MARRIAGES

The first recorded marriage in the area now Vernon County, Missouri, was that of David Cruise and Fannie Summers in 1833.  Rev. Amasa Jones was the officiating minister.  Frances Summers was the daughter of Moses Summers, one of the three Summers brothers whose families were the first permanent settlers in the county.  [History of Vernon County Missouri, 1887.]

Marriages are recorded at the county level in Missouri.  Most, if not all, early Missouri county marriage records have been microfilmed; and copies of that microfilm are available at the Missouri State Archives and at the county level.  A list of county records on microfilm is at http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/county/vernon.pdf   Vernon County's marriage records have been microfilmed only through about 1916. 

The original Vernon County marriage record books are with the County Recorder's Office on the first floor of the Vernon County Courthouse in Nevada, MO.

County development dictates where the earliest marriage records might be found.  These are approximate years:

1830s - Jackson County north of the Osage River.

1830s - Crawford County south of the Osage River.

1840s - Van Buren County except the southern one-fourth of Vernon County which was Newton County.

1850s - Bates County (however, all Bates County marriage records prior to 1860 were destroyed)

1855 - Vernon County was organized, and all marriage record books are at the County Recorder's office.  Microfilm of the 1855-1916 marriage records is available at the Nevada Library Genealogy Department.

The following index books are available at the Nevada Library Genealogy Dept.  Those marked with # # cannot be searched but must be viewed manually.

Cass (Van Buren) Co. Marriage Records 1836-1865 (includes area now Vernon Co.). 

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book A Index 1855-1877    Alpha list of names

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book B  Index 1877-1881    Alpha list of names

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book C Index 1881-1885    A - L     L - Z  # #

         Add. Index

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book D Index 1885-1888    A - F     F - M    M - S

         S - Z      Add. Index  # #

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book E Index 1888-1891    A - C    C - G    G - J

         J - M    M - S    S - W    W - Z  # #

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book F Index 1891-1894    A - C    C - G    G - K

         K - M    M - S    S - W    W - Z   # #

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book G Index 1894-1897    A - C    C - F    F - J

         J - M    M - R    R - V    V - Z   # #

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book H Index 1897-1900    A - C    C - F    F - J

         J - M    M - R    R - V    V - Z   # #

Vernon Co., MO Marriage Book I Index

Additional Vernon County Marriage Record Books are being indexed and will be made available here.

The above indexes and transcribed records are research tools to help locate marriage records.  Researchers are encouraged to obtain a copy of the original marriage document from the Vernon County Recorder's Office.  To obtain a copy of a Vernon County, MO recorded marriage, send $1 for each record (checks payable to Vernon Co. Recorder) and a stamped, self-addressed envelope sufficient for the number of records ordered.  Mail your request to:

                         Recorder's Office

                         100 West Cherry Street

                         Nevada, MO  64772

Include as much of the following information that you have:

     Names of bride and groom

     Which marriage book and page number

     Date of marriage

Newspaper articles regarding marriages can sometimes be found in local newspapers.  See the newspaper resources available in the Genealogy Dept.

Please see Request Research to request other Vernon County lookups or general research by genealogy society members.