Another under utilized genealogy resource is Church Records. We tend to focus our research on civil records, but need to be aware that often church records pre-dated civil records and are a great resource as well. In the BMD Records section of this website there are about 15,000 collections of civil records that are available online. Yes, that’s a lot, but we need to also search church records as well.
What can we find in church or synagogue records? Here’s just a shortlist of what nuggets we can find:
- Baptisms and Christenings
- Marriages
- Deaths
- Burials
- Confirmations
- Membership lists
- Church Minutes
- Church Directories
- Transfer Letters
- Bar or Bat Mitzvahs
- Sunday School lists
- Church newsletters
In addition, many folks also documented important events in family bibles, so they need to be searched as well if the event information has been digitized.
Here are a couple of articles that you might find useful:
- U.S. Church Records Research Guide
- United States Church Records
- A Genealogist’s Guide to Using Catholic Records in Genealogy Research
There is a large number of Free Online Church Record collections; the links accessible by state below:.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated March, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Aguilar, Catholic Church. St. Anthony of Padua Church Records, 1946-1957
- Alamosa County, Sacred Heart Catholic, Baptism, Marriage, and Death Records
- Alamosa, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church Records, 1911-1957
- Antonito, Catholic Church. St. Augustine Church Records, 1860-1957
- Avondale, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church Records, 1918-1927
- Brookside, Catholic Church. St. Anthony Church Records, 1924-1945
- Buena Vista, Catholic Church. St. Rose of Lima Church Records, 1908-1957
- Canon City, Catholic Church. St. Michael Church Records, 1881-1957
- Capulin, Catholic Church. St. Joseph Church Records, 1939-1957
- Center, Catholic Church. St. Francis Jerome Church Records, 1951-1957
- Colorado, Church Records, 1692-1942
- Conejos County, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Cortez, Catholic Church. St. Margaret Mary Church Records, 1945-1957
- Crested Butte, Catholic Church. St. Patrick Church Records, 1902-1957
- Del Norte, Catholic Church. Holy Name of Mary Church Records, 1877-1957
- Delta, Catholic Church. St. Michael Church Records, 1911-1957
- Denver, Trinity Methodist Church Baptisms and marriages, 1861-1911
- Denver, Twenty-third Avenue Presbyterian Church Baptisms, marriages, deaths, 1882-1906
- Durango, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church Records, 1881-1957
- Durango, Catholic Church. St. Columba Church Records, 1881-1957
- Florence, Catholic Church. St. Benedict Church Records, 1899-1957
- Florence, Frazer Methodist Church Church Records, 1882-1943
- Florence, Methodist Church. Florence Circuit Church Records, 1882-1901
- Fruita, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church Records, 1890-1957
- Gardner, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church Records, 1912-1957
- Gilpin County, Methodist Episcopal Church. Bald Mountain Charge Quarterly conference minutes, 1873-1885, 1895-1896
- Grand Junction, Catholic Church. Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Records, 1955-1957
- Grand Junction, Catholic Church. St. Joseph Church Records, 1901-1957
- Grand Junction, Catholic Church. St. Mary Hospital and Medical Center Church Records, 1903-1955
- Gunnison, Catholic Church. St. Peter Church Records, 1883-1957
- Holly, Catholic Church. St. Joseph Church Records, 1920-1957
- La Junta, Catholic Church. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Records, 1914-1957
- La Junta, Catholic Church. St. Patrick Church Records, 1889-1957
- Lake City, Catholic Church. St. Rose of Lima Church Records, 1883-1925
- Lamar, Catholic Church. St. Francis de Sales Church Records, 1908-1957
- Las Animas, Catholic Church. St. Mary Church Records, 1910-1957
- Mancos, Catholic Church. St. Rita Church Records, 1914-1957
- Monte Vista, Catholic Church. St. Joseph Church Records, 1920-1957
- Montrose, Catholic Church. St. Mary Church Records, 1906-1957
- Ordway, Catholic Church. St. Peter Church Records, 1906-1957
- Ouray, Catholic Church. St. Patrick Church Records, 1920-1957
- Pagoza Springs, Catholic Church. Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Records, 1951-1957
- Paonia, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Church Records, 1922-1957
- Pueblo County, Miscellaneous Church Records
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. Holy Family Church Records, 1954-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. Holy Rosary Church Records, 1954-1955
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church Records, 1902-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. Our Lady of the Assumption Church Records, 1949-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Cathedral Church Records, 1872-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. Sacred Heart Orphanage Church Records, 1904-1956
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. Shrine of St. Therese Church Records, 1949-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Anne Church Records, 1903-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Anthony of Padua Church Records, 1911-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Francis Xavier Church Records, 1903-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Leander Church Records, 1900-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Mary Church Records, 1891-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Mary’s-Corwin Hospital Church Records, 1911-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Patrick Church Records, 1885-1957
- Pueblo, Catholic Church. St. Pius X Church Records, 1955-1957
- Rico, Catholic Church. Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel Church Records, 1892-1904
- Rockvale, Rockvale Methodist Church Church Records, 1891-1910
- Rockvale, Rockvale Methodist Church Church Records, 1908-1935
- Rocky Ford, Catholic Church. St. Peter Church Records, 1910-1957
- Salida, Catholic Church. St. Joseph Church Records, 1881-1957
- San Luis, Catholic Church. Most Precious Blood Church Records, 1881-1957
- Silverton, Catholic Church. St. Patrick Church Records, 1882-1957
- Springfield, Catholic Church. Annunciation Church Records, 1949-1957
- Telluride, Catholic Church. St. Patrick Church Records, 1903-1957
- Trinidad, Catholic Church. Holy Trinity Church Records, 1866-1989
- Trinidad, Catholic Church. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church Records, 1950-1957
- Trinidad, Catholic Church. St. Joseph Church Records, 1952-1957
- Vineland, Catholic Church. St. Therese Church Records, 1918-1957
- Walsenburg, Catholic Church. St. Mary Church Records, 1870-1957
- Westcliffe, Catholic Church. Our Lady of the Assumption Church Records, 1870-1957
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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