Jump to: Take a Digital Course | Research | Online Databases | Local Resources | National & Other Resources | Genealogy/Obituary Request Form

Researching your family tree can be as casual as a conversation on the porch with Grandma & Grandpa or as serious as doing scholarly research or planning trips and vacations around visiting cemeteries, libraries, and local historical societies. This is a guide to help you get started researching your family history, including links to Missouri and national websites* about genealogy.

Take a Digital Course

hoopla Great Courses: Discovering Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy

Genealogy is a journey of self-discovery that can teach you as much about yourself as about those who came before you. But what holds many of us back from unearthing our family history is uncertainty about how to go about it. Discover which resources you should use and trust, how you should make your way through tangles of public records, and more. 15 video episodes last about 30 minutes each.

• Get started with the Discovering Your Root Series

Research

A lot of research can be done online. Listed below are additional online resources collected by Camden County Library District staff. They regularly help people navigate their genealogical journey and have recommended these sites as good sources for uncovering facts and details about family history.

Online Databases

Ancestry Library Edition (for use within the Library)

Ancestry Library Edition gives you access to genealogy, family trees, and family history records via documents that record the lineage of over 4 billion individuals. It includes census, military, immigration, and vital records.

America’s News

Utilize search filters to search for obituaries using America’s News from NewsBank. You can filter your search by date, publication, content type, or use keywords such as the deceased’s name, date of death (if known), or relevant keywords related to their life or profession.

HeritageQuest

HeritageQuest® Online is a comprehensive database of American genealogical sources—rich in unique in primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. It delivers an essential collection of genealogical and historical sources—with coverage dating back to the 1700s.

Local Resources

• Library Genealogy Resources: Check out our card catalog for genealogy information from the county and surrounding areas.
• Library Microfilm Resources: Use our microfiche machine, scanner, and printer to find newspaper articles, obituaries, and census information (at the Camdenton Library only).
• More Camden Co., MO*: Allows users to search for different cemeteries, churches, marriages, county maps, and so much more.
• Camden County Museum*: Helping you find your roots in Camden County is just one of many projects that the Camden County Museum does. They have collected thousands of obits and death certificates over the years, and are available for your viewing or copying. Their in-house database contains information on over 157,000 people—mostly from Camden County. New names are added every week.
• Camden County, Missouri Genealogy Trails*: The goal of the Genealogy Trails History Group is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data and placing it online for the free use of all researchers.
• Camden County Missouri Gen Web Project*: Provides information on cemeteries, death certificates, and biographies; includes access to Benton, Dallas, Hickory, Laclede, Miller, Morgan, and Pulaski counties.
• Missouri Digital Heritage*: Allows you to look up Missouri birth and death records pre-1910 and Missouri Death Certificate from 1910 – 1974. Also, read an excerpt from Missouri County Histories, this excerpt is from 1889 and describes Camden County, MO.
• Missouri State Historical Society*: The State Historical Society of Missouri Digitized Collections provides online access to digitized photographs, art, maps, diaries, letters, books, articles, and oral histories telling the story of Missouri’s history, people, and culture.

