Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers the years 1848 to 1949.

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.

Record Content


Death registers include the following information:


 * Name
 * Death and certificate number
 * Age
 * Death place
 * Sex
 * Color
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Parents' names



Death certificates include the following information:


 * Name
 * Death place
 * Residence
 * Sex
 * Color
 * Marital status
 * Spouse's name (if married)
 * Birth date
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' birthplaces
 * Name of informant
 * Filing date
 * Death date
 * Cause of death
 * Attending physician
 * Burial place
 * Burial date

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 records 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.

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

Record History
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.

Why this Record Was Created
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.

Record Reliability
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.

Related Web Sites
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 the record, you should also 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 do 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: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
"Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1908-1949." index and images, FamilySearch: accessed 8 April 2011. entry for George W. Maxwell died 13 November 1909; citing Death Records, digital folder 4,139,806 image 0,0367; Salt Lake County Management and Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sources of Information for This Collection
"Utah, Salt Lake County Death Registers, 1848-1949," index and images, FamilySearch: from Salt Lake County Management and Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah. FHL microfilm. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.