Death date
An individual's death date can usually be found on any of the documents listed below. If you have the minimum information required to find one of these documents, select the name of that document. The items in the list are ordered from most to least important. If you do not have the minimum information required, read the paragraph below this list.
Make sure to check photo albums, scrapbooks, diaries, and family Bibles at home. See the topic Finding information at home for more information. Also check for local histories. See the topic Finding previous research.
Finding a death date with vital records
An individual's death certificate is the best place to look for a death date, because it is a primary source for that information. Death certificates are available from either the county or the state where the death took place, depending on the year of the death.
To get the address where you must write to obtain a vital record, see the topic Resources by state.
Finding the minimum amount of information for vital records
To find an individual's death date on a vital record, such as a death certificate, you must at least know the individual's name at time of death, the approximate year of the death, and the state or county of the death, depending on when the death took place.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records, you're not completely out of luck. Indexes to vital records, including death records, have been made for some states and counties. These indexes provide you with the information you need to access the original record. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
Finding a death date with church records
You can usually find an individual's death date or age on church death records. When you have an individual's age at death, you can usually estimate the death date.
The books listed below can help you locate your ancestors' church records by telling you who currently has the records belonging to your ancestors" church. You can find these books in a public or genealogical library. Depending on the book that you use, you can look up either the name of your ancestors' church or the name of the clergyman and find out who currently has the records belonging to your ancestors' church. Of course, if you live close to your ancestors' church, you should go directly to the church and ask the staff for assistance in locating the records that you need.
- The Handbook of American Denominations, by Frank Mead
- The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches and Reformed Churches, edited by the National Council of Churches
- List of Historical Records Survey Publications, by the Works Projects Administration
- State Historical Records Surveys, by the Works Projects Administration
Once you locate the records that belong to your ancestors' church, the current custodian of the records should be able to direct you in your search for the death record that you need.
Another good place to look for both American and foreign church records is among the microfilm records at the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their church records are organized first by state, then county, and then town. Unless the town that you are searching for had very few churches, knowing a denomination will make your search easier.
Finding the minimum information for church records
To find an individual's death date in church death records, you must at least know the individual's name, and either the name of the church where the ceremony was performed or the name of the clergyman that appears in the church death records.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
If you can find out the denomination of your ancestor's religion, you can try contacting all of the churches of that denomination in the area where you believe your ancestor lived. If they have records from the corresponding time period, they should be able to tell you whether or not your ancestor was a church member. If their records do not go back far enough, they may be able to tell you if any other churches of that denomination existed in the area at the time and where their records may be.
Try finding a marriage certificate -- it will probably list a clergyman or church. If the individual lived in the same area throughout his or her life, the same church may have performed both the marriage and the burial ceremony.
Finding a death date with newspapers
An obituary normally lists an individual's death date, or at least an approximate age at death. If the obituary doesn't give a death date, the publication date of the newspaper can indicate an approximate death date. The most interesting part about looking up obituaries is that you may also find a picture of the individual.
The directories listed below will help you find the current owners of old newspapers from the time and place when the obituary was published. If the individual spoke a foreign language, check to see if there was a newspaper in that language, too. Once you have located the current owners, you can request to search the appropriate copies. The current owners should be able to direct you in your search.
- Ayer Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals, available at most community libraries.
- Winifred Gregory's American Newspaper, available at community and genealogical libraries
The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) microfiche. The OCLC has a database of the U.S. Newspaper Program National Union List. You can access the OCLC at most university libraries and some community libraries.
Finding the minimum information for newspapers
To find an individual's death date in an obituary, you must at least know the approximate date of death, the full name of the deceased, and the state and city or town where the death took place (or where the obituary was likely to have been published).
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding death dates with Bible records
Family Bibles often include family members' death dates. Make sure that you have asked your family members whether or not they are aware of any old Bibles that are still in the family. When you find information in actual Bibles, check the publication date of the Bible. If the Bible was printed in, for example, 1871, but a death is recorded for 1851, you know that the date of that particular death was not written down at the time of the death, but was written down several years later. Dates recorded after the fact are less likely to be accurate.
When you cannot find family Bibles among your own family members, check with genealogical societies in the area where the family lived. They may have or be aware of the location of local Bible records. When you are searching for Bible records, be sure to look under both the maiden name and married name.
Next, search through the transcribed Bible records belonging to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). These transcribed Bible records are available at the DAR library in Washington, D.C., local DAR chapters, and on microfilm through the Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. See the topic Libraries with a National Focus, Including LDS for information about these two libraries.
Finding the minimum information for Bible records
To find an individual's death date in Bible records that are no longer in the family's possession, you must at least know the individual's full married name or maiden name, as well as the state and county in which the individual lived.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding a death date with military records
Veteran's Benefit Records may show an individual's death date if either the individual or the individual's spouse served in the military. To get the address where you must write to obtain a military record, go to the topic Researching through military records, and see the category "Veterans' Records."
