Ohio, Stark County Coroner's Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Ohio Stark County

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of images of Coroner's Inquest books, reports, and case files from the courthouse in Canton, Ohio. The collection covers the years 1890 to 2002.

As soon as the county coroner’s office was established they began keeping records. The following types of deaths were reported to the county coroner:


 * Accidental deaths
 * Homicidal deaths
 * Occupational deaths
 * Sudden deaths (deaths of infants and young children, or deaths of individuals in any jail, confinement, or custody
 * Suicidal deaths
 * Therapeutic deaths (deaths which occurred during a medical procedure such as surgery)
 * Any death where there is a doubt, question, or suspicion
 * Deaths under any other special circumstances

The records were created as a permanent record of the details surrounding deaths within the county. The records also enabled government officials to better care for the public’s health needs and protection.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
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 Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person at the time of death.
 * The approximate date of death.
 * The place where the death occurred.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" category 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.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Copy the citation below, in case you need to find this record again later.
 * Use the information found in the record to locate the death record.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to determine an approximate birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing 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: Top of Page