A mortician's records normally contain the names and addresses of the deceased's survivors. If they don't have the addresses, or if the addresses are out of date, at least you will have the survivors' names. Of course, if the individual died too many decades ago, the survivors may be more difficult to trace, or may no longer be living.

Contact the morticians in the area where your ancestor lived at the time of his or her death. You can find the names of morticians in the phone book, or through The National Directory of Morticians. Larger libraries may have this directory, or your local mortician may be willing to help you. It is possible that the family mortician is no longer in business. Ask morticians who are currently in the area if they know of any previous morticians and where their records may be. You can also check for the records of previous morticians with the county or town clerk, and in local libraries and genealogical societies.

Once you have contacted prospective morticians, they should be able to tell you if they have records under the name of the deceased.

Return to the Main Menu of the Genealogy "How-To" Guide