Finding the minimum information for military records
To find an individual's death date in a military pension record, you must at least know the veteran's name, the branch of service, such as Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, the state from which the veteran entered the service, and the war in which the veteran served. If the period of service was after 1916, you must also know entry and release dates, military ID number, Social Security number, whether an officer or enlisted, and date of birth.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
If you aren't sure of the military branch or of the approximate time when the veteran served, look for military memorabilia an photos taken in uniform. These items can give you the information you need.
If the individual was a veteran who served and was killed in the Korean or Vietnam War, you may be able to find a death date through the death records in the Military Index on the FamilySearch computer at your local Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Family History Library has all other wars indexed on microfiche. You only need to know the war and the veteran's name. Local community and genealogy libraries may also have war indexes. Contact individual libraries for their holdings.
Finding a death date with family histories and biographies
If your ancestors had a family history or biography written about them, it can be a great place to look up death dates. You may not only find the information that you are looking for, but also all sorts of other interesting information about the family.
To find a family history or biography, you need to spend some time at a few libraries. Probably the best libraries in which to search are genealogy and public libraries in the area where your ancestors lived. In addition, you may want to check in larger libraries, such as state or university libraries in the area where your ancestors lived. If you are unable to go to those libraries in person, find out if they are part of an interlibrary loan system. Finally, try checking the catalog of the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at your local Family History Center. They may have some appropriate books in their collection.
There are two other places to check for family histories. Try genealogy lending libraries -- these are companies that have book catalogs and will lend books through the mail for a fee. The addresses for three such libraries are listed below. If you have a modem, you can also search selected library catalogs through Internet. For example, part of the Library of Congress catalog is accessible via modem.
Genealogy Lending Libraries
American Genealogy Lending Library
P.O. Box 329
Bountiful, UT 84011-0329
Telephone: (801) 298-5358
National Genealogy Society
4527 17th Street North
Arlington, VA 22207-2399
Telephone: (703) 525-0050
New England Historical and Genealogical Society
101 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
Telephone: (617) 536-5740
Finding the minimum information for family histories and biographies
To get a copy of a family history or biography, you must at least know the full name of your ancestor and the approximate area (state or county) in which the individual may have lived.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Finding a death date with probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. Probate records often list an individual's spouse and children. You can usually find probate records in the county where the person lived at the time of their death.
To get a copy of an individual's probate packet or probate estate papers, contact the county clerk, town clerk, or probate clerk where the individual lived at the time of death. For county courthouse phone numbers and addresses, see our Resources by county . The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has a large collection of probate records on microfilm, both from the United States and from foreign countries.
For more information about court records, see the topic Court records.
Finding the minimum information for probate records
Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. To find an individual's death date in probate records, you must at least know the individual's full name at time of death, the approximate date of death, and the county or town in which the individual lived at the time of death.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Probate record indexes and abstracts have been created in many counties. These indexes can provide you with the information you need to access the record, even if you don't have the minimum information to find the original records. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
Finding a death date in cemeteries or cemetery records
Cemeteries and cemetery records are excellent places to look for death dates. While actually visiting the grave site is the best thing to do, you may also find a death date by searching the gravestone inscriptions that some organizations have transcribed. These transcriptions are described below.
There are several types of cemeteries in America. First, there are church-owned cemeteries, which include churchyards located right around the church, and cemeteries run by the church, but not adjacent to the church. There are also national, state, and local cemeteries which are owned by the government and maintained by tax dollars. Privately-owned, non-church cemeteries are also abundant. This type of cemetery is usually operated for profit. Finally, you can find small family burial plots, which are found on private property. If you have the name of a cemetery, but do not know the location, look in telephone books for the area, or ask at the local courthouse, library, genealogical society, or even local churches. Also look at U.S. Government Geological Survey maps of the area, available in larger libraries and often in sporting goods stores. These maps show all of the roads, houses, and even the small graveyards. If you do not have the name of a cemetery, first ask other family members if they know where any old family plots are. Where one family member is buried, it is likely that there are a few others. Also try obituaries, wills, and on death certificates -- they often list burial information or the name of a funeral home that you can contact. If you know to which church the individual belonged, you may want to ask the church if there was a particular cemetery where many church members of the era were buried. You can also check your local public and genealogy libraries for the American Blue Book of Funeral Directors, published in New York by the National Funeral Directors Association. This book lists cemeteries by location, and will at least give you a target list of cemeteries to search.
Once you have a target list of cemeteries, try calling before you visit. This could save you a fruitless trip because staff members may be able to search their records for you and tell you whether or not your ancestor is buried there. If there doesn't seem to be an office at the cemetery, try calling churches and funeral directors in the area. They may know where any cemetery records are located, if they exist. You may want to look at cemetery records even if you know that your ancestor is buried in the cemetery. These records usually include at least names and death dates, but you may also find information such as birth dates and spouse's and parents' names.
