Cook Cnty ILGenWeb USGenWeb

Cook County ILGenWeb Genealogy
Research Using Church Records

Baptist LDS/Mormon Lutheran Methodist Presbyterian Roman Catholic

Some of these resources have links, some have "snail-mail" addresses, and some have both.

If you know of additional resources, please submit info in an email to one of the the Cook County website coordinators

Baptist Churches
American Baptist Historical Society, 1106 South Goodman St., Rochester, NY 11620
submitted by Joyce Mueller (14 Dec 1998)

LDS / Mormon
LDS (Church of Latter Day Saints)

FHC (Family History Resource Center) ~ more than church info!!

Lutheran Churches
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
LCMS Congregation Locator
submitted by Lila White (16 Dec 1998)

Archives of the American Lutheran Church.
Wartburg Theological Seminary, 333 Wartburg Place. Dubuque, IA 52001
submitted by Joyce Mueller (14 Dec 1998)

Visit the The Missouri Synod archives, Concordia Historical Institute,
or contact them via email at .
submitted by Joel Thoreson, Asst. Archivist, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Mar 2001)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
8765 W. Higgins Rd.
Chicago, IL 60631

ELCA Congregation Lookup
submitted by Lila White (16 Dec 1998)

ELCA Archives Location:
321 Bonnie Lane
Elk Grove, IL
(773) 380-2828
update submitted by Kathie Groll
or
8765 W. Higgins Rd.
Chicago, IL 60631-4109
Ofc: (847) 690-9410
Fax: (847) 690-9502

update submitted by Joel Thoreson, Asst. Archivist, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Mar 2001)

The Archives of the American Lutheran Church in Dubuque was one of the predecessor archives of the current ELCA Archives in Elk Grove Village. The archives in Dubuque is now called the ELCA Region 5 Archives, and collects records from disbanded congregations in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, among other things. It can be reached at the 333 Wartburg Place, although they prefer P.O. Box 5004, Dubuque, IA 52003-5004.

Evangelical Lutheran Synod
ELS Congregation Locator
submitted by Lila White (16 Dec 1998)

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
WELS Congregation Locator
submitted by Lila White (16 Dec 1998)

A Few Comments shared by Joel Thoreson, Asst. Archivist, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Mar 2001)

The Newberry Library has microfilm of the early records of several of the older German Lutheran congregations in Chicago. They are: Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Luke, First Bethlehem Lutheran, First Immanuel Lutheran, First St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran, St. James Evangelical Lutheran, and St. Mathews Evangelical Lutheran. Check The Newberry Library website for more info.

The United Church of Christ has several predecessor bodies, including the German Evangelical Synod of North America, which is often confused with Lutheran synods. Their archives for German Evangelical congregations is located at: The Eden Seminary Archives, 475 Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119-3192. Visit the online directory of current UCC congregations website for more info.

Also visit First St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago, IL

Methodist
United Methodist InfoServ

Central Illinois Conference Historical Society, 1211 North Park St, Bloomington, IL 61701
or
Garrett Theological Seminary, 2121 S Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60201
submitted by Joyce Mueller (14 Dec 1998)

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church - USA: Congregation Directory

Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Chicago's Archives & Records Center
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin
Cardinal Joseph Bernadine
Archives & Record Center
711 W. Monroe
Chicago, IL 60661

Contact for research purposes: Assistant Research Archivist: Tel: (312) 831-0711, ext.728

Hours 9:00am - 4:45pm CST Monday - Friday
Records up to 1916
submitted by: Kathie Groll (May 1, 1998)

School Records Ext.724
Sacramental Records Ext. 722
Archival Services Ext. 272
Fax: 312-831-0610
submitted by Mary (Mullarkey) Wentzell.....Grayslake, IL (13 Jan 1999)

Archives of the Archdiocese of Chicago, St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, IL 60060
submitted by Joyce Mueller (14 Dec 1998)

Comments by Ron Flynn from a COOK-CO-IL-L email he posted on Saturday, February 20, 1999
The Archdiocese Archives DOES NOT have ONLY records from inactive parishes. I am aware of Sacramental records they have for 3 very active north suburban parishes.
The problem at the Archdiocese Archives is that the archivist (Sylvia @ ext.722) does not seem to know what records are there, and if you are calling long distance, (I have never reached her by my phone call), despite what her voice mail message says about calling you right back, it was always over a week before she would return a call, if ever.
Sylvia will send you a form which requires you to provide virtually ALL the info that is on the Sacremental record that you want. For $20, she will research the records and send you a certified copy.
Julia (@ ext. 728) does seem knowledgeable. She has, while I waited on the phone, checked for me on what Sacremental records and dates for particular parishes, that are in their archives. Julia can make an appointment (very limited availability) for you to come in and research the Sacremental records they have.

My suggestions:
   1) I would always first call the parish, if still active.
   2) I would go to a FHC and check what parish records are available there.
   3) As a last resort, try the Archdiocese of Chicago.

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Cook County ILGenWeb Genealogy Research Using Church Records

Cook County ILGenWeb Genealogy
Research Using Church Records