Using the International Genealogical Index for Research

When I first started off researching and heard about Family Search’s website, I didn’t realize how much information it held.

One such database is the International Genealogical Index also know as the IGI.  The IGI contains millions of records that have been submitted by people that are directly related to the deceased person.  The database also contains vital and death records that have been indexed and will not be found in normal searches.  When the new Family Search website had been launched years ago, the database had been removed.  However after many complaints from the genealogy community including mine, it was brought back.

Why my complaint?  Well this is how I discovered for the first time that my maternal grandfather had siblings. Since my grandparents were divorced well before I was born, I had no idea since I didn’t grow up around him. However one of his sister Elupina Marun appeared in the search results. Someone reported that she had passed away on December 21st, 1992.  I immediate called my grandfather in NY since he was 97 years of age at the time. I thought he was an only child since my great grandfather migrated to Dominican Republic in 1898.  Since then I have connected with cousins who descend from other siblings who are either living in the USA or in Dominican Republic.

So to access this database, click here, it will open in a new window.  Type in information, it accepts partial information.  You can even leave the name blank and type in only the country and see multiple records appear.

Once the search appears note that two tabs appear at the top, below is an image so you can see where the tabs appear.  One is for Contributed IGI and the other is the Indexed IGI.

A very simple tool with a possibility of finding some of your ancestors.