Guide to Jerauld County, South Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
It was named for for H. J. Jerauld, a legislator.[2] It's county seat is Wessington Springs. It was organized 1883. It is located in the central area of the state.[3]
Register of Deeds has birth, death, and burial records from 1905, marriage records from 1890 and land records;
Clerk Courts has probate records from 1890, court records from 1889 and divorce records from 1900;
County Auditor has school census records[4]
Jerauld County, South Dakota Record Dates
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
Solberg Lutheran Cemetery transcriptions by odessa3.org listing the name, date of death and age. The site also lists an index to the Jerauld County WPA records which list the names of deceased individuals and the cemetery where they are buried within the County. This was done in the 1930's and the 1940's and contains some errors.
Before South Dakota was a state in 1889, parts of South Dakota were included in the 1836 Iowa Territory census (also known as Wisconsin Territory), 1840 Iowa Territory census, 1850 Minnesota Territory census, and the 1860-1880 Dakota Territory censuses.[9] See links listed below.
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of South Dakota starting in 1890, although only one page survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal census indexes, see South Dakota Census.
Church Records
Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about South Dakota denominations, view the South Dakota Church Records wiki page.
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See South Dakota Land and Property for additional information about early South Dakota land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local histories are available for Jerauld County, South Dakota Genealogy. County and town histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section South Dakota Local Histories.
A history of Jerauld County, South Dakota : from the earliest settlement to January 1st, 1909. 1910. By N. J. Dunham. Wessington Springs, South Dakota : [s.n.]. Online at: FamilySearch Books Online.
A history of Jerauld County, South Dakota : from the earliest settlement to January 1st, 1909. 1974. By N. J. Dunham. Tucson, Arizona : W.C. Cox. Online at: .
A history of Jerauld County, South Dakota, : from January 1st, 1909 to December 31st, 1961, fifty-two years of progress. 1963. By Fred N. Dunham. Wessington Springs, South Dakota : F.N. Dunham. Online at: ; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
South Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper.
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in South Dakota, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for South Dakota, Jerauld then click Probate records.
South Dakota tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.
Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. See the CDC Where to Write website for information on acquiring copies of these records.
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.
Libraries
Museums
Societies
Websites
USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
↑The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002)Jerauld County, South Dakota, p.625
↑Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Jerauld County, South Dakota. Page 625 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 621.
↑Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Rev. ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 1992), 671; Alice M. Hetzel, U.S. Vital Statistics System: Major Activities and Developments, 1950-95 (Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, [1997]), 58.
↑The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
