The largest collection of marriage record indexes in an electronic format available for private purchase are the CD-ROMs produced for use with Family Tree Maker. They may be first accessed by using the FamilyFinder Index, available with current CD-ROM versions of Family Tree Maker, and also at their Web site (www.familytreemaker.com). The FamilyFinder Index is an index to all Family Archive CDs. It can tell you on which CD you might find more complete information about your ancestor.

Remember, however, these CDs are still only indexes. The original marriage record could provide much more information. To get original records, you can look them up yourself.

Vital Records may be obtained from the county in which the event occurred. County addresses are found in:

Ancestry's Red Book, revised ed., (Salt Lake City: Ancestry,1992). Also available on CD-ROM from the publisher.

Family Tree Maker's Genealogy "How-To" Guide, available with CD-ROM versions of the program and on their Web site.

The Genealogist's Address Book, 3rd ed. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1995). Also available on CD-ROM from the publisher.

The Handy Book for Genealogists, 8th ed., (Logan, UT: Everton Publishers, 1991). Also available on CD-ROM from the publisher.

Some vital records have been published in electronic or book format. Kentucky is one state which offers vital record services online. This may be viewed at http://ukcc.uky.edu/~vitalrec/. The majority of published vital records are in the realm of indexes or abstracts.

The largest collection of vital records in the world is found in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The holdings of this library may be studied by using the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC) on CD-ROM at a local Family History Center.

Local Family History Centers are listed in the telephone book under The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or you may obtain a list by writing to the Family History Library (35 North West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150). These facilities are free to the public, but since the Family History Centers are manned by volunteers they may have limited hours. It is always wise to call ahead to see when they are open.

Once you are in the Family History Center and using the Family History Library Catalog, search in the locality section on CD-ROM or on microfiche under the name of the state and the category, "Vital Records."

Available in the Family History Library Catalog are:

• Statewide birth indexes.
• Statewide marriage and divorce indexes.
• Statewide death indexes.

Statewide Birth Indexes are available at the Family History Library for:

Alabama, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Statewide Marriage and Divorce Indexes are available at the Family History Library for:

Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, New York City, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Statewide Death Indexes are available at the Family History Library for:

Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York City, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia only), Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

As indicated earlier, many marriage indexes and some birth records are available on CD-ROM and may be accessed by the Family Tree Maker computer program.

These vital records indexes can be very helpful particularly when a state or county of marriage are not known. Information for the entire state can be quickly viewed. Be clever, however, and try various spellings of the name you are seeking. This method is also helpful when the maiden name of the wife is unknown or a complete study of an area for a surname is being undertaken.

Family Tree Maker Marriage CD-ROMs

There are several online sources available for vital records. You can search the Internet for the words "vital record" and find thousands of other examples. However the vast majority of vital records are still obtainable by regular mail or by researching major library and archive collections.