Genealoger

Family History and Genealogy Services

Illinois Genealogy Resources

Chicago and Cook County

Church and Religious Records

  • Archdiocese of Chicago Archives and Records Center.  General Inquiries: info@chgocatholicarchives.org

    • Sacramental Records. Research for genealogical purposes, is confined to records prior to December 31, 1915. If a person is looking for his/her own records, the Archives staff will search any time period. Pre-1916 records are available for research on microfilm. Only records of closed parishes (complete list available upon request) are held by the Archives. All open parishes keep their own records. The only exception to this are Old St. Mary’s and St. Elizabeth’s, whose earliest books are now at the Archives.
       
    • School Records. The records for approximately 250 closed Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago are located at the Archives. Access to these records is restricted. Researchers are not entitled to the complete school record. Under provisions of federal law and Archdiocesan policy, they are only allowed "Directory Information". This includes: name and address, telephone number, birthday, birthplace, major field of study, participation in school activities, weigh and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, awards received, previous schools attended, the student’s photograph, and the parish in which the student resides. This information is taken from the student’s record at the time the student attended the school. Current information is not available from the Archives under any circumstances. There is a $10.00 fee per name for this service.
       
    • Orphanage Records. Access to these records is restricted. Only the person included in the record can request and receive information from his or her records. The only information that can be released is from sacramental, school and health records, pursuant to the policies (copies upon request) set forth by the Archives with regard to these types of records. No one else is entitled to this information, except with written consent of the individual named in the records.
       

  • Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in America

  • Bochar, Jack. Locations of Chicago Roman Catholic Churches, 1850-1990. 2nd edition, revised to 1997. Edited by George and Louise Rokos. Sugar Grove, Illinois: Czech and Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois, 1998.

  • Chicago Ancestors. Using Google Maps as its base, the Newberry library has mapped the location of churches, homicide statistics, Chicago neighborhood information, photos and more. Information on the site includes:
     
    • Church locations for Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches along with information on where to access the church records.
    • Locations of schools whose yearbooks are held by The Newberry Library or the Chicago History Museum.
    • Bibliographies for each of Chicago's 77 community areas.
    • Homicide records covering 1912-1917 and eventually will include 1910-1930.
    • Photos of Chicago buildings.
       

  • Chicago Catholic Cemeteries

  • Chicago Catholic Churches from POINTers in Person (Pursuing Our Italian Names Together)

  • Chicago Church and Synagogue Records. Newberry Library.

  • Chicago Church Records Available at the Newberry Library, see Guide to Chicago Churches and Synagogues at 2nd floor reference desk.

    • Bethania Lutheran, W. Indiana (now Grand) and Carpenter. Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1297 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1893-1906), Marriages (1878-1906).

    • Bethesda Lutheran Church, 3725 E. 105th (Swedish). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1294 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1800s-1928), Marriages (1891-1928), Deaths (1893-1928).

    • Central Lutheran, Lovell and LeMoyne (Norwegian), Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1299 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1922-1946), Marriages (1922-1946), Deaths (1922-1946).

    • Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Luke, 1500 W. Belmont (German). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 544 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1884-1975), Marriages (1884-1975), Deaths (1884-1975).

    • First Bethlehem Lutheran, 1645 W. LeMoyne (German). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1173 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1871-1934), Marriages (1871-1877, 1883-1902, 1904-1935), Deaths (1886-1891, 1900-1935).

    • First Immanuel Lutheran, 1124 S. Ashland (German). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 867 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1863-1958), Marriages (1854-1955), Deaths (1857-1950).

    • First St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran, 1301 N. LaSalle (German). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1076 (2nd floor open shelf shelf). Baptisms (1863?-1985), Marriages (1872-1985), Deaths (1869-1947).

    • First Zion Evangelical Lutheran, 19th and Peoria (Swedish). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1260 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1868-1943), Marriages (1868-1941), Deaths (1886-1941).

    • Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 4901 W. Bernice (Norwegian). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1298 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1916-1945), Marriages (1916-1945, Deaths (1916-1945).

    • Moreland Lutheran Church, 5443 W. Huron (Norwegian). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1300 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1886-1962), Marriages (1886-1962), Deaths (1886-1962).

    • Old St. Mary's (Catholic), 25 E. Van Buren. Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 706 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1833-1929), Marriages (1803-1929).

    • St. James Evangelical Lutheran, 2248 N. Fremont (German). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 374 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1870-1931), Marriages (1870-1923), Deaths (1870-1951).

