New Mexico, County Death Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collections contains images of death records for the years 1907 to 1952, acquired from the county courthouses of Sandoval, Socorro, and Valencia.

Record Content
Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Age in years, months, and days
 * Gender, color, and occupation of deceased
 * Birth place of deceased
 * Marital status
 * Name of spouse, if married
 * Name and birth place of father
 * Maiden name and birth place of mother
 * Cause of death
 * Name of informant and relationship to deceased
 * Burial information
 * Name of undertaker

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


 * Name
 * Identifying information such as the death date or place

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "County" ⇒Select "Record Type, Year Range, Volume number/letter" 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. Make a photocopy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the names and relationships as a basis for compiling family groups.
 * Use the names, date, and residence or place to locate the individual or family in the census.
 * Use the names and places to locate additional records about the individual or family such as church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * Look for burial and probate records in the same location.
 * The informant is often a close relative.
 * If no birth date is given, use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date.
 * If the deceased is a child, look for records of the parents.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of neighboring counties.
 * Search for an index. Local historical and genealogical societies often have indexes to local records.

Related Websites
Online New Mexico Death Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * New Mexico Genealogy
 * Sandoval County, New Mexico Genealogy
 * Socorro County, New Mexico Genealogy
 * Valencia County, New Mexico Genealogy

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information (often called citing 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:

Image citation: