Texas Death Index, 1964-1998 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
The collection consists of a name index to Texas statewide death certificates for 4 million people who died between 1964 and 1998. Standard forms for death certificates and report of death were filled out by a county clerk, mortician or medical professional, who talked to the informant. The certificates were filed with county clerks or local registrars, who forwarded the information to the Texas Department of Health, now known as the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Texas has recorded deaths from 1903 to the present, plus about 250 registrations from the 1890s-1939 and nearly 2,000 delayed registrations of death from 1890s-1990, as reported from obituaries and probate records. Deaths were recorded to better serve public health needs. They were also used in connection with the probate of wills and the administration of estates. Information pertaining to death is reliable; including cause of death, name of the attending physician or medical professional, name and address of the funeral home used, and the exact date and place of burial. The other information is usually provided by the informant (often a family member). This is an index only collection.

Starting around 1911 records begin to include:
 * Birth date, birthplace, burial date, and burial place
 * The names of the spouse and parents, and women's maiden name
 * The deceased's marital status
 * The deceased's occupation and may identify the employer
 * The informant

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of deceased
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Gender
 * Marital status

Coverage Table
For a table with the number of records by county in this collection see Texas Death Coverage Table.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The place or date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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 the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * 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

I Can’t Find the Person 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Texas.
 * Texas Guided Research
 * Texas Record Finder
 * Texas Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Texas Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * An index to death records, Texas, 1903-1945
 * Probate obituaries (delayed death records) and indexes, 1800-1990
 * Texas death records, 1890-1976
 * Texas index to death records, 1941-1973
 * Texas, death certificates, 1977-1986

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * prepared by the Texas Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration. Guide to public vital statistics records in Texas. State Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1941

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.