Illinois Genealogy Records

Many people today are interested in learning more about their past and their ancestors. As a result Genealogy is one of the most common terms in search engines on the World Wide Web. For those who are new to the world of Genealogy, there are many ways one can find information regarding their ancestors. Some of the most common forms of public records used for genealogy are: For Birth Records All modern records are kept by the Vital Records Office of the Illinois Department of Public Health. This agency has statewide records that date back to 1917. Various county clerks have records that can be much older, stretching back into the 1800s. For Death Records The most thorough source of Illinois death records is probably the Illinois Department of Public Health, which has records dating back to 1917. The Illinois Regional Area Depository and the Illinois State Archives both have resources involving these useful records, with varying coverage. Additionally, records prior to 1917 may be available through county resources. For Obituaries Illinois obituaries are easy to find thanks to the Internet and the hard work of thousands of people from one end of the state to the other. The key to finding your Illinois obituary records is to start looking in the county or general region where the person lived. If you are searching for obits in the Belleville area, there is a huge online database you can search that contains listings from the Millstadt Enterprise from 1897 to 1949. If your loved one enjoyed reading the Freeburg Tribune, you can access their online obit index to search for listings from 1904-1939. Highland Park is a popular place to call home in this state and you can view obits online from here that date all the way back to 1874 to 2005. The Morton Grove Public Library can be accessed from the web and they offer obits from the 1970's to present day. If Skokie is your loved ones' final resting place, the public library offers free searches for listings from 1960 to present day. The Wheaton area also has listings from the 1920's and from 1977 onward. Many of the main Chicago papers also have free online index searches by last name. For Marriages Illinois marriage records post 1962 can be obtained from the Illinois Department of Public Health. The Illinois State Archives have records for marriages that occurred between 1763 and 1900, which is perfect for lots of genealogy research questions.