An individual's religion can usually be found on any of the documents listed below. If you have the minimum information required to find one of these documents, select the name of that document. The items in the list are ordered from most to least important. If you do not have the minimum information required, read the paragraph below this list.

Newspapers

An obituary, wedding announcement, or birth announcement may mention a family's religion. To get a copy of an obituary, wedding announcement, or birth announcement, you must at least know the approximate date of the event, the full name of the groom and/or the maiden name of the bride for wedding announcements, the names of the new parents or the name of the child for a birth announcement, or the full name of the deceased for an obituary, and the state and city or town where the event took place (or where the announcement or obituary was likely to have been published).

Vital records

To find the family religion on a death certificate, you must at least know the individual's full name at time of death, the approximate year of the death, and the state or county of the death, depending on when the death took place.

Family histories and biographies

Both family histories and biographies may mention a family's religion. To get a copy of a family history or biography that's not in the family's possession, you must at least know the individual's full name, and the approximate area (state or county) in which the individual may have lived.

Photo courtesy of Verla Rae Kwiram and the Seaman, Michel, Baken, Osborn, and Davis families, and their descendants.

For a description of any of the records listed above, see the topic Genealogy dictionary.

To get help finding the minimum information required to locate any of the records listed above, select one of the following items:

Finding the minimum information for newspapers

Finding the minimum information for vital records

Finding the minimum information for family histories and biographies

Return to the Main Menu of the Genealogy "How-To" Guide