If your ancestor is buried in the cemetery and you plan to visit the grave site, you should also find out when the cemetery office is open so that you can stop in and find out exactly where the plot is. This will save you the trouble of having to search the entire cemetery for your ancestor. If you do have to walk up and down among the gravestones, bring the whole family -- several pairs of legs and eyes are better than one.
While actually visiting the grave site is the best thing to do, you may also find your ancestor's gravestone inscription among the transcriptions owned by some organizations. Local libraries, genealogy libraries, and genealogy societies in the area where your ancestor is buried may have or know about transcriptions from local cemeteries. In addition, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Works Project Administration, the Idaho Genealogical Society, and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers have all transcribed selected gravestone inscriptions from throughout the United States. Contact the Library of the Daughters of the American Revolution or your local Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more information about their collections of gravestone transcriptions. The Library of Congress and other large libraries throughout the United States also have transcript collections. When you look at gravestone transcriptions, remember that there is always the possibility of errors.
Now you can also look for cemetery records online and even view photos of headstones. Many sites exist such as Ancestry, which has cemetery indexes, and FindAGrave.com which has cemetery indexes, digital memorials, and photos of the headstones in many cases. On FindAGrave.com, you can even request someone take a photo of a grave and transcribe the headstone if you are not local and know the burial site.
Finding the minimum information for cemeteries and cemetery records
To find an individual's death date in cemeteries and/or cemetery records, you must at least know the individual's name at time of death and possible areas where the individual may have been buried.
Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items:
Occasionally you can find indexed cemetery records. These indexes provide you with a convenient way to find out whether or not your ancestor is in a particular cemetery. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.
When looking for cemetery records, many people use computerized cemetery records indexes to help them find the record that they need. Some libraries have computerized cemetery records indexes and you can also search cemetrary records on Ancestry.
Another place to check for a death date is a funeral home, because they often keep records about each individual that they deal with. Try calling several funeral homes in the area where your ancestor lived. You can get the names of funeral homes either through the phone book or the American Blue Book of Funeral Directors, published in New York by the National Funeral Directors' Association. This book may be available through local community libraries and genealogical libraries. The funeral homes you contact may have records about your ancestor, or may be able to tell you the names of funeral homes that existed when your ancestor lived in the area.
Finding a death date with the Social Security Death Index
With the Social Security Death Index, you can get information regarding an individual's birth date, death date, Social Security number, state/county code of residence, last residence zip code, and the zip code where the death benefit lump sum payment was sent.
In addition, with a name, the Social Security number that you get from the Social Security Death Index, and $7, you can obtain a copy of the individual's original application for a Social Security card. This often contains much information of genealogical interest. Write to: Freedom of Information Officer, 4-H-8 Annex Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235.
You can search online on the SSDI if your ancestors are listed in the Social Security Death Index without even leaving your computer! This free search can help you by telling you if your ancestor is actually listed in the Social Security Death Index. Once you find a listing for your ancestor, you can instantly create a letter requesting a copy of their application for a Social Security card (Form SS5) by clicking "Write It"
You also can access the Social Security Death Index in several other places. For example, many larger libraries have Social Security Death Index databases. In addition, you can use the index through the FamilySearch computer. This a computer system at the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Social Security Death Index is also available at the National Archives and some of the regional branches of the National Archives. Contact your local branch of the National Archives to find out whether or not they have the Social Security Death Index before you make a special trip. For addresses and phone numbers of the National Archives and each of the regional branches, see the topic National Archives.
Finding the minimum information for the Social Security Death Index
To find an individual's death date in the Social Security Death Index, you only need to know the individual's name.
Get help finding the minimum information for:
Finding a death date with the International Genealogical Index
The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is an index which documents records of deceased persons from around the world. The Parish and Vital Records List, which is published by the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shows which records have been extracted and listed in the International Genealogical Index for each geographical area and time period. It also shows which records are currently being extracted. Most of the names in the International Genealogical Index come from records dating from the early 16th century to the late 19th century. The index does not include every person from any given country, nor the names of all persons from the records indexed.
The International Genealogical Index was created and is maintained by the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can access it through the Family History Library, and it may also be available at some major genealogical societies and libraries.
It should be noted that the extracts from the original records that are recorded in the International Genealogical Index are not always accurate. Many agree that there is wide variation in the reliability of the records found in the International Genealogical Index. For these reasons, the International Genealogical Index is recommended as an excellent source of information, provided that you verify your information against original documents.
Finding the minimum information for the International Genealogical Index
To find an individual's death date in the International Genealogical Index (IGI), you must at least know the individual's name.
The International Genealogical Index was created and is maintained by the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can access it through the Family History Library, and it may also be available at some major genealogical societies and libraries.
It should be noted that the extracts from the original records that are recorded in the International Genealogical Index are not always accurate. Many agree that there is wide variation in the reliability of the records found in the International Genealogical Index. For these reasons, the International Genealogical Index is recommended as an excellent source of information, provided that you verify your information against original documents.
To find an individual's death date in the International Genealogical Index (IGI), you must at least know the individual's name.
Get help finding the minimum information for: