Oskaloosa Iowa Family History Center

Center Contacts and Hours
Location Map:
 * Location Map

Address:  1714 Pella Ave Oskaloosa, IA 52577


 * Language: English

Phone:  (641) 673-0619

E-mail:  [mailto:IA_Oskaloosa@familyhistorymail.org IA_Oskaloosa@familyhistorymail.org]

Stake TFH Consultant - center:  Georgetta Mylhlhousen-Leak

Open Hours: 


 * Wednesday:  6:00pm-8:00pm ; 1st Sunday 2-4pm; 2,3,4,5, Sundays 12-2 pm.  And by appointment: 641-569-0027 Georgetta Leak

Holiday Schedule: Closed Wed Dec 25 2019, Wed Jan 1, 2020.

Closed all major holidays:


 * Closed:
 * Assistance available by appointment.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives free access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions.

Premium Family History Website Descriptions

Note: You must access the premium subscription websites from a family history center computer through the Family History Center Services Portal. If you try to access them using the links below, the websites require an individual subscription. The 19th Century British Library Newspapers digital archive—http://find.galegroup.com/bncn/ This fully searchable database of the British Library's newspaper holdings provides a complete run of 48 national and regional Victorian British newspapers for the 19th century from 1800 to 1900. These support the study of colonial history, genealogical research, politics, urban studies, and media courses.

Access Newspaper Archives—http://www.newspaperarchive.com "NewspaperArchive.com is the world's largest online newspaper archive. Featuring billions of articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world, NewspaperARCHIVE makes exploring history and genealogy easy and fun. Discover fascinating news in archived newspapers hundreds of years old—including obituaries, birth announcements, sports articles, comics, and more—to fill in the life stories you are interested in. And share those stories with others through our community at Our NewspaperARCHIVE. All of our historical newspapers are full-page and fully searchable. Try exploring the above site, and discover your history today!"

Alexander Street Press, American Civil War—http://alexanderstreet.com/ Research Data: Contains indexed, searchable information on over 4 million soldiers and thousands of battles, together with 15,000 photographs. http://asp6new.alexanderstreet.com/cwdb/ Letters and Diaries: Contains approximately 100,000 indexed pages of diaries, letters, and memoirs, including 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts, such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland planter William Claytor. http://solomon.cwld.alexanderstreet.com/ Images, Photographs, Posters, and Ephemera: Provides a vivid history of the American Civil War with over 1,400 images. http://cpho.alexanderstreet.com/ Social and Cultural History: Personal accounts of well-known historical figures. Women and Social Movements in the United States: Organized around the history of women in social movements in the United States between 1600 and 2000 A.D. American Ancestors—http://www.americanancestors.org/ Advance your family history research today with AmericanAncestors.org! Created by the expert staff at New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), America's founding genealogical organization, AmericanAncestors.org is the portal to the nation's leading resource for the highest-quality, comprehensive family history services. Consult with our expert staff, some of the most respected genealogists in the profession. Read the most significant original scholarship and important publications in genealogy. Access millions of exclusive and sought-after records online. Learn with in-depth online courses and webinars from expert staff. Explore the largest collection of original family history research materials in America. Ancestry.com—http://www.ancestry.com/ Ancestry gives you access to thousands of collections of records from around the world, including immigration, census, voter, vital, and military records; newspapers and periodicals; family trees; photos and images; directories, maps, court records, land records, wills and financial records, stories, memories, and histories; and detailed records about births, marriages, deaths, land ownership, and much more. It is the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world.

​ ArkivDigital Online ArkivDigital is the largest private provider of Swedish Church Records and other historical records online! All images are newly photographed color images of the original documents. Click the link from the Premium Family History Websites page to install the current client version of ArkivDigital Online. ​ FamNet—http://www.nzgdb.co.nz/ The online family history network for those who have New Zealand roots.

findmypast—http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ findmypast makes it easy to research your UK ancestry and create your family tree. Search census records and trace births, marriages, and deaths to bring your family history to life. Please note that not all of the content from findmypast is available in family history centers. 1911 British Census (accessed through the findmypast website)—The 1911 UK Census is a record of everyone who lived in England and Wales in 1911. It provides a unique snapshot of the lives of those who lived at that time.

Fold3 (formerly Footnote.com)–http://www.fold3.com/ Search or browse millions of historical documents and photos. Fold3 has refocused their efforts on gathering the best online collection of military records and stories. The Fold3 name reflects military history and honor, since traditionally, the third fold in a flag-folding ceremony honors and remembers veterans for their sacrifice in defending their country and promoting peace in the world. Troubleshooting: Cannot access Fold3.com through the Family History Center Portal (54428). Geneanet—http://geneanet.org With 3 billion referenced individuals and 600,000 trees online, Geneanet is the first site dedicated to genealogy in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany. The Geneanet community has 2 million members who exchange genealogical information. The Genealogist—http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk This resource, available in centers in the U.K. only, contains English parish records, directories, census, civil registration, surname mapping, and selected army and navy lists. This site is now available only in the United Kingdom. It is NOT available anywhere else. ​

Kinpoint Premium—https://kinpoint.com Kinpoint is designed to make it easier for you to do your family history by letting you see what to work on at a glance, quickly find missing information in your family tree, and discover insights into the lives of your ancestors. ​ MyHeritage—Library Edition—http://myheritagelibraryedition.com/research Used by millions of people worldwide to help research family history, build a family tree, and add photos, historical records, and more.

Paper Trail—http://www.paper-trail.org/ Provides access to 19th-century westward American migration documents.

​ ProQuest Obituary Listings—http://obituaries.proquest.com/obitsweb/obits/do/home The ProQuest obituaries collection is a premier resource for genealogical and historical research. You can use the collection to search obituaries and death notices from prominent newspapers, such as the New York Times (dating back to 1851). The collection includes both famous and lesser-known individuals and can be searched by name or by keywords appearing in the body of the article.

Puzzilla—https://puzzilla.org Premium Services. Find new research opportunities on descendant lines in Family Tree.

World Vital Records—https://www.worldvitalrecords.com/ The link to World Vital Records currently redirects to MyHeritage.com. In the near future, World Vital Records will be removed from the Portal.

Missouri Digital Heritage https://www.sos.mo.gov/mdh

Hardware and Equipment

 * 2 Computers (internet access), 1 printer/scanner/copier, overhead microfilm reader, microfiche reader.

Links

 * FamilySearch Research Wiki: What It Can Do For You!: A comprehensive video presentation explaining the Wiki, navigating it, and some especially useful pages. Case studies demonstrate using the Wiki for genealogical research. Editing and adding articles to the Wiki are covered.

Volunteer at the Center
'''We welcome volunteers from the community to help serve in the Family History Center. It's a great way to help others and to learn by doing. You need not be an expert. Ability to use a computer and willingness to become familiar with the FamilySearch website and resources are key. Contact the Stake TFH Consultant - center at the telephone or e-mail listed above for more information.'''