West Des Moines Genealogy (in Polk County, IA)

USA (1,379,301) > Iowa (43,815) > Polk County (1,178) > West Des Moines (83)


NOTE: Additional records that apply to West Des Moines are also found through the Polk County and Iowa pages.


Birth Records Cemetery Records Census Records Church Records City Directories Death Records Immigration Records Land Records Map Records Marriage Records Newspapers and Obituaries Probate Records School Records

West Des Moines Birth Records

1800-1999 Iowa Births and Christenings Index (incomplete) Ancestry online

Iowa, Birth Records, 1880-present Iowa Department of Public Health

Vital Records from Polk County, Iowa Newspapers, 1908-1967 FamilySearch Library

West Des Moines Cemetery Records

Huston Cemetery Billion Graves online

Iowa Cemetery Records Ancestry online

Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 (selections) MyHeritage online

Iowa Graves WPA Survey US Gen Web online

Iowa, Select Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 Ancestry online

Jordan Cemetery Billion Graves online

Jordan Cemetery Interment online

Jordan Cemetery Iowa Gravestones online

Jordan Cemetery burial records Burial Search online

Jordan Family Cemetery Find a Grave online

Polk County, Cemetery Gravestone Records Family Search online

Polk County, Iowa, Jordan Cemetery, West Des Moines, Iowa WorldCat

Resthaven Cemetery Billion Graves online

Resthaven Cemetery Iowa Gravestones online

Resthaven Cemetery Find a Grave online

Saint Timothy Espiscopal Church Columbarium Find a Grave online

West Des Moines Census Records

1846 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1852 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1854 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1856 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1885 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1895 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1905 Iowa State Census MyHeritage online

1905 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1915 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

1925 Iowa State Census (part of Iowa State Census collection) Ancestry online

Federal Census of 1940, West Des Moines, Iowa LDS Genealogy online

Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925 Ancestry online

U.S. Federal Census 1790-1950 Ancestry online

U.S. Federal Census 1790-1950 MyHeritage online

United States Federal Census, 1790-1950 Family Search online

West Des Moines Church Records

1800-1999 Iowa Births and Christenings Index (incomplete) Ancestry online

West Des Moines City Directories

Valley Junction, IA 1894 - 1901 City Directories Allen County Public Library

Valley Junction, IA 1902-1935 City Directories Allen County Public Library

West Des Moines Death Records

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1900-1939 Iowa Death Index MyHeritage online

1920-1940 Iowa Death Records Ancestry online

Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 (selections) MyHeritage online

Iowa, Death Records, 1880-present Iowa Department of Public Health

Iowa, Select Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 Ancestry online

Obituary Cards, 1850-1991 FamilySearch Library

Register of deaths, 1880-1907 FamilySearch Library

Vital Records from Polk County, Iowa Newspapers, 1908-1967 FamilySearch Library

West Des Moines Immigration Records

Declarations of intent, May 1848-October 1889, Polk County, Iowa FamilySearch Library

Index to naturalization, 1852-1884 FamilySearch Library

Iowa, Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1937 Ancestry online

Naturalization records, 1907-1927 FamilySearch Library

West Des Moines Land Records

Land records and general indexes to town lots, Polk County, Iowa, 1847-1903 FamilySearch Library

West Des Moines Map Records

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Valley Junction, Polk County, Iowa, January 1937 Library of Congress online

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Valley Junction, Polk County, Iowa, January 1941 Library of Congress online

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Valley Junction, Polk County, Iowa, June 1920 Library of Congress online

West Des Moines Marriage Records

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1880-1940 Iowa Marriage Records Ancestry online

Iowa Marriages 1809-1992 (selections) MyHeritage online

Iowa Marriages, 1851-1900 Ancestry online

Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-present Iowa Department of Public Health

Iowa, Marriages, 1836-1926 MyHeritage online

Iowa, Select Marriages, 1809-1992 Ancestry online

Polk County marriage records, Des Moines, Iowa, 25 Aug. 1855 - 14 Apr. 1861, 6 Apr. 1871 - 16 Feb. 1881 FamilySearch Library

Polk County, Iowa marriage applications, 1886-1889 FamilySearch Library

Polk County, Iowa marriage records, 1845-1926 FamilySearch Library

Vital Records from Polk County, Iowa Newspapers, 1908-1967 FamilySearch Library

West Des Moines Newspapers and Obituaries

Obituary Cards, 1850-1991 FamilySearch Library

Vital Records from Polk County, Iowa Newspapers, 1908-1967 FamilySearch Library

West Des Moines Express 1984-1988 Johnston Public Library online

Offline Newspapers for West Des Moines

According to the US Newspaper Directory, the following newspapers were printed, so there may be paper or microfilm copies available. For more information on how to locate offline newspapers, see our article on Locating Offline Newspapers.

Polk County Democrat. (Valley Junction, Iowa) 1899-1900

Polk County Press Citizen. (West Des Moines, Ia) 2000s-Current

Valley Express. (Valley Junction, Iowa) 1896-1928

Valley Junction Express. (Valley Junction, Iowa) 1893-1896

West Des Moines Express. (West Des Moines, Iowa) 1938-1988

West Des Moines Probate Records

1758-1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records Ancestry online

Iowa, Polk County Probate Records, 1914-1924 Family Search online

West Des Moines School Records

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Dowling High School yearbook, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1979 (included in US Yearbooks collection) MyHeritage online

Dowling High School yearbook, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1994 Classmates online

Dowling High School yearbooks, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1994 (included in US School Yearbooks) Ancestry online

Valley High School - Tiger Tales Yearbook (West Des Moines, IA), 1905, 1916, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1943, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1966 E Yearbook online

Valley High School yearbook, 1905, 1916, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1943, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2006 (included in US School Yearbooks) Ancestry online

Valley High School yearbook, 1922, 1923, 1943 (Jun), 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 (included in US Yearbooks collection) MyHeritage online

Valley High School yearbook, 1922, 1923, 1943 (Jun), 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2006, 2007 Classmates online

West Des Moines Community School yearbook, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 (Jan), 1921 (Jan), 1921 (Jun), 1922 (Jan), 1923 (Jan), 1923 (Jun), 1924 (Jan), 1924 (Jun), 1925 (Jan), 1925 (Jun), 1926 (Jun), 1927 (Jun), 1928 (Jan) Classmates online

West Des Moines Community School yearbook, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 (Jan), 1921 (Jan), 1921 (Jun), 1922 (Jan), 1923 (Jan), 1923 (Jun), 1924 (Jan), 1924 (Jun), 1925 (Jan), 1925 (Jun), 1926 (Jun), 1927 (Jun), 1928 (Jan) (included in US Yearbooks collection) MyHeritage online

West Des Moines Community School yearbooks, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928 (included in US School Yearbooks) Ancestry online



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