OliveTreeGenealogy.com
Founded in 1996 by Lorine McGinnis Schulze, OliveTreeGenealogy.com was one of the first websites to make primary sources available on the Web with its Ship Passengers lists. Lorine was encouraged by her father to research her family genealogy at an early age, and accelerated her efforts after he passed away. Genealogy has become a life long love of hers, which is reflected in the impressive collection of databases she now hosts on her website.

The Native American indexes are only a fraction of what OliveTreeGenealogy.com has to offer, other indexes include:

• Huguenot Resources
• Mennonite resources
• Quaker resources
• Immigration and Ship’s Passenger lists
• Almshouse records
• Orphan records
• Canadian Naturalization records and Census reports
• Military records

FamilySearch.org

The website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints (Mormon Church) houses the largest database of genealogical records in the world, the collection containing over one billion records. The database is known as the International Genealogical Index (IGI), and it has been compiled by dedicate volunteers consisting of genealogists and church members who over the years continue to add vital records of people from around the world. There are too many indexes held in the IGI mention them all here, but following is a summary of the records you can access online according to geographical location.

Canada
1. Birth, Death, Burial and Marriage registrations from 1661-1910
2. Baptismal records from 1661-1900
3. Census reports – 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891
4. Parish records form 1621-1905

Mexico
1. Civil Registration from 1860-1950
2. Marriages from 1570-1950
3. Deaths from 1680-1940
4. Baptisms from 1560-1940
5. Census 1930
6. Church records from 1886-1933

United States
1. Alabama – Births, Deaths, Burials, Baptisms and Marriages 1816-1974
2. Arizona – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1870-1994
3. Arkansas – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1837-1963
4. Connecticut – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1649-1934
5. Delaware – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1710-1955
6. District of Columbia – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1830-1964
7. Florida – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1837-1974, Census reports 1885, 1935,1945
8. Georgia – Deaths and Marriages from 1808-1967
9. Hawaii – Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Christenings 1826-1933
10. Idaho – Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Christenings from 1826-1965
11. Louisiana – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1804-1954
12. Maine – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings from 1739-1907
13. Massachusetts – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1639-1915, Census reports 1855, 1865
14. Michigan – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings from 1775-1995
15. Minnesota – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1840-1990, Census reports 1885, 1895
16. New Hampshire – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings pre-1654 – 1920
17. New Mexico – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1726-1955
18. New York – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings from 1640-1962, Ellis Island Passenger Lists 1892-1924, Census reports 1865, 1892, 1905
19. North Carolina – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1759-1994
20. Texas – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1796-1973
21. Utah – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings from 1887-1956
22. Vermont – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings from 1769-1965, Enrolled Militia records 1861-1867
23. West Virginia – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings 1853-1970
24. Wisconsin – Births, Deaths, Marriages, Burials and Christenings from 1826-1930, Census reports 1855, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905
25. United States Census reports – 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 11920

The above are merely the top twenty five databases for United States vital records contained on the FamilySearch.org website. There are also worldwide databases, and other state databases, including the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files and Civil War Pension Index cards, and the Freedmans Bank records 1865-1874,. The international databases are as extensive and detailed as those of the united States, and one has to appreciate the work done by the Latter Day Saints and the thousands of non-member volunteers who have worked tirelessly to create this genealogical goldmine.

As my heart went out to this victim of circumstance (the delay in receiving the death certificate was caused by the closure of a government forensics lab before a needed toxicology test on her husband could be performed), I began to think of my own experience with death and probate. Though it is not a pleasant subject, the matter of probate must eventually be dealt with by nearly all of us at some point in time, but believe it or not, there are some valuable genealogical gems hidden within the probate process, one of them coming in the form of probate packs.

Unwrapping a Probate Packet

Some of the most valuable sets of genealogical records are generated at the time of a person’s death, and perhaps the most treasured of these documents for genealogists are probate records. The collective records involved in the settling of a person’s estate upon their death are known as probate packets. Probate packets will contain a variety of documents, depending on the size of the person’s estate and other personal variables, however all contain a copy of the deceased’s will. Some jurisdictions are especially demanding when it comes to what should be included in the packets, and in such areas you may discover a wealth of documents, some useful some not. Other areas are unfortunately not so careful in their record keeping practices, and documents are often lost or misfiled – I can confirm that by personal experience!

What to Look for in Probate Packs

If you are fortunate enough to discover a probate packet while searching for your ancestors, it is important to not only thoroughly examine the contents of the packet, but also the court records for that particular probate case. It is not uncommon for people to find records pertaining to their ancestor misfiled in the records of another person whose case was held that same day, or handled by the same judge. Examining the minutes will clue you as to where else you might look should your ancestors probate records seem to be missing something. In general however, opening a probate packet can be like Christmas for a genealogist due to what might lie within. Some of the items you could find in a probate packet are:

1. Wills – The central item in any probate packet is the will of the deceased. Wills can lead you to other ancestors through their revelation of beneficiaries , executors or trustees, can name siblings and spouses, and can also reveal what a person’s religious affiliation may have been if they have left part of their estate to a specific organization or institution.
2. Final Disposition – This is the final distribution report of the estate, indicating what was left to whom and when they received it. Usually it will include the names and addresses of all the beneficiaries or recipients of the estate. Consequently you may be able to locate additional records of additional ancestors
3. Accounting Reports – Accounting reports can provide further names of claimants against the estate, or those responsible for debts of the estate – often these people are relatives.
4. Auction Records – Sometimes an estate is liquidated via auction in order to raise funds to pay outstanding debts r taxes. The records of such auctions will contain valuable information about the contents of the estate, its value, and the names of bidders and purchasers who may have been family members.
5. Guardianship Papers – Widows or children who may have been placed into the custody of others on the death of the deceased will be named as well as those entrusted with their care. If there are no names recorded in the particular documents you find, there will be clues as to where to find them such as; family court documents and case numbers, guardianship petitions, or paperwork substantiating the legal appointment of a guardian.
6. Letters Testamentary – If this isn’t in the probate packet you locate it may well be in the court records covering the probate hearing. Though someone may appoint a specific person as executor of their will, the court may find them unacceptable or unqualified and may appoint someone else. This document will inform you of who the actual executor is, and why the named executor did not take up the position – could they have died, or disqualified themselves?
7. Estate Inventory – As the inventory reveals the financial condition of the deceased, it may thus be an indicator of their social standing. The presence of tractors, plows and the like will indicate that the person was a farmer, an anvil and heavy hammers that he was a blacksmith etc. Books found in 18th century manifests generally indicate that the person was educated, while if there are lots of clothing and furniture the person was obviously wealthy. All of these clues can direct you to other records, which may in turn lead to other ancestors.
8. Beneficiaries Roll – The actual finalist of beneficiaries may be different from those named in the will. Some of the original beneficiaries could have died, married, changed their name, or simply were not located. In such cases the inheritance would pass on to their descendants or spouses, again giving you the opportunity to further trace your family tree.

There will always be clues hidden away within probate packets that can lead you to other records or other ancestors. Therefore it is critical to consider them in conjunction with other records that may be associated with them such as minutes and court records. Follow your instincts and keep an eye out for inconsistencies that may reveal changes in beneficiaries and such – when one genealogical door closes, another invariably opens!

Read our article How Probate and Wills Work to further your understanding of Wills and Probate packs.