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.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

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

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The 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 by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection image by image. ⇒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 the images one by one. Again you will need to compare the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor.

Be aware that with either search you may need to compare the information about more than one person 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.
 * 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. 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, usse 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
 * Sandoval County, New Mexico
 * Socorro County, New Mexico
 * Valencia County, New Mexico

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"New Mexico, County Death Records, 1907-1953:" digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 3 April 2012). New Mexico, County Death Records, 1907-1953 &gt; Sandoval &gt; Death certificates, 1925-1935, vol 7,no 0004-1307 &gt; Image 5 of 234; entry for Llewellyn James Watkins, died March 4, 1926; citing Death Records, County Courthouse, Bernalillo, New Mexico, United States,FHL microfilm, 6 reels, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.