Berrien County, Michigan Genealogy
Guide to Berrien County, Michigan ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for John M. Berrien. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Berrien County Courthouse
811 Port Street
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: 269-983-7111
Berrien County Website
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1831, naturalization records 1835-1985 and military records from 1918.
Probate Court has probate records from 1832.
Register of Deeds has land records from 1831.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1835. [2]
Berrien County, Michigan Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1867 | 1831 | 1867 | 1835 | 1831 | 1832 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[5]
Cities | ||
Villages | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
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Native American communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- 1799-1999 - Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), Cemetery Index, 1799-1999 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles, Michigan has a Name Searchable Database.
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1860 | 3,475 | — |
1870 | 4,518 | 30.0% |
1880 | 6,619 | 46.5% |
1890 | 10,694 | 61.6% |
1900 | 19,440 | 81.8% |
1910 | 22,722 | 16.9% |
1920 | 15,573 | −31.5% |
1930 | 14,646 | −6.0% |
1940 | 15,370 | 4.9% |
1950 | 13,966 | −9.1% |
1960 | 12,038 | −13.8% |
1970 | 11,556 | −4.0% |
1980 | 13,525 | 17.0% |
1990 | 14,153 | 4.6% |
2000 | 16,235 | 14.7% |
2010 | 19,286 | 18.8% |
Source: [3] |
State Census
- 1894 Michigan Department of State. Census of the State of Michigan, 1894. Vol 3. Lansing, MI: R. Smith & co., state printers, 1896. (Civil War veterans only) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
- 1850-1880 - Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Michigan denominations, view the Michigan Church Records wiki page.
- 1819-1991 - Michigan, Church Records, 1819-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Lutheran
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Baroda, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1929-1966 Michigan, Crew Lists for various ports, 1929-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Michigan Land and Property for additional information about early Michigan land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the Berrien County courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Berrien County. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Michigan Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Michigan (1790-1897)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
Civil War service men from Berrien County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Berrien County.
- - 12th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Companies B, C, E, I, and K
- - 17th Regiment, Michigan Infantry, Company B
Online Indexes and Records
- 1876-1945 - Michigan, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1876-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1894 Michigan Department of State. Census of the State of Michigan, 1894. Vol 3. Lansing, MI: R. Smith & co., state printers, 1896. (Civil War veterans only) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
- Michigan, Civil War Centennial Observance Commission, Committee on Civil War Grave Registration, Burial Records at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
World War I
- 1917-1919 - Michigan, Census of World War I Veterans with Card Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1837-1993 - Michigan, Eastern and Western Districts, Naturalization Records, 1837-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1820-2006 Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Southwest Michigan Obituary Index from the earliest date to 2000.
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Michigan, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate packets, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Indexes and Records
- 1784-1980 Michigan Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980 at Ancestry($)
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Michigan tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the Wiki page, Michigan Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
- Birth Records and Death Records from 1867 can be obtained from the Michigan Department of Community Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
- Marriage Records from 1867 and Divorce Records from 1897 can be obtained from the County Clerk.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1867-1917 - Michigan, County Births, 1867-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1867-1902 - Michigan Births, 1867-1902 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1585-1945 - Michigan, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
- 1820-1937 - Michigan, County Marriages Index, 1820-1937 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1820-1940 - Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1868-1925 - Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1880 - Michigan Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1867-1897 - Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
- 1897-1952 - Michigan Death Records at Michiganology - index and images, organized by county and then last name.
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Berrien County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Michigan Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Berrien County. For state-wide library facilities, see Michigan Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
North Berrien Historical Museum
300 Coloma Ave
PO Box 207
Coloma, MI 49038
Phone: 269-468-3330
Email: info@northberrienhistory.org
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Berrien County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Michigan Societies.
Berrien County Genealogical Society
PO Box 8808
Benton Harbor, MI 49023-8808
Website
Berrien County Historical Association
313 North Cass Street
PO Box 261
Berrien Springs, MI 49103
Phone: 269-471-1202
Fax: 269-471-7412
E-mail:Info@berrienhistory.org
Facebook Website
Four Flags Area Genealogical Society
PO Box 414
Niles, MI 49120-0414
The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center
601 Main Street
St. Joseph MI 49085
Phone: 269-983-1191
website
Galien Woods Historical Society
305 Kiley Drive
Galien, MI 49113
Phone: 269-545-8143
website
North Berrien Historical Society
300 Coloma Ave
PO Box 207
Coloma, MI 49038
Phone: 269-468-3330
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
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- Berrien County, MI-Roots Michigan Roots is a member of the PA-Roots family of websites.
- The Berrien County MIGenWeb Project, an member of The MIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- Berrien County MI Genealogy LDS Genealogy (Michigan Genealogy)
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Berrien County, Michigan" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, [1]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Michigan.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Berrien County, Michigan," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, [2] accessed 06 September 2019.