South Dakota Descendancy Research

Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.

Federal Censuses State Censuses - For more information on census records, see South Dakota Census and United States Census.

Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in South Dakota statewide beginning in 1905, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.

Births
 * 1843-1914: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1856-1917: South Dakota Birth Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * South Dakota Birth Records at South Dakota Department of Health; index only

Marriages
 * 1889-1952: US Marriages – South Dakota at Findmypast; index & images, ($)
 * 1905-2017: South Dakota Marriages at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1950-2016: at FamilySearch; index only

Deaths 
 * 1879-1955: South Dakota Death Index at Ancestry; index & images, ($)

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in South Dakota, see How to Find South Dakota Birth Records, How to Find South Dakota Marriage Records, and How to Find South Dakota Death Records.

Step 3: '''Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1905. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers. - Obituaries
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * South Dakota Obituaries Help
 * ObituaryLinks South Dakota, index
 * South Dakota Obituaries

Cemeteries
 * South Dakota, Deaths and Burials at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * Findagrave.com
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
 * Billion Graves
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * South Dakota, Cemetery Index, 1831-2008 at Ancestry
 * South Dakota Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
 * South Dakota Cemetery Records at Interment
 * South Dakota Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
 * Online South Dakota Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
 * South Dakota Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project

For more information, see South Dakota Obituaries and South Dakota Cemeteries.

Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants.
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * South Dakota, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * South Dakota, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Step 5: Search any other online records listed in South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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.
 * South Dakota Online Genealogy Records