bigpigeon.us webpage Home > Resources > Print Resources, updated by RAC 19 Apr 2021.
Rural West Pottawattamie County, Iowa cemetery gravestone indices:
In the early 1980s the Botna Valley Genealogical society in eastern Pottawattamie County read the stones in most rural Pottawattamie County cemeteries. Their results were then published by the Iowa Genealogical Society. Below are the stone indices available for rural west Pottawattamie County.
Pottawattamie County marriage indices:
Viewing the above materials:
Some additional print resources:
Acquiring printed vital records indices:
Local family and personal histories - I drew upon five such histories written by or about Danish Americans who lived in the Big Pigeon area. At least one is now available on the Web.
My private holdings include the following - I know of no other copies:
Books of interest that I don't have. They are not on the web but can be purchased-line.
Rural West Pottawattamie County, Iowa cemetery gravestone indices:
In the early 1980s the Botna Valley Genealogical society in eastern Pottawattamie County read the stones in most rural Pottawattamie County cemeteries. Their results were then published by the Iowa Genealogical Society. Below are the stone indices available for rural west Pottawattamie County.
- Bk. 1. Hazel Dell, Downsville, Weston St. Columbanus Catholic.
- Bk. 2. H.G. Fisher, Hardin Township, York Township, Country Home.
- Bk. 3. Treynor St. Paul Lutheran, Treynor Zion Congregational.
- Bk. 4. Keg Creek, Lewis Township, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Zion.
- Bk. 5. Neola Township, St. Patrick's Catholic.
- Bk. 6. Minden.
- Bk. 7. Allen, Branson, Crook.
- Bk. 8. Grange.
- Bk. 9. Reel's, St. Bridget, St. Paul's Lutheran.
- Bk. 10. Crescent, McIntosh.
- Bk. 11. Evans, Garner Township, Graybill, Gregg.
- Most Council Bluffs cemeteries (including Fairview, Walnut Hill, Cedar Lawn, St. Joseph) also have printed stone indices produced by volunteers.
Pottawattamie County marriage indices:
- A number of volumes prepared by the Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society list Pottawattamie County marriages through 1940.
Viewing the above materials:
- You can view most of the printed material mentioned so far on this page at either the Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society (PCGS) or the Council Bluffs Public Library (CBPL).
Some additional print resources:
- PCGS - Council Bluffs Nonpareil obituary index including dates.
- CBPL - Council Bluffs Nonpareils on microfilm.
Acquiring printed vital records indices:
- To see the list of available printed Pottawattamie County vital statistics indices, go to iowagenealogy.org, click on SHOP, click on PUBLICATIONS, and then click on Pottawattamie County.
- These publications can be viewed and many purchased at the Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society building on South 4th Street in Council Bluffs; check on-line for hours.
Local family and personal histories - I drew upon five such histories written by or about Danish Americans who lived in the Big Pigeon area. At least one is now available on the Web.
- Two Families from Boomer, The history and genealogy of the families of Peter and Rachel Cady Peterson and of Captain Thomas and Martha Evans Thomas of Boomer Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, compiled by Earl Thomas Peterson, Glen James Peterson and Shirley Griebling Peterson, 1982 (This is a long and carefully researched document produced in pre-Web days. As of Jan '18, on-line access through familysearch.org and ExLibris Rosetta loads slowly.) - https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE12691448
- Chris Christoffersen’s autobiography (manuscript written about 1945). (Chris Christoffersen was the son of St. Paul’s charter member Jorgen Christoffersen.)
- The Busy Rural Life of our Danish American Grandparents Marie and Isaac Hansen and Their Children on the Farm in Hazel Dell Township, Pottawattamie County, R.F. D. 1, Weston, Iowa 1830 – 1941 –1981 by Ruth (Hansen) Nielsen (151 pp. typescript.) (Ruth (Hansen) Nielsen was the granddaughter of St. Paul’s charter member Isaac Hansen.)
- Peter T. Petersen’s story in two parts as edited by his daughters, Helga and Agnes Petersen. (Peter T. Petersen was the father of Victor T. Petersen, long-time St. Paul’s member, who is interred in the St. Paul’s Cemetery.)
- Family history of the family of Violet (Nelson) Brown, the daughter of C. P. T. Hansen of Boomer Township (book given me by Cleo (Peterson) Christoffersen).
My private holdings include the following - I know of no other copies:
- Not on the web - has Pottawattamie County directories but no plats: 1915 Rand McNally Ideal Atlas of the World. My print copy includes a three-part glossy insert for Pottawattamie County: Business Patrons' Directory of Pottawattamie County (five pages); Landowners' Directory (20 pages); Mailing List (8 pages).
Books of interest that I don't have. They are not on the web but can be purchased-line.
- Iowa: Land of Many Mills, Swisher, Jacob A., published by State Historical Soc. Iowa 1940) Iowa City, IA.
- Lost Council Bluffs, S. M. Senden, published by The History Press.