Washington, Soldier Home Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of Images of the records of the Washington Soldier Homes acquired from the Washington State Archives in Olympia. The records include information from the State Soldiers' Home in Orting, the State Soldiers' Colony in Orting, and the Washington Veterans' Home in Retsil. The Washington Veterans' Home is also listed as being in Port Orchard, close to Retsil. These records are arranged by file number. Includes application for admission to home, lists military service, unit, date and place of enlistment and date and place of discharge, cause of discharge, name and address of nearest relative or friend, and miscellaneous information. The collection covers the years 1891 to 1945.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in this collection may include:


 * Name of disabled veteran
 * Time and place of enlistment
 * Rank, company and regiment in which served
 * Time and place of discharge
 * Nature of disability
 * Date admitted to home
 * Birthplace
 * Age and physical description
 * Religion
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Marital status
 * Name and address of nearest relative
 * Date and cause of death
 * Pension information
 * Place of burial

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The full name of your ancestor
 * Identifying information such as the admission number or date of admission.

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Soldier Home" ⇒Select the appropriate "Name and Number" which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records. For example:


 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records.
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to locate census, church, and land records.
 * It may also be helpful to compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor. This is especially helpful if the surname is unusual.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames. If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites

 * Washington State Archives Department of Veterans' Affairs, Orting Soldiers' Home, Member Files, 1891-1987
 * Washington State Archives Department of Veteran's Affairs Retsil Veterans' Home, Member Files,1910-1977
 * Washington State Department of Veteran's Affairs

Related Wiki Articles

 * National Homes for Disabled Soldiers
 * US Military Old Soldiers Home Records
 * United States, Records of Headstones Provided Deceased Union Civil War Veterans (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image citation: