Big Rapids Michigan Family History Center

"Family History Centers are branches of Family Search and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City Utah and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy and family history by:


 * Giving personal one-on-one assistance to patrons
 * ''Providing access to genealogical records through the Internet or microfilm loan programs"
 * Free access to selected Premium websites''

CENTER CONTACTS and HOURS
Location Map:


 * Location Map

Address:


 * 1325 Woodward Ave Big Rapids MI 49307-9052 United States


 * Language:English

Phone:


 * 1-231-796-0698

E-mail:


 * MI_BigRapids@ldsmail.net

Open Hours:


 * Thursday: 9am-12:00 noon
 * To make an appointment for other times, please call in advance at (1-231-796-0698)

Holiday Schedule:

We occasionally close unexpectedly because of inclement weather or illness:

Collections

 * FamilySearch Catalog: This center has the ability to order any of the films and fiche available through the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * On-site Fiche collection includes:
 * Microfilm on indefinite loan includes films on:''

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.

Hardware and Equipment
The following equipment is available for use at the Center:


 * 4 Dell computers with free access to Premium Websites
 * One Canon Microfilm Scanner 300
 * One black and white printer
 * WIFI

RESOURCES in the Local Area
CEMETERIES Cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.
 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.
 * The Big Rapids Michigan Family History Center has paper Reference Guides and contacts for Cemeteries located in Mecosta County (2012) and Newaygo County (2015).
 * Newspaper collection at Tamarack Public Library for Mt Pleasant Morning Sun with current obituaries; 989-352-6274; http://micentral.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

GENEOLOGY WEBSITES - Free access is provided at the Center to many subscription genealogy websites, including:
 * Ancestry.com
 * MyHeritage
 * Puzzzilla.org
 * World Vital Records

WEBSITES OR PLACES TO VISIT

LOCAL LIBRARIES COUNTY OR TOWNSHIP RECORDS NATIVE AMERICAN
 * Big Rapids Library
 * Ferris State Univ Library
 * Family Search LDS
 * Barryton Museum
 * Barryton Public
 * Blanchard Library
 * Edmore Public Library
 * Mecosta Co Courthouse
 * Croton Twp
 * Morton Twp
 * Ziibiwing Center, 6650 E Broadway, Mt Pleasant 48858; PH 989-775-4750
 * Home Edmore, 329 E Main St; PH 989-427-5241; http://www.sagchip.org/ziibiwing
 * Bureau of Indian Affairs, Sault St Marie
 * Reynolds Twp

Links
MECOSTA COUNTY, MICHIGAN GENEALOGY

Guide to Mecosta County history and genealogy sites for local probate and vital records; accessed June 2015 at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Mecosta_County_Michigan_Genealogy

FREE PDF GENEALOGY FORMS 

Includes Pedigree Chart and Family Group Record Sheet; accessed June 2015 at www.misbach.org