Ohio, Stark County Coroner's Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1890 to 2002.

Record Description
The collection consists of images of Coroner's Inquest books, reports, and case files from the courthouse in Canton, Ohio. This collection is being published as images become available.

Record Content
The records usually contain the following information:
 * Name of deceased
 * Death Date
 * Death Place
 * Cause of death
 * Unusual details surrounding the death
 * Date of examination
 * May list mortuary

How to Use the Record
To begin your search 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.

Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s 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. The following suggestions may be helpful to you:
 * Use the death date or age to calculate an approximate birth year.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence to find the family in census records.
 * 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.
 * 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 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.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for variant spellings of the surnames.

Keep in mind:
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Record History
As soon as the county coroner’s office was established they began keeping records. The following types of deaths were reported to the county coroner:
 * Accidental deaths
 * Homicidal deaths
 * Occupational deaths
 * Sudden deaths (deaths of infants and young children, or deaths of individuals in any jail, confinement, or custody
 * Suicidal deaths
 * Therapeutic deaths (deaths which occurred during a medical procedure such as surgery)
 * Any death where there is a doubt, question, or suspicion
 * Deaths under any other special circumstances

Why this Record Was Created
The records were created as a permanent record of the details surrounding deaths within the county. The records also enabled government officials to better care for the public’s health needs and protection.

Record Reliability
The information in these records is usually reliable.

Related Websites
Stark County, Ohio Recorder

Related Wiki Articles
Stark County, Ohio

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a 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 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: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

Sources of Information for This Collection
Ohio. Stark County Coroner's Records 1890-2002. Stark County Records Center in Canton, Ohio.