Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
The collection consists of a name index to Texas statewide death certificates for 4 million people who died between 1964 and 1998. Standard forms for death certificates and report of death were filled out by a county clerk, mortician or medical professional, who talked to the informant. The certificates were filed with county clerks or local registrars, who forwarded the information to the Texas Department of Health, now known as the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Texas has recorded deaths from 1903 to the present, plus about 250 registrations from the 1890s-1939 and nearly 2,000 delayed registrations of death from 1890s-1990, as reported from obituaries and probate records. Deaths were recorded to better serve public health needs. They were also used in connection with the probate of wills and the administration of estates. Information pertaining to death is reliable; including cause of death, name of the attending physician or medical professional, name and address of the funeral home used, and the exact date and place of burial. The other information is usually provided by the informant (often a family member). This is an index only Collection.

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

Death
 * Name of deceased
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Gender
 * Marital status

Important genealogical facts in death entries:


 * Date of death for the deceased. Starting around 1911, the records increasingly include the burial and birth dates and places
 * Place of death for the deceased. Starting around 1911, the records increasingly include the cemetery name where buried, as well as the birthplace (the state and sometimes town or county)
 * Name of the deceased. Starting around 1911, the records increasingly include the name of the spouse and parents, often with maiden surnames of women. The informant, who is often a child or other family member, is also named
 * Starting around 1911, the records increasingly note the names of the spouse and parents
 * Starting around 1911, indicate whether the deceased was single, married, widowed, or divorced at the time of death
 * Starting around 1911, give the occupation of the deceased and may identify the employer

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The place or 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.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

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

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to determine an approximate birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * 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

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 records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Texas.
 * Texas Guided Research
 * Texas Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

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.