Home
Research
Services
Research
Tutorial
Helpful
Websites
Read
My Blog

Research Available from Providers on Genlighten.com

If the provider is listed as "chicagogenealogy" then the lookups are from me. Otherwise, they're from other providers who offer Chicago research. If you don't see a record listed here, it's likely that it's online for free at FamilySearch or not available for public searching.

Genlighten.com—a marketplace for genealogical research help—grew out of my experience doing lookups through ChicagoGenealogy.com and I am a co-founder of the site along with my husband, Dean.

Cook County Birth Indexes

Chicago Delayed Birth Index, 1871-1948

Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: $5.00 | Not Found Price: $5.00

This index can be used to confirm a birth that was reported long after the child was born. If you find a match here, you should be able to get the corresponding record from the Cook County Clerk's Office.



Cook County Cemetery Research

Chicago Archdiocese Cemetery Index Look-Up

Genlighten Provider: chicago-obits | Found Price: $2.00 | Not Found Price: $1.00

This search can be very helpful when you're trying to determine a death date for someone buried at a Catholic cemetery.

Chicago Archdiocese Cemetery Headstone Photo

Genlighten Provider: chicago-obits | Found Price: $10.00 | Not Found Price: $5.00

North Chicago Catholic Cemeteries Interment Information and Photograph

Genlighten Provider: jolietgenealogy | Found Price: $10.00 | Not Found Price: $1.00

South Chicago and South Suburbs Catholic Cemeteries Interment Information and Photograph

Genlighten Provider: jolietgenealogy | Found Price: $10.00 | Not Found Price: $1.00


Chicago Death Certificates

Chicago Death Certificates, 1878-1947 (You don't have a certificate number)


Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found price: $10.00 | Not Found Price: $5.00

Request this lookup if you haven't been able to find a record for free at FamilySearch (up through 1922) or any mention of it in one of the online indexes (up through 1947). I've retrieved thousands of these death certificates over the last few years and sometimes that experience lets me work a bit of magic. If you can't find the record you're looking for, I'd be happy to give it a try.

Chicago Death Certificates, 1923-1947 (You have a certificate number)


Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: $6.00 | Not Found Price: $0.00

These are "actual death certificates." I'm able to print them from microfilm at the local Family History Center and that's why I can offer digital images for less than the county's price. Request this lookup if you have an entry for a certificate for Chicago from the Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950, the Historical Cook County Vital Records Index, or the Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988 at Ancestry.com.

Illinois Statewide Death Certificate, 1916-1947


Genlighten Provider: mollykennedy | Found Price: $7.00 | Not Found Price: $1.75

Molly can find all of the Illinois death records, 1916-1947, in Springfield including Cook County records outside the city of Chicago. If the index says "Evanston" or "Oak Park" or anything other than "Chicago," order from Molly.

Illinois Stillbirth Certificates, 1916-1947 (few from 1942-1945)


Genlighten Provider: mollykennedy | Found Price: $9.00 | Not Found Price: $8.50

The stillbirth certificates are newly indexed at FamilySearch's Record Search. If you find an index entry, Molly can provide a copy of the certificate. The not found price covers the cost of an unsuccessful search if you ask her to locate a certificate without providing an index entry.

Cook County Coroner's Death Certificates, 1879-1904


Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found price: $6.00 | Not Found Price: $2.00

If you can't find a death certificate before 1904 on FamilySearch's Record Search, check the Cook County Coroner's Inquest Index. If the name is there, I can usually get a copy of the death certificate for you. (I say "usually" because some of the coroner's death certificates are so far out of order on some of the reels that it's next to impossible to find them.)



Chicago Out-of-Town Death Certificates, 1909-1915


Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found price: $6.00 | Not Found Price: $0.00

These death records correspond to the "OT" entries in the Chicago Death Index, 1871-1933.


Chicago City Directories

Lurie Index: 1937 Voter Registration for Chicago

Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: $5.00 | Not Found Price: $5.00

This is a card file index on microfilm and it's arranged by surname. Each card appears to have the name of the head-of-household, an address, and then names of other individuals of the same surname at that address.

Chicago City Directory Research, 1843-1929

Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: $5.00 | Not Found Price: $5.00

Five lookups (one surname, one year) for $5.00. Entries generally include the head of household, a home address, and an occupation. Sometimes an address is also given for the place of employment. Widows are often listed as "Mary (wid John)" which can be helpful in pinpointing an unknown death year.



Cook County Divorce Records

Divorce Lookup Part I: Index Search

Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: $10.00 | Not Found Price: $10.00

I will search the Circuit Court and/or Superior Court indexes to look for the divorce. If I find a match, I will order in the file and then return to the Circuit Court Archives in approximately two weeks to make color scans of the records. (See Divorce Lookup Part II below.)

Divorce Lookup Part II: Color Scans from File

Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: See Below | Not Found Price: See Below

I am able to make color scans of the pages in the divorce files. It's not possible to know how many pages there will be ahead of time, but I charge $10 + $.50 per page (rounding down) and most files seem to end up in the $20-30 range.


Cook County Naturalization Records

Naturalization Records from Superior, Circuit, County and Criminal Courts of Cook County, Illinois, 1871-1929

Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: $10.00 | Not Found Price: $0.00

The information on naturalization records varies depending on the year. For more information, check out the Clerk of the Circuit Court's info sheet: Cook County Naturalization Records.

U.S. Federal District Court (Illinois—Northern District) Naturalization Records

Genlighten Provider: jorgfe | Found Price: $20.00 | Not Found Price: $5.00

Kay provides a quick and easy way to obtain District Court naturalization records once you've found the Soundex card either at Ancestry.com's U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 or FamilySearch.org's Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950.


Chicago Area Death Notices and Obituaries

Illinois Obituary Research

Genlighten Provider: mollykennedy | Found Price: $6.75 | Not Found Price: $5.75

Molly can search newspapers from all over the state at the library in Springfield and she will go the extra mile to find something you need. Check with her to see if she has access to a paper you might need.

Chicago Bohemian Obituary and Translation, 1891-1995

Genlighten Provider: kimstankiewicz | Found Price: $14.00 | Not Found Price: $0.00

Chicago Daily News Obituary Search, Dec. 1875 - Jan. 1948

Genlighten Provider: kimstankiewicz | Found Price: $7.00 | Not Found Price: $2.00

Request this lookup if you can't find the obituary in the Chicago Tribune online.

Early Chicago Obituary Index Lookup, Before 1878

Genlighten Provider: chicagogenealogy | Found Price: $2.00 | Not Found Price: $2.00

Chicago Defender Obituaries African American Newspaper, 1910-1975

Genlighten Provider: jolietgenealogy | Found Price: $5.00 | Not Found Price: $1.00