Massachusetts, United States, Deaths 1900-Present

The Basics on How to Search for Ancestors in the United States
While there is no set way to do research in the United States, this guide gives basic research steps and an explanation of the records.

The following list of suggested records is given in an order likely to help many people.

What you are looking for An understanding of the research process and how to use the suggested list of records to search.

United States Previous Research, Part 1
Previous research is the work other people have done. By searching what others have already done, you may save hours. However, previous research is only as good as the skills of the person doing the research. Therefore, you should double check the information in previous research.

What you are looking for Information about your ancestors compiled by other people.

Why go to the next record Any of the following records may:


 * Have the information you are looking for. * Add information to what you have found. * Clear up differences found in previous searches.

If you find new information, you may want to again look at the records you searched before.

The Social Security Death Index is a fast, easy-to-use source of death information.

United States Social Security Death Index and Application Files
The Social Security Death Index contains information about people who died from about 1962 through the present. The index provides birth and death dates, the person's last place of residence, the place where the death payment was sent, the state where the person lived when issued a social security number, and the social security number. The files for Social Security started in 1937 and give more information than the index, including parents' names and dates and places of birth and death.

What you are looking for


 * Your ancestor's name in the Social Security Death Index. * Your ancestor's Social Security file.

Death Record: Vital records
Birth and death records contain information given by family members to hospitals, physicians, midwives, or coroners, who filed the records with town or county clerks. The record usually gives the person's name, date and place of birth or death, parent's names, and may give the place of birth of the parents. Death records may give name of spouse, age, place of death and burial, and name of undertaker.

Birth and death records may be from towns, counties, or states.

What you are looking for Your ancestor's death record kept by the government.

Tombstone and Sexton Records: Cemeteries
Tombstone and sexton records contain information from tombstones or from records kept by the sexton of the cemetery. They usually give the ancestor's name, birth date, and death date. They may include the birthplace and date, name of spouse, names of children, and names of other relatives.

There are tombstone and sexton records for towns, counties, states, and the country.

What you are looking for Your ancestor's tombstone inscription or your ancestor's name in the sexton records.

Obituary: Obituaries
Obituaries (death notices with some biographical information) are written by family members and published in local newspapers. They usually give the name of the deceased; residence; age; dates and places of birth, marriage, and death; name of spouse; and maiden and married surnames of women. Obituaries may give the names of parents, names of children with their residences, names of children's spouses, place of burial, name of undertaker, cause of death, previous residences, occupation, military service, immigration information, religion, membership in organizations, and a photograph.

Obituaries are found in newspapers for towns and cities.

What you are looking for


 * An obituary for your ancestor in a book of obituaries. * An obituary in a newspaper where and when your ancestor died.

Why go to the next record Newspapers often give announcements of deaths, which may include date and place of death plus information about family members.

Newspapers: Newspapers
Local newspapers report local, regional, national, and global news. They also include notices of births, marriages, deaths, obituaries, etc. To find newspapers, you need to know the place and an approximate date of an event. Check newspapers from a week or two before or after a wedding, funeral, or wedding anniversary to find mention of out-of-town visitors and relatives.

There are newspapers for towns and cities.

What you are looking for A newspaper covering the area where your ancestor lived when he or she lived there.

Why go to the next record Burial records are alternatives to death records. People generally were buried within a few days of death and usually near the place they died.

Church Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, Minutes, etc.: Church
Church records usually include baptisms, marriages, burials, and minutes. Baptism records usually give the name of the child, parents' names, and date and place of baptism. Marriage records usually give the names of the bride and groom, witnesses, and the date and place of the marriage. Burial records usually give the name and age of the deceased person, with the date and place of burial or death. The name of the spouse may be listed, and for young children, the names of the parents may be given. Church minutes have a variety of information, including lists of members in various years.

Church records were kept in towns or counties by the minister or clerk of a congregation.

What you are looking for A church record of your ancestor's burial.

Why go to the next record Wills, administrations, and inventories indicate when and where a person died.

Wills, Administrations, and Inventories: Probate records
Wills, administrations, and inventories (probate records) show a court's decisions regarding the distribution of the estate of a deceased person to his heirs or creditors. They may give the person's death date, names of family members, family relationships, and residences. They may also give information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents.

There are probate records for towns, counties, states, and the country.

What you are looking for


 * Your ancestor's will, the list (inventory) of what he or she owned at death, or records of what was done to settle the estate. * Similar records of people who are or might be your ancestor's parents or relatives who might have included him or her in their wills.

