Death grave matter — Death is a Grave Matter

Death Records

Genealogists love death records. They are one of the big three BMD (birth, marriage, death) records that we search for to document events in our ancestors history. Those three types of events, BMD, usually have records attached to them, and that is why they are do desirable.

On Halloween, with the image of spooky cemeteries in my mind, I thought it was appropriate to talk about death records and where to find them. One of my library buddies, Joseph Chester, gave me a list of the sites he uses to find death records in his genealogy research. I added to it a bit to include all 50 states.

Alabama

Alabama (data from 1908-1974)
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1307888

Alabama, deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2543

Alabama, death Index, 1908-1959
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5188

Alaska

Alaska Deaths Index Database
http://alaskaweb.org/dthsndx.html

Arizona

Arizona Genealogy Birth and Death Records
http://genealogy.az.gov/

Arkansas

Arkansas (death index from 1914-1950)
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8771

Arkansas Death Certificate Search and Order Service
https://www.ark.org/doh_dcs/

California

California (death ledger from 1905-1939)
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1932433?collectionNameFilter=false

California Death Index 1940-1997
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2015582

Colorado

Colorado State Archives
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/archives/death-records

How to Find Colorado Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Colorado_Death_Records

Connecticut

Death Records Index 1897-1966
http://ctstatelibrary.org/death-records/

Connecticut Death and Burials Index 1650-1934
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2557

Connecticut Death Index 1949-2012
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4124

Delaware

Delaware Death Records 1855-1961
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1520546

Delaware Death Records 1811-1933
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1674

Florida

Florida Death Index 1877-1998
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7338

How to Find Florida Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Florida_Death_Records

Georgia

Georgia Death Index 1919-1998
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5426

Hawaii

Hawaii Deaths and Burials 1862-1919
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1674810

How to Find Hawaii Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Hawaii_Death_Records

Idaho

Idaho Death Index 1890-1964
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6856

Idaho Death Certificates 1911-1937
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1546448

Search for Death Certificates
http://abish.byui.edu/specialcollections/famhist/death/searchform.cfm

Illinois

Illinois Death Certificate Database 1916-1950
http://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/idphdeathsrch.jsp

Illinois Statewide Death Index Pre-1916
http://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/deathsrch.jsp

How to Find Illinois Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Illinois_Death_Records

Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths 1916-1947
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1438856

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2542

Indiana

Indiana Death Index 1882-1920
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947977

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7834

Pre-1882 Indiana Deaths
http://www.genealogycenter.info/search_pre1882deaths.php

Iowa

Iowa County Death Records 1880-1992
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2110820

Kansas

How to Find Kansas Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Kansas_Death_Records

Kansas Deaths and Burials Index 1885-1930
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2570

Kentucky

Kentucky Death Records 1852-1963
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1222

Kentucky Death Records
http://vitals.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ky/death/search.cgi

Kentucky Death Index 1911-2000
http://www.kygenweb.net/vitals/

Kentucky Vital Records Index
http://ukcc.uky.edu/vitalrec/

Kentucky Death Records 1911-1961
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1417491?collectionNameFilter=false

Louisiana

Louisiana Death Index 1850-1875, 1894-1956
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1609793

Louisiana Statewide Death Index 1819-1964
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6697

Keep Going!

You are about Half Way Through!

Maine

Maine, Death Records, 1617-1922
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1962

Maine Death Records 1956-2009
http://www.mainegenealogy.net/death_search.asp

Maine Death Index 1960-1996
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2046945?collectionNameFilter=false

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Death Records 1841-1915
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2101

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1463156

Massachusetts Death Index 1901-1980
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3659

How to Find Massachusetts Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Massachusetts_Death_Records

Search Vital Records 1840-1910
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/vitalrecordssearch/VitalRecordsSearch.aspx

Michigan

Michigan Death Records, 1867-1950
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60872

How to Find Michigan Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Michigan_Death_Records

Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1675357

Minnesota

Minnesota Death Records 1866-1916
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1858352

Minnesota Death Search 1997 to Present
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/osr/DecdIndex/dthSearch.cfm

Minnesota Death Index 1908-2002
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7316

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1937234?collectionNameFilter=false

People Finder-Death Index-use filters on the left to search
http://search.mnhs.org/index.php?brand=people&collection[]=mn_mhs-dci

Mississippi

Statewide Index to Mississippi Death Records 1912-1943
http://cooganresearchgroup.com/v/data/msdeath/

Missouri

Missouri Death Certificates 1910-1965
https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/DeathCertificates

Missouri Birth & Death Records Database, Pre-1910
https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/archives/archivesdb/birthdeath/

Missouri Death Records 1834-1910
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1172

How to find Missouri Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Missouri_Death_Records

Montana

Montana Death Index 1860-2007
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1941331?collectionNameFilter=false

Montana Death Index 1868-2011
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5437

Nevada

How to Find Nevada Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Nevada_Death_Records

Nevada Death Index 1980-2012
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8997

