Hunting For Bears Genealogy Society collects and maintains large databases of early (predominantly pre 1900) marriage records from all fifty states. We are currently processing these records and will have them on line as soon as they are ready.

We do two things with these records:
One, we publish these records in County Marriage Record Books, (over 2,500 to date) and on CDs. We no longer publish on microfiche but have a fairly complete inventory of our collection up to 1980.

Two, surname searches of these large computer databases have been available to individuals since the late 1960s via the U. S. Postal Service and now e-mail.
We search our marriage indexes of on a state by state basis and provide the results via e-mail or computer printout.

The Hunting For Bears marriage data collection as of about 1980, covering 16 states, was bundled with Family Tree Maker(c) and sold in the tens of thousands and was crucial in making FTM(c) the most popular genealogical software in the world.

The same collection was included in Ancestry's(c) initial data searches, playing a significant role in its rise to the world's premier genealogy data search engine.

That was the 1980 collection, the 2013 collection dwarfs it in comparison. This book is part of that 2013 collection. It is maintained in a data base structure to provide the highest information density. Each marriage is contained in one line. Each party in the union is included in the alphabetical listing. Using the records in a database format and listing both participants in the alphabetical sort was so unique in 1960 that the U.S. Government has granted Hunting For Bears a (c)copyright on the collection in both electronic and print format.

Several things we are considering in the immediate future are; e-books to buy, loan or free downloads, books available through instant publication, and books on line.

Oh, the name and logo, Russell, as Nick was called in his youth, loved puns. The newspaper genealogy column that he began writing in 1951, Hunting Your Forbearers, quickly became Hunting For Bears and the bear and hunter logo was created.

Early Benton Co MS Marriages 1871-1899 compiled by Dorothy L Murray
©Copyright 2006 by HUNTING FOR BEARS, Genealogical Society and Library

Date Spouse 1 Spouse 2
26 Aug 1885 ABBOT, Alice GLENN, Thomas
30 Jan 1878 ABERNATHEY, Calvin BOGIE, Eliza
11 Nov 1886 ABERNATHEY, Hamitt ADKINS, Manuel
27 Aug 1885 ABERNATHY, Manerva SMITH, Cyrus
21 Mar 1878 ABSTON, Charles FORD, Rose
11 Oct 1892 ABSTON, Fannie LIPFORD, Isaac
24 Dec 1895 ABSTON, Fannie THOMAS, Jim
07 Feb 1889 ABSTON, Fed MCKAY, Annie
27 Dec 1890 ABSTON, N C ELLIOTT, Jack
06 Jan 1898 ABSTON, Packston MULLINS, Maggie
17 Jan 1871 ABSTON, Sarah O HELLUMS, John R
09 Jan 1872 ADAMS, Francis E LEOPARD, T Z
01 Oct 1880 ADAMS, George GOTTIER, Adelia
20 Dec 1875 ADAMS, Wiley V FREEMAN, Lugenia
03 Mar 1882 ADKINS, Evaline HUMPHREYS, John
04 Mar 1896 ADKINS, Frank THOMAS, Cynthia
30 Jun 1874 ADKINS, Henry SUGGS, Princess
11 Nov 1886 ADKINS, Manuel ABERNATHEY, Hamitt
31 Jan 1889 ADKINS, Mattie BOGIE, Lewis
09 Dec 1890 ADKINS, Sarah CAMPBELL, Jon
05 Mar 1872 ADLEY, Elizabeth FLINT, Robert
22 Jun 1899 AGNEW, Elliotte BAIRD, Alice
13 Jan 1888 AGNEW, Marshall ROSS, Ann
29 Oct 1879 AIKEN, John R HAWKINS, E J miss
09 Jan 1893 AIKIN, R T SCOTT, T E
15 Jun 1898 AKIN, Ora LUNA, Dave
22 Feb 1897 AKIN, Virgia JACKSON, W R
16 Jan 1888 AKIN, W B DAVIS, Ruthie Ann
23 Jan 1871 AKINS, Henry SANDERS, Evaline
24 Nov 1884 AKINS, Loula J SEAWRIGHT, C T
24 Dec 1884 ALBERSON, C J GRAVES, M C
27 Aug 1885 ALBERSON, J F MCGAUPHY, Lizzie
05 Nov 1892 ALBERSON, J S URSSEY, T L
01 Jan 1890 ALBERSON, John F ALBERSON, Sallie
29 Jul 1896 ALBERSON, Katie BOOKOUT, James D
27 Feb 1896 ALBERSON, Maggie HUBBARD, J L
25 Dec 1889 ALBERSON, S E BEATY, T W
01 Jan 1890 ALBERSON, Sallie ALBERSON, John F
04 Oct 1880 ALBERSON, St K RITCHEY, Laura
03 Aug 1887 ALBERSON, W A CUNNINGHAM, Mattie
07 Sep 1880 ALBERSON, W A FARNER, Elizabeth
25 Feb 1889 ALBERSON, W A ORMAN, Margaret
23 Dec 1893 ALBERSON, Willie J CRAWFORD, T F
13 Jan 1873 ALBINSON, O J miss FIVRASH, James
23 Aug 1892 ALBSTON, Ford CLAYTON, J P
21 Nov 1871 ALDRICK, Elizabeth R SHOUP, Samuel
16 Dec 1887 ALDRICK, Marvis TRENDWELL, Eliza A

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