    • St. John Evangelical Lutheran, Hoyne and Walton (German). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1262 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1867-1974), Marriages (1867-1974), Deaths (1867-1974).

    • St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran, 2108 W. 21st. Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1204 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1872-1934), Marriages (1872-1978), Deaths (1876-1926).

    • Saron, Shakespeare and Richmond (Swedish). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1295 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1888-1933), Marriages (1888-1933), Deaths (1833-1933).

    • Trinity Evangelical Lutheran. 1400 N. Laramie (German). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1302 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1870-1979), Marriages (1871-1979), Deaths (1871-1979).

    • Trinity Evangelical Lutheran. 7950 S. Burnham (Norwegian). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1303 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1900-1971), Marriages (1902-1971), Deaths (1903-1971).

    • Zion Lutheran, 2244 S. Irving (now Bell). Call # Local History Ref Microfilm 1296 (2nd floor open shelf). Baptisms (1884-1942), Marriages (1884-1942), Deaths (1884-1942).

  • Chicago Churches in 1905. Source: "Chicago Blue Book of Selected Names of Chicago and Suburban Towns",  Chicago Directory Co., © 1905. Transcribed by ©Kim Torp. Genealogy Trails.

  • Cook County Baptism Records. USGenWeb Illinois.

  • Cook County Church Records. USGenWeb Illinois. 

  • Cutler, Irving. The Jews of Chicago: From Shtetl to Suburb. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1990.

  • The First Chicago Church Records, 1833-44  Available from Genealogical Publishing Co.

  • First Immanuel Lutheran Church, Chicago: Confirmations  1855-1865.  KarensGen.com

  • First Immanuel Lutheran Church, Chicago: Marriages  1855-1869.  KarensGen.com

  • First St. Paul Lutheran Church  Chicago. KarensGen.com

  • First St. Paul's Lutheran Church Records - 1301 N. LaSalle St. Chicago.

  • Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Chicagoland

  • Guide to Lutheran Church Records. St. Louis Public Library.

  • Koenig, Harry C., editor. A History of the Parishes of the Archdiocese of Chicago. 2 volumes. Chicago: Archdiocese of Chicago, 1980.

  • Lane, George and Algimantas Kezys. Chicago Churches and Synagogues. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1981.

  • Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod: Congregation Web Sites.

  • Lutheran Churches of Chicago: A Genealogical Guide.

  • Marriage Index for Polish Parishes in Chicago through 1915

  • Meites, Hyman L. History of the Jews of Chicago. 1924; reprint, Chicago: Chicago Jewish Historical Society, 1990.

  • Parot, Joseph J. Polish Catholics in Chicago, 1850-1920: a Religious History. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University, 1981.

  • Phillips, George S. Chicago and Her Churches. Chicago, 1868.

  • Polish Marriages in Chicago through 1915. Marriages in Catholic parishes in Chicago compiled by the Polish Genealogical Society of America.

  • Records of The Moody Church. Billy Graham Center

  • St. Ansgarius Church Records, 1849-1971. Swedish-American Archives of Greater Chicago.

  • St. James Catholic Church, Chicago  Selected marriage records. USGenWeb Illinois

  • St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church  Rich Township. KarensGen.com

  • St. Johns Ev. Lutheran Church  Rodenberg (Roselle). KarensGen.com

  • St. Michael's Catholic Church Baptisms, 1870-1871

  • St. Michael's Catholic Church  Baptisms, second half of 1871  USGenWeb Illinois

  • St. Michael's Catholic Church  Baptisms, first half of 1871  USGenWeb Illinois

  • St. Michael's Catholic Church  Baptisms, mainly 1871  USGenWeb Illinois

  • St. Michael's Catholic Church, Chicago  Baptisms/Christenings, 1870 and 1871

  • St. Peter Ev. Lutheran Church  Schaumburg.  KarenGen.com

  • Skerrett, Ellen, et.al. Catholicism, Chicago Style. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1993.

  • Thompson, Rev. Joseph J. The First Chicago Church Records, 1833-1844. Baltimore, Maryland:: Gateway Press, 1988.

  • Visitation Parish  Baptisms, 1908-1915, partial . USGenWeb Illinois

  • Visitation Parish  Selected Marriage Records, 1903-1908.  USGenWeb Illinois

  • Visitation Parish  Selected Marriage Records, 1887-1903.  USGenWeb Illinois