Minnesota Historical records survey, Division of community service programs, Work projects administration Inventory of records of World war emergency activities, Minnesota Saint Paul, Minn., Minnesota Historical Records Survey, 1941
 * Dakota County in the World War : comprising a short history of the World War, the service records and photos of Dakota County boys and the county's numerous war activities. Red Wing, Minnesota : Red Wing Print. Co., 1919
 * An honor roll containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from Faribault County, Minn., U.S.A., who served in the Great War, 1917-1918-1919 Wells, Minn., The Forum-advocate Co., 1919?
 * An Honor roll : containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from Freeborn County, Minnesota, U.S.A., who served in the Great War, 1917-1918-1919.Albert Lea, Minnesota : Albert Lea Pub. Co, 1919?
 * Kandiyohi County War Records Committee, Kandiyohi County in the World War, 1917-1918 Wilmar, Minnesota : Kandiyohi War Records Committee, 1928
 * Service record book of men and women of Nobles County.
 * Service record book of men and women of Pipestone & vicinity.
 * An honor roll containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from Pipestone County, Minn., U.S.A., who served in the Great War, 1917-1918-1919.Pipestone, Minnesota : Leader Pub. Co., 1919?
 * Waseca County in the World War. Minneapolis, Minnesota : Augsburg Pub. House, 1920?

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.