Fortunately, online resources have become available for family history research in recent years, resources that earlier genealogists could only access through travel or other significant inconveniences. Today, much research can be done from home on a computer.
But conversations with relatives and eyewitnesses are still important and insightful. One should therefore talk to such people. before they are no longer able to do so.
MATRICULA
Church registers spanning many centuries are often the only written records of our ancestors. Births, marriages, and deaths were documented here. Today, photographic images (scans) from many parishes are available; let those who can read, read!
AG WMGEN
The Westmünsterland Genealogy Working Group is a group of private family and genealogy researchers, or those who would like to become one, who pursue the hobby of "genealogy" for fun.
The common goal is the development, digitization, and exchange of localhistorical data.
Civil status registers from the registry offices
With the civil status laws in Prussia of 1874 (valid from 1874) and throughout the German Empire of 1875 (valid from 1876), the civil registry system was introduced and civil status documentation was uniformly controlled and maintained by the state, regardless of religious affiliation.
The death registers from these civil registry offices are currently available online. Below is a link to the "Archive Search". Tip: Enter "Death Register [Place Name]" into the search field.
Special report from Cologne
The previous links to death registers from Cologne have been deleted due to changes in copyright and publication regulations. While searching for family branches, I found this link:
The Cologne Digital Historical Archive
Also old address books are often helpful in the search.
I can list some cities here that published their entire population in address books very early on.
Historical Hamburg address books
Historical address books of Iserlohn