Arkansas Church Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
This collection includes an index and images of selected church marriages for the years 1860-1976. Many of the records are from Columbia and Woodruff counties. The collection may also have some other types of records mixed in.

Reading These Records
The records are written in German and English. See the section For Help Reading these Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Church Marriage records may contain the following information for both bride and groom:
 * Name
 * Age
 * Birth year
 * Birth place
 * Parents’ names
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Marital status
 * Race
 * Previous spouse

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The location or date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select County, Town
 * 2) Select Church and Parish
 * 3) Select Record Type and Year Range to view the images.

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.

For Help Reading these Records
These records are in German and English. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * German Genealogical Word List
 * German Language and Languages

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

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.
 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section. It's always a good idea to keep your citation on a Research Log. This is an important tool to help keep track of what you have and have not found.  Family search wiki has a  Example Research Log that you can download and use.
 * Print or download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed.

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

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other county or Arkansas Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the United States Census, 1880 (FamilySearch Historical Records) or the United States Census, 1900 (FamilySearch Historical Records) or the United States Census, 1920 (FamilySearch Historical Records) or the United States Census, 1940 (FamilySearch Historical Records).  Search the state censuses as well.
 * Use the information found in the record to find United States, Internal Revenue Assessment Lists (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * Use the information found in the record to find United States, Bureau of Land Management Tract Books (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index or at Find A Grave.
 * If applicable, search for immigration and naturalization records.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names.
 * Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation.
 * Check the infobox above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing This Collection
A citation is a note that shows where you found information. Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Using citations allow others to find the same records. Below are the proper citations to use for this whole collection as well as for individual records and images:

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: Top of Page