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Genealogy is Never Done

June 12, 2026

Over the years, many people have told me their genealogy is done. Some say that their grandmother finished it years ago. Others say they’ve done all the research that can be done on their family lines.

 

After thirty plus years of working on my genealogy, I don’t agree with those folks. My family inherited a large cache of genealogy done by a cousin in the 1930s. My cousin Harley was only able to get part time work during the depression, so he spent his extra time researching in the precursor to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. He amassed an amazing amount of information on the Fernelius Family. He traced the family from the 1500s in Sweden up until the 1930s in America.

 

When I first saw Harley’s work, I thought I wouldn’t need to do any research on this family. Harley had done it all. However, on closer reading, I realized that Harley’s work was limited by his situation. He didn’t have the financial resources to travel to family locations in Sweden and the United States. The early Family History Library had great resources for the time, but they were much sparser than what it available today on microfilm and online.

 

Harley’s work has been a wonderful steppingstone for me, but I’ve discovered details about our family’s lives that he never uncovered. For example, Harley found that a Swedish ancestor had been a murderer. I was able to find microfilm and digitized records that filled in all the details of his trial, sentencing and eventual execution. A not-so-pleasant story, but one that fills in some blanks about why that family later behaved as they did.

 

Then there was the matter of source citations. In the 1930s few genealogists included complete sources with their work. Harley explained where he found some of his information, but not all. I spent hours trying to replicate what he’d found. Sometimes I never could. I still don’t know whether those facts are correct or not.

 

I owe a great debt to Harley for the work he did on my dad’s side of the family. He gave me a template to follow when I wanted to dig deeper into my Swedish roots. I’m very lucky to have this kind of family research.

 

Despite this, I still occasionally check online resources such as Family Search, Ancestry and Arkiv Digital to see whether anything new has been posted about my Fernelius Family. Even after all these years, new pieces of information continue to emerge. I’ve found Swedish wills that told me a lot about the financial situation of ancestors. Swedish military records have given me insight into the soldiers in my family. Online passenger lists have allowed me to trace my ancestors’ immigration patterns. These records have allowed me to add to Harley’s work.

 

At this point, I could say that my genealogy on my Fernelius line is done. I suppose many would say that. In my view, there will always be more to discover about my ancestors. I don’t think my genealogy will ever be done. I don’t think yours should be either.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

More Vital Records: Marriage and Divorce

June 5, 2026

Last week I discussed birth and death certificates. Two other types of vital records, marriages and divorces, are also important to genealogists.

 

Marriage records are especially useful since they mark the merging of two families. They are also often the only source of a woman’s maiden name. A maiden name opens an avenue of research into a new ancestral branch.

 

Because marriage is a contract which often involves transfers of money and land, counties have kept marriage records for much longer than birth and death records. Marriage records are usually considered public and open to everyone.

 

Since so many marriage records are digitized, access is usually easy. Websites such as Ancestry and Family Search have large collections of county marriage records. These records can include information such as full name of the bride and the groom, parents’ names, ages, residence location, occupations and witnesses’ names.

 

If you are unable to find marriage records online, you can order them from the county clerk or recorder’s office. Marriages most often occurred in the county of the bride’s residence, but they could occur anywhere. If you don’t find a record in the bride’s county, check the groom’s county of residence. Also check nearby counties, even if they are over a state line.

 

Some couples eloped to “Gretna Greens” where marriage laws may have been laxer. Places such as Reno, Nevada and Elkton, Maryland are well-known “Gretna Greens,” but there were many others throughout the United States. If you can’t find a marriage record, consider whether the couple eloped.

 

Divorce records are another vital record that can be helpful to genealogists. Fewer people were involved in divorces, but for those who were, the records can be a goldmine of information.

 

Before the mid-19th century, divorce was rare. After that period, it was more common, and the records are relatively easy to access. The big difficulty is determining if someone was divorced.

 

Newspapers often published lists of divorcing couples. Digital newspapers for many areas are available. State historic newspaper projects and Chronicling America are free. Other websites such as Newspapers.com and Genealogy Bank are pay-for-view sites.

 

Beginning in 1880, the census asked for marital status, including whether someone was divorced. However, divorce was considered shameful, so people sometimes lied rather than admitting they were divorced. Finding a married couple living apart may be a clue that they were divorced, even if one or both indicate they’re widowed.

 

Accessing divorce records is straightforward. Divorces are considered civil lawsuits, so they are housed at the county courthouse clerk’s office. Older records may have been transferred to the state archives. Some newer records may be closed for privacy reasons.

 

The information on divorce records is well worth obtaining. The records usually contain the date and place of the marriage, the wife’s maiden name, names and ages of minor children and the reasons for the divorce.

 

Governmental vital records are major sources for adding to a family tree. Marriage and divorce records are especially useful because they are usually more accessible than many official birth and death records. Marriage records are especially valuable because they reach further back in time than many records.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society

 

 

 

 

 

Accessing Birth and Death Certificates

May 29, 2026

Birth and death certificates are some of my favorite genealogical records. They contain all kinds of sometimes hard-to-find information. This can include exactly where someone was born or died, his or her parents’ names (including the mother’s maiden name) and more. However, birth and death certificates do not always exist or are difficult to access.

 

Birth and death records are generally kept at the state level. The first step to obtaining a record is determining the state where the birth or death occurred. Every state has its own rules and regulations governing how records can be accessed.

 

Before beginning research, it’s important to know what these regulations are. A good starting point is the Family Search Research Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page ). Search for the state name plus “vital records.” This will lead you to links to any digitized records for that state as well as information about ordering offline records.

 

The Wiki will also give the date when civil registration began in the state. The United States did not begin keeping civil registration records until relatively late. For example, Colorado required civil registration in 1907. Many other states began around the same time. However, some southern states did not require civil registration until the 1930s.

 

In some states, counties recorded births and deaths before the date of statewide civil registration. For example, Minnesota required birth and death registrations starting in 1900. However, Minnesota counties began keeping records of births and deaths in 1870. Some of these records can be found online, but many of them are only available from the local county courthouse.

 

One of my family lines settled in Meeker County, Minnesota in 1872. They only stayed for about a decade, but there were many births and deaths in the extended family during those years. The records of these events were recorded in large ledgers kept at the Meeker County Courthouse. The records have not been microfilmed or digitized, so I had to visit Minnesota to access them.

 

State civil registration records are increasingly available online. Family Search is a good place to search for them. State archive websites are another place to search for digitized civil registration records. Ordering the certificates from state vital statistics offices is another possibility.

 

Before spending time searching for records, familiarize yourself with privacy restrictions governing access. Restrictions vary by state, but 100 years is common for birth certificates. Death certificates typically are restricted for 50 or more years. Newer records are usually only available to direct descendants who can prove their descent.

 

Birth and death certificates contain valuable information for genealogists. However, they are not available for every ancestor. Searching for records that don’t exist or that are sealed is a waste of time. Be prepared before you begin your search.

 

Carol Stetser

Researcher

Larimer County Genealogical Society