Step-by-Step Arizona Research 1900--Present

Arizona Step-by-step research 1900--present

Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History


 * Creating Oral Histories

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2. Find your ancestors in every possible census record, 1910-1950, online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household you might find (depending on the year) their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military.



Using the clues to lead to census record searches.
Here are three documents you might find in a home search: a newspaper clipping of a wedding announcement from 1902, a clipping of an obituary, and a Facebook announcement of a 50th wedding anniversary party.

Notice how the clues in them let us know other records to search: 1. Monico Garcia and Amelia Hunt were married in Winslow, Arizona, on the Monday before the newspaper was published on July 12, 1902, which would have the 7th. Monico worked for the Apache County government. We would expect to now be able to follow this family's development through the years by locating their records in the 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 censuses of Arizona. Also, we might find Monico and Amelia in the 1900 census, living in their parents' homes. Click on the blue links to see what can be discovered in the census records.

2. Domitila or "Tillie" Yanez lived her entire life from 1924 on in Douglas, Arizona. Yanez is apparently her married name, as her husband is Henry (Garza) Yanez. We find her maiden name by looking at her brother, Narciso (Chico) Robles. We need to look for this family in the 1930 and 1940 censuses, four children: Domitila (Tillie) Robles, born in 1924; a sister, Refugia (Cuca) Robles; a brother, Narciso (Chico) Robles; and another sister, Esther (Chio), all living in Douglas, Arizona. If we find them, we can identify their parents. Then we can continue to follow backward in time to the 1920 census. Click on the blue links to see what we actually find in the census searches. Notice that both her parents and her grandfather are discovered.

3. In the 50th wedding anniversary announcement (below) for Howard and Lynne Powers, the couple's names and children's names are given, but most intriguing is the final paragraph: "Lynne is the daughter of Matt Hanhila and Merna and is a third generation Arizona native. Howard is the son of Joseph and Cleone Powers, originally from Wisconsin and long time valley residents." The couple was married in 1964. If we assume they were about 21 years old, they would be born in about 1943, too late to appear in the available census records. However, if they were older when they married or had older brothers or sisters, we might find their parents as a married couple in the 1940 census. The places mentioned are Glendale, Scottsdale, and "the valley". So let's start with the 1940 census of Arizona, possibly the 1940 census of Wisconsin. Then we'll work our way back in time, 1930, 1920, 1910, and 1900 looking for the three generations of Lynne's family in Arizona.



- For more information, see Arizona Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or even towns in some states recorded births, marriages, and deaths. In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using the census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
From the census records we found for these three families, we can develop lists of people who were born in Arizona during the time that Arizona kept birth certificates.

1. Monico and Amelia Garcia, had four children listed in the various census records. By subtracting their ages from the census year, we can estimate the year they were born: Adelia (1904), Lupita (1906), James (1909), and Margaret (1913). Their birth certificates should be available, and can be used to find their full birth dates and birth places.

2. Likewise, we should be able to find the birth certificates of Domitilo Robles (1924) and her siblings: Refugia (1915), Virginia (1917), Narciso, (1922), and Esther (1929). There is an unusual gap in the births of the children from 1909 to 1913. We might find additional children not listed in the census records.

3. The census shows that Lynne Hanhila Powers was born about 1938 in Arizona and had a sister Lissa V. born in 1936. By obtaining their birth certificates, we will also learn the maiden name of Lynne's mother, Merna, who was born in Arizona about 1913. We can then send for Merna's birth certificate, which will give the names of her parents, including her mother's maiden name and thus extend the pedigree another generation. Click on the blue links to see what we found!

Using the census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Here is just one example of a possible marriage certificate search. Since Tillie's Robles Yanez' parents, Narciso and Margaret are found in the 1920 census with a six-year-old child. We can estimate that they were married in about 1913-1914, and look for their marriage certificate. Click on the link to see what was discovered.

Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Next we can look for death certificates for many of the people we have identified. Click on the blue links to see the results of those searches. The most important thing to notice is that in each certificate the parents are named, enabling us to identify the next generation on the pedigree!

1. Monico Garcia 2. Amelia Hunt Garcia 3. Gabriel Garcia and his wife,Beatrice, parents of Monico Garcia. 4. Narciso Robles and his wife Margarita, parents of Domitilo "Tilllie" Yanez. 5. Plutarcio Robles, Tillie's grandfather. 6. Lynne Hanhila Powers' grandfather, Felix Oscar Hanhila

Samples of records
Here are some samples of Arizona index entries and original certificates. Notice the types of information available in each, particularly the identity of the parents, which adds another generation to your research.

fee], and proof of your identification. Provide as many details as possible on the application, but you may leave some fields blank.

Obituaries

 * Online Arizona Death Records &amp; Indexes
 * Arizona Obituary Archive
 * Native American Obituaries Digitized with full name index.
 * GenealogyBuff Arizona
 * GenealogyBuff Arizona

Cemeteries

 * Online Arizona Death Records &amp; Indexes
 * Arizona Gravestones.org
 * Findagrave.com
 * Arizona Cemetery Records at Interment.net
 * BillionGraves Cemetery Records
 * Arizona Pioneer &amp; Cemetery Research Project, index of each cemetery.
 * I Dream of Genealogy Arizona Cemeteries

This example of an online cemetery record is from FindAGrave

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and World War II draft cards.





 * , index and images.
 * , index and images.

Step 6: Look for church records online.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.



Search for church records that can provide additional birth, marriage, and death information.
- For help with church records kept in Arizona, see Arizona Church Records. To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.

 * Border Crossings:From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 Index and images ($)




 * Arizona, Naturalization Records, 1912-1991, ($), index

Local histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords Arizona; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "Arizona" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "Arizona" and the county name.
 * Genealogy Book Links, Arizona. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Arizona and the name of the county.


 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, and History - Indexes.


 * Also, in  Step 11, you will be contacting a county history society. Societies often have a good selection of printed histories about the area. Some may be search history for you for a fee.

Biographies
These collections of Arizona biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or you can use the "Find" function on your computer.
 * A Historical and biographical record of the territory of Arizona, ($). Images, partial index.
 * A Historical and biographical record of the territory of Arizona, ($). Images, partial index.
 * Arizona Memory Project. Index.
 * Who's who in Arizona, 1913, e-book
 * Portrait and biographical record of Arizona, 1901, e-book

Step 9: Search for wills and probate packets.

 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.

Search these indexes and images for probate records.

 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: Arizona
 * Arizona, Wills and Probate Records, 1803-1995, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Arizona, Wills and Probate Records, 1866-1974 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Arizona county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including the address of the county courthouse: Arizona Counties

For more information, see Arizona Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 10: Search land records online.
These records can give: -
 * the name of the owner,
 * the date they obtained the land,
 * the county, and the exact location of the land,
 * clues to family members who shared ownership of the land, sold or gave land to a child, or witnessed the sale,
 * previous or new residence of the parties to the deed.

Online Records
Example of land record index.
 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: Arizona
 * Images only.
 * Arizona Land Patents online. Index.
 * The County Recorder. Online searchable land records for Arizona.

Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
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 * Historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the area.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.


 * Find the society on the internet, and they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Example of a local genealogical society home page.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * Arizona, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * Arizona, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Arizona Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Arizona Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Arizona Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * Arizona Online Genealogy Records

Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Arizona.
This article focused more on Arizona state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Arizona. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.