California Death Index 1905-1939 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1905 to 1939.

The collection consists of digital images of the death index located at the Office of the State Register, Sacramento, and the Butte County Courthouse, Oroville. The index is arranged alphabetically by the name of the deceased.

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page. Caveat: Some of the pages in the index, did not get filmed or were missing when the index was originally filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1990.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records 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 key genealogical facts the California Death Index record may include:


 * Name of decedent
 * Initial(s) of spouse
 * Age
 * Sex
 * County of death (coded)
 * Date of death
 * Date of registration
 * State file number

An explanation of the information found on the index, including the keys to the codes used for the units of age and place of death, can be found at this link.

How to Use the Record
To browse this collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Year Range" category ⇒ Select the "Surname Range" category which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. The index entries are brief so it is easy to confuse individuals. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the person at the time of death
 * Other identifying information such as the death date or place

The counties included in this index as well as their codes are listed in the following chart: They are also found on image 6 of the first "Surname Range" search "A, Yi-Emerson, George."

Using the Information:

When you have located your ancestor’s death 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:


 * Use the death date to obtain a death certificate.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find or verify their birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have died or been buried in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Remember that indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

General Information About This Index:

California began indexing death records from various counties before July 1905. California became a state in 1850 with 27 original counties. Although the state ordered the keeping of records, this order was NOT enforced and each county kept records according to the notion of the local County Recorder. Today, there are 58 counties from that original 27. Thus, some counties will have records from an earlier date than others. Very few records, if any, are available before the 1860s.

Related Websites

 * Online Los Angeles, California Death Records Indexes
 * Online California Death Records Indexes
 * Pre-1905 CA Death Index Project

Related Wiki Articles

 * California, County Birth and Death Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * California, Death Index, 1940-1997 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * California Vital Records
 * California Genealogy

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: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"California, Death Index, 1905-1939," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 23 April 2012), 1930-1939 &gt; Aabel, Arnold-Hetterman, John &gt; Image 5 of 819, Adelbert, Abbott, 22 September 1935; citing California State Registrar, Sacramento, and the Butte County Courthouse, Oroville.