Iowa, Benton County, Coroner's Inquest Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consist of digital images of coroner's inquest records from the Benton County Clerk's office. The collection covers the years 1929 to 1960.

Record Content
The records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Unusual details surrounding the death
 * Date examination was made
 * Sometimes, name of mortuary is given

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the person at the time of death
 * Other identifying information such as the death date and place

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "the coroner's inquest records" ⇒Select the appropriate "year of interest" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image 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.

Using the Information
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.

Tips to 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.
 * 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.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Related Websites

 * Iowa Public Records
 * Iowa GenWeb Project

Related Wiki Articles

 * Iowa
 * Benton County, Iowa
 * Iowa Vital Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: