Louisiana Statewide Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of digital images of death records created by the state of Louisiana for 1960. Images of the index are included.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts that may be found in the Louisiana Death Records, depending on the time period, include:


 * Full name
 * Place and date of death
 * Age and birthplace (city or town, state or foreign country)
 * Marital status and sometimes name of spouse
 * Date of birth
 * Sex
 * Race
 * Names and birthplaces of parents
 * Occupation
 * Place and date of burial
 * Cause of Death
 * Name of informant
 * Social Security number (later records)
 * If veteran, name of war (later records)
 * Length of stay in community (later records)
 * If the deceased is a citizen of a foreign county, the name of the country (later records)

How to Use the Records
When searching the records it is helpful to know the following:


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

Search the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Record" category ⇒Select the “Record Type, Volume, and Year Range" category which takes you to the images

Search the collection by 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.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s death 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.

For example:


 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find or verify their birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * 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.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * 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 or been buried 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.
 * The information in these records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * 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.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local historical and genealogical societies also often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

An index to the Orleans parish death records beginning in 1804 can be found at The USGenWeb Archives Project: Louisiana, Orleans Parish. An index to these records and the Orleans parish death records is available at the Louisiana Government website.

Related Websites

 * Genealogical Research of New Orleans
 * Winn Parish Genealogical Historical Association
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project: Louisiana, Orleans Parish

Related Wiki Articles

 * Louisiana
 * Louisiana Vital 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:

Image Citation: