Michigan, Census of WWI Veterans with Card Index, 1917-1919 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains a census of World War I Veterans and a Card Index for years 1917-1919. This census was conducted in 1923 by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Michigan in conjunction with county War Preparedness Boards. "Census forms were mailed to the veterans's last known address. Some forms were not returned; some returned forms were filled in more completely than others." (Source: Michigan Genealogy: Sources & Resources, Second Edition by Carol McGinnis, pg. 83; published 2005, Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., Baltimore.) The census documents contain, on printed forms, name of Veteran; serial number; address; place and date of birth; nationality; color; occupation before and after the war; marriage date; wife's name, birthplace and date; names of children and their birth dates; parents' names and addresses; first camp entered and date; rank, company, and regiment; transfers and promotions; battles engaged in; discharged date and reason, and additional information. The card index is arranged alphabetically by county, then alphabetically by name of the veteran and includes names of the soldiers' parents and addresses. Microfilm of original records at State Library and Archives of Lansing, Michigan.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records may contain the following information:


 * Name of Veteran
 * Serial #
 * Address
 * Date & place of birth
 * Nationality
 * Race
 * Occupation before & after war
 * Marriage date
 * Wife's name, birthplace and date
 * Children's names & birthdates
 * Parent's names & addresses

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * The name of your ancestor
 * The birth date of your ancestor
 * The birth place of your ancestor
 * The division of the military in which your ancestor served

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the name, place of residence and birth date to obtain their military file from the National Archives
 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date
 * Use the soldier's age and and residence to find his family in census, church, and land records
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.)
 * Note that the census was conducted in 1923. The veteran may have died or moved out of Michigan before that time, or neglected to return the form.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Michigan.


 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States World War I Research
 * Michigan Guided Research
 * Michigan Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Michigan county war records, 1917-1919 : census of men serving in U.S. forces
 * Michigan veterans serving with Allied Forces, 1917-1919 : census of World War I veterans
 * Army, Navy & Marine dead files, 1917-1919
 * Michigan, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, deaths, 1917-1919
 * World War I card index for Michigan
 * Deserters from draft index, 1917-1918
 * Record of Mecosta County soldiers and sailors in service in the great war, 1918-1919
 * Record of Saginaw County soldiers and sailors in service in the great war, 1918-1919

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
 * United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940
 * United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
 * Michigan, Military Discharge Records, ca.1847 - ca.1965
 * United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, 1916-1939

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Willis Rowland Skillman. The A.E.F : who they were, what they did, how they did it. Philadelphia : G.W. Jacobs, ©1920
 * Army War College (U.S.). Historical Section. Order of battle of the United States land forces in the World War : American expeditionary forces. Divisions Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931
 * Hermine Scholz ; with accompanying chapter by Richard J. Sommers,  World War I manuscripts : the World War I survey Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania : U.S. Army Military History Institute, 1986
 * Charles H. Landrum, edited by George N. Fuller. Michigan in the world war : military and naval honors of Michigan men and women. S. l. : Michigan Historical Commission, 1924
 * Honor roll and complete war history of Genesee County, Michigan, in the great World War, 1914-1918. Flint, Michigan :, 1920
 * Honor roll and war history of Ingham County, Michigan, in the great world war, 1914 to 1918Lansing, Michigan : State Journal Co., 1919?
 * An Honor roll : containing a pictorial record of the war service of the men and women of Kalamazoo County, 1917-1918-1919Kalamazoo, Michigan :, 1920
 * The Honor roll of Livingston County, Michigan, U.S.A., 1917-1918-1919St. Paul, Minn. : Buckbee-Mears Company, 1919
 * Mary Felton and Darlene Hudson, trans. Veterans of World War I. Saginaw County
 * Record of St. Joseph County, Michigan, soldiers and sailors in service in the Great War S. l. : s. n., 1919. 2 v.

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.