United States, How to Find Death Records

Information you might find in a death record:


 * Full name (sometimes maiden)
 * Spouse's name
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Birth date or age at death
 * Birthplace
 * Parents' name &amp; birthplace
 * Marital status
 * Surviving relatives
 * Cause of death
 * Residence &amp; how long there
 * Occupation
 * Date &amp; place of burial
 * Military service (dates served &amp; unit is sometimes listed)
 * Name of funeral home
 * Name, address, relationship of informant

Where to find a death related record:

1. Death certificate 

This will have the information on where you can obtain a death certificate and what years will be covered. Sometimes counties have certificates available less expensively and for earlier years.

2. Obituary   Go to  FamilySearch Research Wiki article on finding obituaries

3. Social Security Death Index (SSDI)  Go to Wiki article about the Social Security Death Index

4. Cemetery Records  If you know where the person died, cemetery records can be very useful.

5. Church Records  Go to FamilySearch Research Wiki, Follow the same steps as for Cemetery Records, but select Church Records instead of Cemetery.

6. Pension Records  Go to the Wiki article on finding Pension Records.

7. Mortality Schedules  If you suspect that your ancestor may have died in the year before a U.S. census was taken, you might want to check the mortality schedule. For information about the schedules and accessibility, go to the Wiki article on mortality schedules.

8. Coroner's Records can be useful, especially in large cities. You can contact the coroner's office in the city of research to find where the records are kept and how to access them. Wiki and the Family History Library Catalog can also be helpful in finding what records are available on microfilm. Do a place name search, then look for coroner's records.

9. An index to searchable death records may be found at Online Searchable Death Indexes &amp; Records, A Genealogy Guide

10. Funeral Homes  In an obituary, the funeral home that performed the service is often mentioned. The informant would often give valuable data and history to the director. Even though the funeral home may no longer exist, the records most often transferred to the new owner. Check directories for the location of the funeral home, and note when it might have been sold by its' non-existance in the following year. Old directories can be found at the city main library, and often are on-line.

11. Probate  The records, which are wills and guardianship records, were used by the courts to determine who was the recipient of the deceased persons' property. They often note the death date.