Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking.
Kansas State Vital Records Office
Office of Vital Statistics
Curtis State Office Building
1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221
Kansas Birth Records
Birth records usually refer to the certificates printed upon the birth of every single child in the state of Kansas. Birth records are split into two categories in Kansas, before 1911 and after 1911. The pre-1911 category, including some of the earliest records of births in the state, were collected from church and county records. Some counties began keeping birth records as early as 1885, and they may be obtained from the relevant county clerk. People can also acquire records from many cities in Kansas, with beginning dates varying between 1910 and 1940. The Family History Library in Kansas is in the process of collecting pre-1912 records at the county courthouses. A state-wide registration of births was introduced in 1911. In 1937, delayed birth registrations began. State record copies can be obtained from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics.
Kansas Death Records
Death records usually refer to the copy of information from a person’s death certificate after their passing. Some Kansas counties began recording deaths as early as 1885, and these records can be acquired from the relevant county clerk. People can also acquire records from many cities in Kansas, with beginning dates varying between 1910 and 1940. A state-wide registration of death records began in 1911. The Family History Library in Kansas is in the process of collecting pre-1912 records at the county courthouses.
Kansas Marriage Records
Marriage records are also issued by government officials after the event/wedding is registered. Marriage records in Kansas are split into two categories, before 1913 and after 1913. Records from before 1913 were collected from county offices, clerks’ offices, and church registers. These older records are now stored at the Family History Library. There was a state-wide registration of marriage records in 1913. After this date, all marriage records have been stored by the state.
Kansas Divorce Records
In the state of Kansas, divorce records are distributed by government officials, after the divorce in question is registered. When someone registers/files for a divorce or an annulment in Kansas, records of this event are kept along with all other state vital files in the aforementioned central registry. These divorce records can consist of divorce certificates and divorce decrees, as well as other divorce-related files. It depends on the state in question as to whether the documents can be accessed and copied by the public. Divorce records in Kansas are split into two categories, before 1913 and after 1913. Records from before 1913 were collected from county offices, clerks’ offices, and church registers. There was a state-wide registration of divorce records in 1913. After this date, all divorce records have been stored by the state.
Kansas Vital Records Online
Kansas Births and Christenings, 1818-1936
Name index to birth, baptism and christening records from the state of Kansas. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and FamilySearch Centers.
Kansas County Birth Records, 1885-1911
Index and images of birth records from a few county courthouses in Kansas. Counties include Butler, Cherokee, Clay, Elk, and Marion. Date ranges and record content vary by county. Images are not available for Elk and Marion counties.
Kansas Deaths and Burials, 1885-1930
Name index to death and burial records from the state of Kansas. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers. This set contains 39,907 records.
Kansas, Marriages, 1811-1911
Index to selected marriage records recorded before 1 July, 1911. We do not have rights to publish the images associated with these indexed records.
Kansas Marriages, 1840-1935
Name index to marriage records from the state of Kansas. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers.
Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911
Images of marriage registers and records made by county clerks in Kansas. Includes the following counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Brown, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Linn, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, and Woodson.
Kansas, Vital Record Abstracts, 1854-2009 $$$ Get 14 Days Free Access!!!
This collection contains various vital records from the state of Kansas, including births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, and funerals.
- Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages and Funerals – Linn (1853-1985)
- Bible Records – Frederick Henry Hahn Family
- Bible Records – Miscellaneous
- Bible Records – William Betz and Jonathan Bird Families
- Birth and Death Records – Marshall County
- Birth, Marriage, and Death Records – Various Locations (1792-1989)
- Birth, Marriage, Funeral, and Church Addition Records – Thayer (1827-1943)
- Church Additions, Funerals, and Marriage Records – Various Locations (1811-1930)
- Death Records – Shawnee County (1811-1930)
- Funeral Records – Sherman County (1809-1908)
- Marriage and Death Records – Various Locations (1777-1868)
- Marriage Records – Osage County (1860-1867)
- Marriage Records – Various Counties – Vol. 1 (1829-1867)
- Marriage Records – Various Counties – Vol. 2 (1852-1965)
- Marriage Records – Various Counties – Vol. 3 (1851-1885)
- Marriage Records – Various Locations (1850-1955)
- Marriage Records – Various Locations (1896-1948)
- Marriage, Funeral, Baptism, Cemetery and Naturalization Records – Various Locations (1784-1983)
Kansas, Compiled Marriage Index from Select Counties, 1854-1873 $$$ Get 14 Days Free Access!!!
Following the Civil War, Kansas experienced a population boom as immigrants and settlers moved into the area. This database is a collection of marriage records for the state before and during these growth years. It contains the records for nearly 22,000 marriages. The names were extracted from LDS microfilms and local newspapers. Each entry shows the names of spouses, date of marriage, county in which the record is kept, and reference information about the source.
Anderson County, KS, Marriages, 1857-94 $$$ Get 14 Days Free Access!!!
This database is a collection of marriage records from the county between 1857 and 1894. It contains nearly 3000 records and about 6000 names. Each entry shows the bride and groom’s name, often followed by their age in parentheses, marriage date, city of residence and the source document. (Requires Ancestry.com Membership)
Russell County, Kansas, Vitals and Newspaper Records, 1800-1937
This database contains index cards with birth, marriage, death, and other information extracted from the Russell County Record and other area newspapers. The index cards in this database contain details extracted from newspapers in the area of Russell County, Kansas, including the Russell County Record, Wilson World (formerly the Echo), Russell Reformer, Lucas Independent, and Waldo Advocate. They include references to birth, marriage, and death announcements, as well as general news items, from reports of accidents to notices about visitors, which can include names.