Iowa, Benton County, Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of digital images to probate records from the County Clerk's office in Benton County. The collection covers the years 1929 to 1960.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Probate records include petitions, inventories, accounts, decrees and other court documents. 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?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the deceased
 * The approximate date of death
 * The place of death
 * The names of other family members and their relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the County category
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Volume, and Year Range to view the images.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s probate 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 probate records to identify heirs and relatives
 * Search for a death record on the county and state level
 * Use the document (such as the will) or the recording dates to approximate a death date
 * Search the county for land, military, church, and immigration records

I Can't Find the Person 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Iowa.
 * Iowa Guided Research
 * Iowa Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

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.