National & Other Resources

• National Archives – Census Records*: The National Archives has the census schedules available from 1790 to 1950, and their digitization partners have now digitized most. National Archives Search Tip: Family researchers generally find it most helpful to begin with the most current census and work backwards as a strategy for locating people in earlier generations.
• Cyndi’s List*: Cindi’s List has been a trusted genealogy research site for more than 25 years; it is free for everyone to use and is meant to be a starting point when researching online.
• Dead Fred’s Genealogy Photo Archive*: A free, fun photo genealogy research web site devoted to helping you visualize your heritage. Trace your roots for free with their searchable database containing thousands of identified and mystery photos.
• Death Indexes*: A directory of links to websites with online death indexes, listed by state and county; includes death records, death certificate indexes, death notices and registars, obituaries, wills and probate records, and cemetery burials.
• Digital Library on American Slavery*: Compiles independent collections focused upon race and slavery in the American South, and houses tens of thousands of records relating to all 15 slave states and Washington D.C., as well as a number of northern states.
• The Statue of Liberty—Ellis Island Foundation*: Their collections can connect you to Liberty and the story of American immigration from anywhere in the world. They invite you to engage with their exhibitions and collections, and use their online resources to discover your roots and explore your heritage.
• Emigration and Immigration Records and Resources*: Explore immigration records and resources related to Ellis Island, with a focus on German-American genealogy. This page offers links to passenger lists, historical background, and tips for tracing ancestors who arrived in the U.S. through Ellis Island.
• Family Search*: Access billions of free historical records, family trees, and photographs to explore your U.S. ancestry. This site offers tools to build your own family tree, search immigration and census records, and receive personalized guidance. Ideal for beginners and experienced researchers alike.
• Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies (FEEFHS)*: Discover genealogical resources, research guides, and historical records fro tracing ancestry in Easter and Central Europe. FEEFHS offers access to databases, maps, surname indexes, and educational materials, including conference sessions and expert-led workshops on German, Polish, Russian, and other East European family history topics.
• Find a Grave*: Search millions of burial records, cemetery locations, and memorials to trace family history. Find a Grave offers user-submitted photos, dates, and biographical information that can help uncover ancestral connections and locate final resting places across globe.
• Genealogy.com*: A source for family history buffs to find genealogical research originally posted in GenForum and their most popular genealogy articles. Start a search or browse to start digging into your family’s past.
• Genealogy Trails*: Access a wide range of free transcribed records for family history research across all U.S. states. Genealogy Trails offers county-level data, including census records, obituaries, military service, cemetery listings, and historical articles, all contributed by volunteers to support genealogical discovery.
• History at Home: A Guide to Genealogy*: A beginner-friendly guide to tracing family history, this resource explains how to start genealogical research, organize ancestral charts, and locate records such as census data, military files, and immigration documents. It also explores the health, legal, and cultural benefits of genealogy, with tips for conducting oral histories and preserving family documents.
• Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild (ISTG)*: Explore thousands of transcribed passenger lists from ships that carried immigrants to America and other destinations. This volunteer-driven resource offers searchable records by ship name, date, and port, along with historical notes and genealogical insights to help trace ancestors’ journeys across the seas.
• The Library of Congress: Chronicling America – Historic American Newspapers*: Chronicling America is a digital archive from the Library of Congress offering free access to historic U.S. newspapers from 1756 to 1963. It includes searchable pages and a comprehensive newspaper directory, making it a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and history enthusiasts. Library of Congress upgraded the Chronicling America Historic Newspapers website; use the following research guide to help navigate and utilize the new site.
• Library and Archives Canada*: Library and Archives Canada (LAC) preserves and provides access to Canada’s documentary heritage, serving as the memory of the federal government and a guardian of the nation’s history. The site offers searchable collections, research tools, and public services, all through a modern, user-friendly interface designed to support discovery, understanding, and connection.
• Lost Cousins: Putting Relatives in Touch*: Lost Cousins is a unique genealogy platform that helps users find living relatives by matching entries from historical census records. Unlike traditional family tree sites, it uses publicly available census data to connect people researching the same ancestors—automatically, accurately, and confidentially.
• National Archives*: The official record keeper of the federal government, preserving and providing public access to historically and legally significant documents. From the Declaration of Independence to military service records and immigration files, the Archives offers a vast collection of materials essential to understanding American history and citizenship. This site features research tools, educational resources, and access to exhibits and digitized records.
• The Newberry*: Offering one of the nation’s most comprehensive genealogy and local history collections, featuring over 20,000 published genealogies, local histories, maps, military records, and vital records. With expert staff and access to both digitized and rare physical resources, it supports researchers at all levels in tracing family roots across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Europe.
• The Newberry: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries*: A digital resource from the Newberry Library that documents every change in the U.S. county boundaries from the colonial era through 2000. It offers interactive maps, downloadable GIS files, and detailed chronologies for each state, making it an essential tool for historians, genealogists, educators, and researchers studying local history and geographic change.
• One-Step Webpages by Steve Morse*: A powerful suite of genealogy tools designed to simplify searches across immigration, census, vital records, and more. Originally created to streamline Ellis Island database searches, the site now includes dozens of tools for U.S. and international records, phonetic name matching, calendar conversions, and census enumeration district locators. It’s a go-to resource for both beginner and advanced genealogists seeking efficient, accurate results.
• Online Searchable Military Records & Databases*: A curated directory of online, searchable U.S. military records and indexes organized by war, from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. Designed for genealogists and history researchers, it links databases covering service records, casualty lists, pension files, and more—many hosted by national archives, state libraries, and genealogy platforms.
• Ourtimelines.com*: Allows users to create personalized historical timelines that show how an individual’s life fits into broader world events. Ideal for genealogists and families, the site also offers tools to identify notable contemporaries and insert custom life events, making it a unique way to visualize personal and ancestral history.
• Rootsweb*: The internet’s oldest and largest free genealogy community, offering searchable databases, mailing lists, message boards, and free web hosting for family history projects. Supported by Ancestry, it connects researchers worldwide and provides tools and resources to explore and share genealogical information.
• U.K. National Archives*: Offering expert help for exploring historical records across hundreds to topics, including military service, immigration, legal history, and family research. With over 360 guides available, each provides detailed instructions on how to locate, access, and interpret archival materials—making it an essential resource for historians, genealogists, and researchers.
• USGen Web Project*: A volunteer-driven project offering free genealogy resources for every U.S. state and county. Established in 1996, it hosts over 3,000 linked websites featuring transcriptions, maps, historical documents, and more—accessible without registration. It’s a trusted tool for researchers tracing local and family history across the United States.

Genealogy & Obituary Request Form

*The Library provides links to external genealogy websites as a convenience and for informational purposes only. The Library does not maintain these websites, and their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement of their content, services, or accuracy. Please note that many genealogy websites contain historical data that may be incomplete, outdated, or based on user-submitted content. Users are encouraged to critically evaluate the reliability of information and verify facts through multiple sources.