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Death and Burial Records 1654-1949
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2555

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1601211

New Hampshire Death and Disinterment Records 1754-1947
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5242

New Hampshire Death Certificates 1938-1959
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1876925

New Jersey

How to Find New Jersey Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_New_Jersey_Death_Records

New Jersey Deaths and Burials Index 1798-1971
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2540

Death Records June 1878-June 1895
https://wwwnet1.state.nj.us/DOS/Admin/ArchivesDBPortal/DeathIndex.aspx

New Mexico

How to Find New Mexico Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_New_Mexico_Death_Records

New Mexico Death Index Project
http://www.usgwarchives.net/nm/nmdi.htm

New Mexico Deaths and Burials 1788-1798, 1838-1955
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1680843

New Mexico Deaths 1889-1945
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1546466

New York

New York, New York Death Index 1862-1948
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9131

Italian Genealogical Group, Records Search: Deaths
http://italiangen.org/records-search/deaths.php

NYC Department of Records
https://www1.nyc.gov/dorforms/death.htm

North Carolina

North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1976
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1121

North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8908

North Carolina Deaths 1906-1930
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1609799?collectionNameFilter=false

North Carolina Deaths 1931-1994
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1584959?collectionNameFilter=false

North Dakota

North Dakota department of Health Public Death Index 1892-Present
https://apps.nd.gov/doh/certificates/deathCertSearch.htm

How to Find North Dakota Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_North_Dakota_Death_Records

Ohio

Ohio Public Records Index
http://apps.ohiohistory.org/death/

Ohio Deaths 1908-1932, 1938-2007
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5763

Ohio Death Index 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1949341?collectionNameFilter=false

Ohio Deaths 1908-1953 https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1307272?collectionNameFilter=false

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Historical Society, Deaths from OKC City Directories
http://www.okhistory.org/research/okcdeaths

Oregon

Oregon Historical Records Index
http://genealogy.state.or.us/

Oregon Death Index 1898-2008
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5254

Oregon Death Index 1903-1998
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1946790?collectionNameFilter=false

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Death Certificates 1906-1963
Http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5164

How to Find Pennsylvania Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Pennsylvania_Death_Records

Rhode Island

Providence Vital Records Index 1850-1935
https://onerhodeislandfamily.com/free-rhode-island-resources/providence-vital-records-index-1850-1935/

Providence Vital Records Index 1871-1880
https://onerhodeislandfamily.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/providence-vital-records-index-7-deaths-1871-1880.pdf

Deaths Recorded in Providence 1881-1890
https://ia902605.us.archive.org/1/items/alphabeticalinde16prov/alphabeticalinde16prov.pdf

Rhode Island Deaths and Burials 1802-1950
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1675536?collectionNameFilter=false

South Carolina

South Carolina Death Records 1821-1961
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8741

South Carolina Death Indexes 1915-1961
http://www.scdhec.gov/VitalRecords/SCDeathIndexes/SCDeathIndexes/

South Carolina (death certs from 1915-1965)
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1417492?collectionNameFilter=false

How to Find South Carolina Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_South_Carolina_Death_Records

South Dakota

South Dakota Death Index 1879-1955
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8659

How to Find South Dakota Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_South_Dakota_Death_Records

Tennessee

Tennessee Death Records 1908-1958
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2376

Tennessee (death certs from 1914-1955)
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1417505?collectionNameFilter=false

Utah

Utah Death Certificates 1904-1964
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1747615?collectionNameFilter=false

Utah Death Certificate Index 1905-1965
http://www.archives.utah.gov/research/indexes/20842.htm

Death Records
http://www.archives.state.ut.us/research/guides/death.htm

How to Find Utah Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Utah_Death_Records

Utah Death Registers 1847-1966
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6967

Utah Death Record Information Online
http://recordsproject.com/death/utah.asp

Washington

Washington State Archives – Digital Archives
http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Collections/TitleInfo/472

Washington Deaths 1883-1960
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1208

Washington Death Index 1940-2014
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6716

Washington Death Certificates 1907-1960
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1454923

How to Find Washington Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Washington_Death_Records

Historical King County Death Records
http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/records-licensing/archives/research-guides/vital/death.aspx

West Virginia

Search Death Records
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_dcsearch.aspx

West Virginia Deaths Index 1853-1973
http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2568

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Death Index 1820-1907
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1940759?collectionNameFilter=false

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4984

Wisconsin Death Index 1959-1997
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1947978?collectionNameFilter=false

How to Find Wisconsin Death Records
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/How_to_Find_Wisconsin_Death_Records

Wisconsin Death Records 1867-1907
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1803975

Wyoming

Death Certificate Database
http://wyoarchives.state.wy.us/DCD/Index.aspx

Congratulations! You made it all the way to the bottom!

Two databases that do it all!

Here’s a treat for those that made it all the way. Two databases that have links for all 50 states.

Death Records Search
http://death-records.net/index.htm

Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records
http://www.deathindexes.com/