Minnesota, Death Records and Certificates - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1900-1955.

Index to records from the State Department of Health. Deaths were recorded from 1900-1907 without certificate numbers. In 1908, the state began issuing numbered certificates. We do not have the rights to publish the images associated with these indexed records.

Record Content
Death records may contain the following information:
 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Death date
 * Birth date and place
 * Burial date and place
 * Calculated date of birth
 * Birth place of parents
 * Parents’ names
 * Spouse name
 * Name of cemetery and/or funeral home
 * Name of informant
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Race

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, some tips on how to find records, and what to do if no record is found.

When searching: As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, estimated death year, and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Using the Information

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the location to find family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the county code and the certificate number to obtain a copy of the original death certificate from the county.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * You may need to search for both their Indian name and their English name.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.).

General Information about These Records

 * Physical description or format of the original material
 * History of the record
 * Why the record was created
 * Reliability of the information in the record
 * Percentage of the population covered in the record
 * Preservation quality of the record

Related Websites

 * Minnesota Death Certificate Index 1904-2001. This database indexes the death cards from 1904 to 1907 and the death certificates from 1908 to 2001.
 * Minnesota Death Certificate Index 1904-2001

Related Wiki Articles

 * Minnesota, Death Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Minnesota Death Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Minnesota Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Minnesota, County Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Minnesota Vital Records
 * Deaths and Burials Vital Record Index Collections (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * United States, How to Use Death Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):