Why go to the next record Funeral home records are often good sources of biographical and family information.

Funeral Home Records: Funeral homes
Funeral homes (mortuaries) assist family members with funeral services, burials, obituaries, and other needs. The records usually give the full name of the deceased (including maiden names of women), date and place of death, place of last residence, name of spouse, and name and location of the cemetery where the person is buried. They may also give names of parents, and surviving family members with their residences, and the date and place of the birth and marriage of the deceased. Obituaries, biographies, and the death certificate may also be included in mortuary records.

A funeral home is a business in a town, and each keeps its own records. When a funeral home changes ownership, the old records usually stay with the business.

What you are looking for Records about your ancestor from a funeral home.

Why go to the next record Biographies, diaries, etc., often have death information, such as death dates and places.

Biographies, Diaries, etc.: Biography
Biographies, diaries, etc., give information about persons who lived in a particular area. Regional, state, or national biographies generally include well-known persons, such as politicians, or other people who have attained status in their profession. They may mention the person's parents, spouse, children, and ancestors, with birth, marriage, and death dates and places. They may give information about the person's religion, occupation, military service, etc.

There may be biographies, diaries, and similar records from towns, counties, or states.

What you are looking for


 * A biography about your ancestor or his family. * A diary written by your ancestor or someone close to him or her who might have written about your ancestor.

Why go to the next record Business pensions often contain death, biographical, and family information.

Business Pensions: Pensions
Starting in the late 1800s, large businesses gave pensions to employees when they retired. Pension records often give name, age, and length of service. They may give the date and place of birth and death, name of the spouse, and names and ages of the children.

There may be business pensions for town, county, and state businesses.

What you are looking for A pension record for your ancestor from the company he or she worked for.

Why go to the next record Directories are essential when searching in large cities. The address and occupation help you find your ancestor in other records, such as census, vital, and church records. Directories often mention if a woman is a widow, which indicates that her husband died.

City and Regional Directories: Directories
City and regional directories are similar to telephone books. They list persons who were employed, house owners, retired, widows, and temporarily unemployed, and sometimes list boarders. They give the person's name with his or her home address. They may give the person's occupation and work address. Sometimes they indicate widow or widower.

There are city and regional directories for cities, counties, regions, states, or the country.

What you are looking for Your ancestor's name in a directory.

Why go to the next record Court records often give biographical information about the people in a court case, such as a death date.

Civil and Criminal Court Records: Court records
Court records may include information on the settlement of estates, civil cases where people took court action against each other, and criminal cases. The information varies by case, but court records usually give the person's full name, age, and place of residence. They also tell about the court case and the court's decision. Court records may give occupations, names of relatives, friends or neighbors, family relationships, or other biographical information.

There are civil and criminal court records for towns, counties, states, and the country.

What you are looking for Court records for the area where your ancestor lived during the time he or she lived there.

Why go to the next record Employee and occupational records may give death and biographical information.

Employee and Occupational Records: Occupations
Larger companies sometimes preserved records about their employees. These usually contain mane, age or birth date, place of birth, and dates of hiring or termination. They may contain information about the person's spouse and children.

There are employee and occupational records for town, county, and state businesses.

What you are looking for A record of your ancestor's employment or occupation.

Why go to the next record A magazine may have an article about your family or copies of the records you need, such as church and cemetery records.

Genealogical and Historical Magazines: Periodicals
Genealogical and historical magazines often publish such information as: family histories, obituaries, newspaper notices, church, cemetery, land, probate, tax, military, and naturalization records. Historical magazines may contain biographies and histories of towns, ethnic groups, organizations, industries, historical events, political campaigns, military activities, etc.

There are genealogical and historical magazines for cities, counties, regions, states, and the country.

What you are looking for


 * An article about your ancestor. * An article about your ancestor's relatives. * An article about the town or county where your ancestor lived. * An article with records for the town or county where your ancestor lived.

Why go to the next record A collection often gathers information from many sources. Some of these sources may no longer be available or would be difficult to find.

Genealogical Collections: Genealogy
Genealogical collections usually give information about families and may include several generations. They usually give the names, and birth, marriage, and death dates and places for the husband and wife, the children, and possibly siblings and parents.

There are genealogical collections for towns, counties, states, and the country.

What you are looking for


 * A collection about your ancestor's family. * A collection with records from the place where your ancestor lived.

Why go to the next record This is not a complete list of all records you could search. If you did not find what you need, check the Family History Library Catalog - Place Search or archives and libraries for the area where your ancestor lived for other records which may have information about your ancestors.