Research Guides

Learn more about available genealogical resources below.

Cemeteries

Information Found in Cemeteries
  • Vital Record Dates
  • Relationship Information
  • Name Variations
  • Photographs
  • Occupation
  • Affiliations
Records to Use for Clues
  • Death Certificate
  • Obituary or Funeral Notice
  • Funeral Home Records
  • Church Records
  • Cemetery Association Records
Tips for Visiting a Cemetery
  • Take a camera. Take photos of the headstones. Do not take rubbings because this can damage the stones.
  • Do not move anything. Many unusual items are used as grave markers. If you see things like rocks, pipes, stakes or other items, leave them where they are.
  • Look around for a pavilion or other structure. These will sometimes have a listing of burial locations.
Know the Terms

Cemetery Record
A record is any information created and maintained about burials. Records are often created by the cemetery administrators (church, association, county, or other). Unfortunately, burial records are not available for all cemeteries.

Cemetery Inventory
An inventory records information collected from headstones or markers. Only information that is visible at the time of the inventory's creation is recorded. Unfortunately, any burial that do not have a legible marker will not be identified in an inventory.

Part VI of our Building and Researching Your Family Tree (a twelve part series)

Newspapers

Newspaper Formats

  • Online Databases
  • Printed Indexes & Abstracts
  • Microfilm
  • Original
Local Newspapers on Microfilm

The Waco Genealogy Center has a variety of historic Waco newspapers available on microfilm. The following list is a synopsis of what is available. Please note that some dates may be missing within the years mentioned.

  • (Waco) Weekly Telegraph 1856-1860
  • Waco Daily Examiner 1874-1878; 1881-1888
  • (Waco) Weekly Examiner & Patron 1875; 1878
  • The Day 1884-1890
  • Waco Daily News 1887-1891
  • Waco Evening News 1888-1889; 1891-1894
  • Waco Weekly News 1889-1893
  • The Gossip 1892-1893
  • Artesia 1893-1900
  • Waco Morning Times 1895-1896
  • Waco Morning News 1895; 1911-1918
  • Brann's Iconoclast 1895-1898
  • Waco Daily Globe 1893
  • Waco Semi-Weekly News 1893
  • Waco Times Herald 1898-1973
  • Waco Weekly Tribune 1905
  • Waco Semi-Weekly Tribune 1905-1916
  • Waco Daily Tribune 1907
  • Cotton Palace Boll 1916
  • Waco News Tribune 1919-1973
  • Waco Farm & Labor 1931
  • Waco Record 1934-1949
  • Waco Citizen 1956-2006
  • Waco Tribune Herald 1973-current
    (Morning & Evening editions 1973-1981) 

The Waco Genealogy Center has a variety of newspapers from smaller communities predominately in Central Texas available on microfilm. The following list is a synopsis of what is available. Please note that some dates may be missing within the years mentioned.

  • Burnet Bulletin 2007-2014
  • Cameron Herald 1906-1951; 1953-2009
  • Coolidge Herald 1918; 1925-1926; 1954; 1957-1958; 1961-1962; 1964-1965; 1968
  • Copperas Cove Courier 1959-1963; 1967; 1975-1976
  • Copperas Cove Leader 1978-1980
  • Copperas Cove Leader Press 1995-2005
  • Copperas Cove Press 1968-1994
  • Crockett Courier 1890-1901
  • Fairfield Recorder 1944-1954; 1957; 1984-2003
  • Groesbeck Journal 1896-1917; 1919-2013
  • Hamilton Times 1883-1884
  • Hamilton Herald 1883-1884; 1886-1887; 1889; 1891-1893; 1895-1896; 1902; 1904-1905; 1907; 1916-1917
  • Hamilton Progress 1893
  • Hamilton Rustler 1902; 1904-1907; 1911
  • Hamilton Record 1912-1922; 1925-1933; 1935-1939; 1941
  • Hamilton Record & Rustler 1914; 1918
  • Hamilton County News 1933-1940
  • Hamilton Herald News 1958-2013
  • Hamlin Herald 1907; 1912; 1914; 1918
  • Four County News (Hamlin) 1911-1912
  • Handley News 1918
  • Handsford Headlight 1914; 1918
  • Harlingen Star 1914; 1918; 1924
  • Harmon News 1904
  • Hubbard City News 1923-1964
  • Indianola Bulletin 1852-1854
  • Kosse Cyclone 1899-1942
  • Lampasas Chronicle 1859
  • Lampasas Weekly Dispatch 1871
  • Lampasas Dispatch 1872; 1877-1878; 1882; 1890
  • Lampasas Daily Times 1878
  • Lampasas Leader 1891-1892; 1894; 1904-1907; 1932-1934; 1938-1940
  • Lampasas Blade 1892-1893; 1904-1906; 1912; 1914; 1918
  • Marlin Daily Democrat 1897-1964; 1978-1988
  • Marlin Democrat 1998-2013
  • Mart Herald 1906-1924; 1930-1940; 1967-1968
  • Mart Daily Herald 1921-1934
  • McGregor Mirror 1978-1993; 1995-2001
  • Moody Courier 1969-2007
  • Riesel Rustler 1908-2018
  • Rosebud News 2011
  • Teague Chronicle 1906-1995
  • Thorndale Champion 2001-2009
  • Thornton Hustler 1915
  • Tiempo 1982-2006
  • Texian Advocate (Victoria) 1846-1850
  • West Times 1908-1910
  • Amerika Espiantisto (West) 1914-1920
  • West News 1914-2002
  • Woodville Republican 1823-1827; 1833-1848; 1878-1885; 1891-1901
  • Woodville Republican & Wilkerson Advertiser 1828-1853
  • Mississippi Democrat (Woodville, Mississippi)1831
  • Wortham Journal 1924; 1928-1930; 1933-1934; 1973; 1941-1944; 1947-1951; 1953-1956; 1965; 1978

Vital Records

Vital Record Types
  • Death
  • Marriage
  • Birth
  • Divorce
  • Adoption
Evaluate the Record

Know the difference between Primary & Secondary information.

Primary - Information recorded at the time of an event by a knowledgeable participant or witness.

Secondary - Information recorded by an informant that did not actually participate or witness the event.

Vital records can contain both types of information. For example, any information about an individual's birth that is recorded on a death certificate is considered secondary information. The only primary information on a document is the information directly related to the specific event that occurred at the time the record was created.

Genealogy Videos

Learn more about using vital records in your genealogy research by watching our how-to videos from our Building and Researching Your Family Tree, a twelve part beginners' series.

Writing Family History

Ideas for Your Book

There are many different kinds of family history books. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.

  • Family Photo Album: Scan family photos and have a photo album printed. Identify the names, places, and events in the photos. Include a family tree or family group sheet so future generations can know how people were related. You could also include items like maps, news clippings, or other documents.

  • Memoir or Biography: Focus your family history on the life of one ancestor or couple. This is great if you have a lot of information about one generation. Include photos and stories. This is a great way to capture information that is not found in typical genealogy records and preserve it for future generations.

  • Transcription of Letters or Journals: If you have family journals or letters in your possession, transcribe them to create a book. Arrange the material in chronological order. Add annotations or keys that help explain relationships or places. Add photos, news clippings, and other documents as relevant.

  • Traditional Family History: Choose an ancestor and document their descendants. You can choose to include all descendants or just individuals along a certain line or in a certain location.

Whichever format you choose to use, be sure to document your sources and only include factual information.

After you Publish

What do you do with your book once you've finished writing?

  • Distribute copies to libraries. Think about the libraries in your area as well as the libraries in the places your ancestors lived. Your book may help a future researcher.
  • Gift the book to family members. Inspire others to share the family stories. You've created a way to pass on the family legacy.
Building & Researching Your Family Tree Part 12