Washington Deaths and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Index to death records from the state of Washington. The year range, 1907-1960, represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 3

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other county or vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage records
 * Search for additional death or burial information in local cemetery and obituary records
 * Use the information found in the record to search for land, property, and probate information
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family. Witnesses were often family members

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching in other localities
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Washington.
 * Washington Guided Research
 * Washington Record Finder
 * Washington Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1907 &#124; 1907-Present

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960
 * Washington Death Index, 1965-2014
 * Washington, County Death Registers, 1881-1979
 * Washington, County Deaths, 1891-1907

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Washington Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Guide to public vital statistics records in Washington. Seattle, Washington :, 1941

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.