Montana, Toole County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of probate, naturalization and marriage records from the county courthouse in Shelby. It includes records from 1913 to 1960. This collection is being published as images become available.

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

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in this collection may include:


 * Name of the primary individual
 * Age
 * Event date
 * Event place
 * Parents' names including mother's maiden name
 * Parents' age, birth place and residence
 * Occupations
 * Names of heirs, such as spouse, children, other relatives, or friends
 * Name of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)
 * Description and value of personal property or land owned by the deceased
 * Address or residence

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name
 * Type of event
 * Approximate date of event

Search the Collection
To browse by image: 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 Category" ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type, Record Description, and Year Range" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one 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.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the names and places to search for church and census records.
 * If an age is listed, use it to determine an approximate birth date.
 * Use the naturalization information to help you locate immigration records such as a passenger lists which would usually be kept records at the port of entry into the United States.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * It may helpful to extract information on all individuals with the same surname within each record type. These individuals may be family members of your ancestor. Try to arrange these inidviduals into family groups.
 * The witnesses named in the records may have been relatives of the primary person in the record. You should also search for them in the records.
 * Birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * 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 counties.

Related Websites

 * Toole County Clerk and Recorder
 * Guide to Montana Court Records
 * Montana GenWeb Project

Related Wiki Articles

 * Montana, United States Genealogy
 * Toole County, Montana
 * Montana Naturalization and Citizenship
 * Montana Probate Records
 * Montana Vital Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation

Image Citation