Indiana, Death Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of indexes to deaths from the Indiana State Board of Health, Division of Vital Records in Indianapolis. The index is provided by Ancestry.com. The collection includes records from 1882 to 1920.

Record Content
The index lists the following information:


 * Age at Death
 * Estimated Birth Year
 * DGS Number
 * Date of Death
 * Certificate Number or page number
 * GSU Film Number
 * Image number
 * Name of Deceased
 * Name of Father
 * Name of Mother
 * Name of Spouse
 * Place of Death
 * Sex
 * Page Number

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


 * The name of the person at the time of death.
 * The place where the death occurred.
 * The approximate death date.

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals 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 look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination.

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 and age, and family relationships. 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.


 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy 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 will also help you to obtain a copy of the full death record from the Indiana State Board of Health, Division of Vital Records in Indianapolis.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have died in Indiana.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals with the same family number.

Related Websites
Online Indiana Death Records and Indexes

Related Wiki Articles

 * Indiana
 * Indiana History
 * Indiana Vital Records

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.