Iowa, Jasper County Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of Jasper County, Iowa, legal probate records (after the death of a county resident) from 1840 to 1941.

Additional records are available on microfilm at the Family History Library and at family history centers. Please check the FamilySearch Catalog for details about records on microfilm.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These legal probate records include petitions, inventories, debts, accounts, decrees, and other miscellaneous court documents. Records may include:
 * Name of the deceased citizen
 * Name of heirs, such as spouse, children, and other relatives
 * Executor’s name, administrator’s name, or guardian’s name
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residence
 * Dates

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the deceased
 * Approximate year of death

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?

 * Use the probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives
 * Use the probate record to approximate a death date, then find a death certificate
 * For earlier years, use the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find vital records such as birth, and marriage
 * Use the information found in the record to find immigration and land records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Iowa.
 * Iowa Guided Research
 * Iowa Record Finder
 * Iowa Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Iowa Research, 1880-Present

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.