1. SURNAME CARD FILE: If found this would probably give you Family Group Sheet, or Pedigree Chart.


2. OBITUARY INDEX CARD FILE. Obituaries usually contain a great deal of family information. Sometimes its reliability is questionable, but can be verified through the local courthouse records.


3. OBITUARY FILE. Covers deaths mainly in the past 8 to 10 years and a few earlier. This file contains the complete obituary.


4. FAMILY HISTORY COLLECTION. Most of these are family histories that are in this region.


5. BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX-HISTORY OF LYON COUNTY BOOK. This is a combination of two books.


6. PRAIRIELAND PIONEER INDEXES (2). Cover 10 years of our quarterly - about 64,000 names.


7. CEMETERY RECORDS. Covers all Lyon County Cemeteries and some from other counties.


8. CENSUS RECORDS ON MICROFILM - FEDERAL AND STATE. 1865 through 1920. State Census are on the 5th year; federal on the 0 years. The 1890 Census burned, so is not available.


9. NATURALIZATION RECORDS. Only Lyon County is indexed.


10. INTERNATIONAL GENEALOGICAL INDEX (IGI) - from the Mormon Church. It lists deaths, baptisms, marriages and sometimes parents and/or spouses, place of birth. This is simply an index and you would need to send to Salt Lake City for more details, such as family group sheets, marriage register, etc. The Mormon facility in Marshall has an up to date index. Ours is for the U.S., Canada, Europe and the British Isles.


11. NEWSPAPER ROOM. The earliest paper is the Prairie Schooner of 1873. There is a list locator in the room. There is also newspapers on microfilm.


12. CD-ROM (Computer):


• Census Indexes, from here to New England, various years.


• Social Security Death Index - for any US Citizen who is on the SS rolls.


• Marriage Index - for a few states


13. PLAT MAPS showing land ownership. The earliest one is 1884 and was made by the Marshall Newspaper and is very hard to read.


14. AUDITORS TAX RECORDS. Various early years for Lyon County. Identifies land ownership and personal property with values and taxes. It will give detailed lists of personal property such as livestock, equipment, household goods, etc. It also describes land parcels.


15. BIRTH/DEATH RECORDS ON CARDS.


• Custer Township - birth and death


• Nordland Township - birth and death


• Lucas Township - birth


• Lake Marshall Township - birth and death


16. VARIOUS BOOKS OF NEW ENGLAND


• Genealogical Dictionary of New England


• 1600 lines to the Pilgrims


• Torrey’s New England Marriages prior to 1700 and the supplement book.


17. VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS OF OTHER STATES. These are mostly genealogical quarterlies or newsletters - along with some special publications.


18. FOREIGN RESEARCH AIDS. This consists of aids for research in forgein countries.


19. CHURCH HISTORIES & related matter. Some of these contain birth, death, baptism, confirmation, marriage and membership records.


20. Become acquainted with the following reference books:


• SOURCE - A Guidebook of American Genealogy


• THE HANDY BOOK FOR GENEALOGISTS - Use this to find resources in other states. It describes what’s available in all the courthouses across the US with addressees and telephone numbers. It lists the libraries, genealogical societies, etc., with addresses.


• THE LIBRARY - Tells you what’s available at the Family History Library of the LDS Church, Salt Lake City, UT.


• THE CATALOG FOR THE HISTORY CENTER


• THE CARD CATALOG FOR THE HISTORY CENTER


21. MINNESOTA MAP & other maps and atlases.


22. GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES IN MINNESOTA. The Minnesota Genealogical Society Quarterly contains this list


23. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ANNUALS.

Do you do your own research?
Purchase a CD with all Lyon County Minnesota Cemeteries and burials on it, plus some from Redwood, Lincoln, Pipestone, Jackson, Yellow Medicine & Nobles county. This CD has over 40,000 names with birth and death dates, some marriage dates, military records whene they could be located, also names of the children, including married names of daughters. The first part of the CD has a cemetery coding index and an abbreviation index for military awards and other things listed. There is an added section called "Cemetery Additions." This is a listing of recorded burials where the entire cemetery is not indexed.