Alaska, Vital Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These records include an index and digital images of births (1816 to 1912), marriages (1816 to 1959), and deaths (1816-1959) from the Alaska State Archives. This collection covers the years from 1816 to 1962. It is being published as images become available. To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Alaska marriages, click here.

Record Content
Death Records may include the following:
 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of burial
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Race
 * Gender
 * Physical description
 * Marriage status
 * Cause of death
 * Names of parents
 * Birthplaces of parents
 * Names and addresses of living relatives
 * Names and addresses of others
 * Informant
 * Name of undertaker

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


 * The name of your ancestor
 * The place of residence
 * The approximate date of the event

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information 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 compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor. 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. 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: Births
 * Use the birth record as a source for your ancestor’s parents. This record is proof of the relationship.
 * Note individuals listed as witnesses or godparents. Witnesses and godparents were often relatives.
 * Try searching for the parents’ marriage record in the same locality as your ancestor’s birth place. A marriage record can provide more information about your family, especially the mother’s maiden name—which is frequently unknown.
 * Your ancestor may have been married in the same locality where he or she was born. Search marriage records for that locality to find your ancestor’s marriage.
 * A birth record may note the mother’s age. Use her age to calculate her estimated birth year.
 * Birth records may provide the number of children a mother has given birth to up until that point in time. Use this information to locate birth records of your ancestor’s siblings.

Marriages Deaths
 * Marriage records sometimes note witnesses or bondsmen. In some cases, witnesses or bondsmen were relatives of the bride or groom. Remember to note those individuals because they may help identify the extended family.
 * Use the ages of the bride and groom to estimate their birth years.
 * Couples were usually married in the locality where one or both parties lived. Search records from that locality for other information about the family such as census records, marriages of siblings, and family birth records.
 * Occupations were often the best way to differentiate between individuals of the same name. Note the occupations listed to ensure that you have identified the correct individual as your ancestor.
 * Use the death or burial date to find other records that may provide more information on your ancestor. These include obituaries, grave markers, sexton’s records, or a civil or religious death records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Sometimes several individuals of the same name may exist in the records. To differentiate, note all information from the record including names of parents, ages of parents, occupations of parents, or residence of parents.
 * If the officiator of the marriage was a minister, you may be able to determine to which religion or congregation your ancestor belonged. This information can lead to more records about the family
 * Remember that a burial date is not always the same as a death date.
 * Sometimes a person is buried in a city or town in which they did not die. Do not assume that a burial place is the same as a death place.
 * Family members were often buried near each other. Pay attention to individuals buried in the same cemetery as your ancestor—they may have been family members. Similarly, if your ancestor is buried among other relatives, it may be a clue that you have located the correct individual.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor

 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they were born, married or died, then try searching the records of a nearby locality.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * If the bride and groom were from different localities try searching the records of both places for the marriage record. It was common for a couple to be married in the bride’s home town.
 * Because marriage could be either a civil or religious event, try searching both church and civil records for the couple’s marriage record.
 * Sometimes marriage records for a particular locality are missing. Try searching newspapers for an announcement of the marriage.
 * When a widow was applying for her deceased husband’s military service, she frequently had to prove that she was married to the soldier. This was often done by sending a copy of the marriage certificate, county marriage register, or page from the family bible. Because marriage records for a locality may be missing, the widow’s pension application may be the best place to locate marriage information.
 * Try searching newspapers for an obituary, death notice, or notice of your ancestor’s estate to determine when your ancestor died.
 * Search cemetery transcripts for a transcript of your ancestor’s grave marker.
 * Look for probate records for the region and time period in which your ancestor supposedly died. These records may give clues about when he or she passed away.

Related Websites

 * Alaska State Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * Alaska Genealogy
 * Alaska Vital Records
 * Alaska Vital Records Online

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: Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: