Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This project was indexed in partnership with the Utah Genealogical Association. The collection consists of a name index and images.

Deaths for the years 1848 to 1908 are recorded in registers, which are bound into volumes. The volumes are arranged chronologically and the entries are arranged numerically within the volumes.

Deaths from 1908 to 1949 were recorded on certificates. They are arranged numerically by registered number then by date of death (month and year).

Some records in this collection may be for deaths occurring before 1908 where the remains were re-interred between 1908 and 1949.

In 1847, death records were first recorded in the membership records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Later in 1851, the State of Deseret authorized the Church to register deaths on behalf of the government. Then in 1860, the Territorial Government of Utah authorized Ogden and Salt Lake City to keep a record of deaths in their cities. In 1888, this authorization was extended to all cities. Beginning in 1898, the State of Utah required all medical personnel, clergymen, sextons, and parents to register deaths with the county. In 1905, the State of Utah had the county clerks forward the original death record to the State Board of Health, making a second copy for their own county death register. All counties began reporting deaths to the state in 1905, when the Department of Health created the Division of Vital Statistics. A death certificate was required for burial in Utah, so compliance was high. Deaths from 1908 to 1949 were recorded on certificates.

This collection covers the years 1908 to 1949.

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.

The information recorded about the death is usually reliable, including the cause of death, the name of the attending physician or medical professional, the name and address of the funeral home, and the date and place of burial. The accuracy of other information depends on the reliability of the informant, often a family member.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Death registers usually contain the following information:


 * Full name and gender of deceased
 * Death date and certificate number
 * Age in years, months and days
 * Place of death
 * Race
 * Marital status of deceased
 * Occupation of deceased
 * Birthplace of deceased
 * Parents' names

Death certificates usually contain the following information:


 * Full name and gender of deceased
 * Residence of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Age in years, months and days
 * Race/color of deceased
 * Marital status and occupation of deceased
 * Sometimes, spouse's name, if married
 * Birthplace of deceased
 * Father's name and birthplace
 * Mother's maiden name and birthplace
 * Name and address of attending physician
 * Name of informant
 * Burial information

How to Use the Record
Begin your search by finding your ancestor in the index. Name indexes to deaths make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings or misinterpretations. If the records were scanned, there may be optical character recognition errors.

When searching the index, it is helpful to know the following:


 * The place where the death occurred
 * The name of the person at the time of death
 * The approximate death date

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to find your ancestor in the death records. Compare the information in the death record to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if this is the correct person. When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s death record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find or verify the birth record and the parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents’ birthplaces to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to the ancestor's religion or area of residence in the county.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.

If you want to find other relatives in the records, do the following:


 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have died or been buried in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

To search the collection image by image, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection, please read the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, feel free to report them at [mailto:support@familysearch support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered

Related Websites
The Utah State Archives and Records Service - A division within the Dept. of Administrative Services that manages records created by state and local governmental entities in Utah and provides access to historical government records.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Salt Lake County Utah
 * Utah
 * Utah Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1908-1949." index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 8 April 2011), entry for George W. Maxwell, 13 November 1909; citing Death Records, digital folder 4,139,806 image 0,0367; Salt Lake County Management and Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah.