Iowa Vital Records Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This index covers events from 1836 through 1992.

Record Description
Digital database of information transcribed from original records.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in birth index entries may include:


 * Name of the child
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Christening date (if the source is a church record)
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

The key genealogical facts found in marriage index entries may include:


 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Names of the parents
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

The key genealogical facts found in death or burial index entries may include:


 * Name of the deceased
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Name of the spouse (if married)
 * Death or burial date
 * Death or burial place
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

How to Use the Record
Use this file to help you learn more about your ancestors. The information could help you identify family relationships and lineages as well as direct you to original records of your ancestors, which may contain additional information.

Depending on the time period and place there may not be a surname listed in the original records. When that happened, the indexer often assigned a surname based on the father's surname which may not be correct. So if you are looking for a birth/christening, search by the given name of the child, adding parents' names and as much locality information as is permitted.

Record History
For over 30 years, volunteer indexers extracted this information from microfilm copies of the original records. In 1998, a few of the entries were published on 7 CDs by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the "North America Vital Records Index." This index is an index of the births, marriages, and deaths throughout Iowa. The index is not necessarily complete for any particular place or region.

Why This Record Was Created
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored the indexing to accomplish its program of identifying the ancestry of mankind.

Record Reliability
Church records and civil registration were official sources and are some of the most reliable sources of information available on those who were born, married, or died in Iowa.

Related Web Sites
This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying links to related websites here.

Related Wiki Articles
Iowa Vital Records

Sources of Information for This Collection
"Iowa Births and Christenings, 1830-1950," database, FamilySearch. Index entries derived from digital copies of originals housed in various repositories Iowa.

"Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992," database, FamilySearch. Index entries derived from digital copies of originals housed in various repositories Iowa.

"Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990," database, FamilySearch. Index entries derived from digital copies of originals housed in various repositories Iowa.

Each record in this index will have its own bibliographic reference. These bibliographic references include a variety of sources such as:


 * Family Records
 * Church Records
 * Civil Registration

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection:
Iowa Births and Christenings, 1830-1950. digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: January 14, 2011). Birth of Carwel Hardg Gustafson, 1 February 1884, Lockridge, Jefferson, Iowa. film number 0969374.