October 13, 2025
Introduction: In this article, Katie Rebecca Merkley writes about the various kinds of death records and shows how these are invaluable genealogy records. Katie specializes in U.S. research for family history, enjoys writing and researching, and is developing curricula for teaching children genealogy. She has a website: krgarnergenealogy.com
As Halloween approaches, people are putting up spooky decorations (which may or may not be related to death or the undead) and planning to visit haunted houses. Halloween is also the perfect time for genealogy: the research of dead ancestors. The ideal record type for this time of year is death records, which can reveal a great deal about the deceased.
Death Records in Research
When a record is created, events from the past and present are written down. Because of this, death records are the only records of an ancestor that may contain information from anywhere in their lifespan. Because of this, it is sometimes best to research an ancestor “backward,” starting with their death.
If you know when and where your ancestor died, you’ll look for death records in that time and place. However, we don’t always know this at first. You might be able to guess an ancestor’s death based on when they disappear from records.
However, you’ll need to make sure that the disappearance wasn’t due to moving or changing their name. If an ancestor moved, they’d disappear from records in one place and appear in another place. If the ancestor in question was the first spouse to die, you might find the surviving spouse on later records listed as a widow or widower. Or you might find them with another spouse, which is easier to identify with a husband remarrying than with a wife.
If the husband died and the wife remarried, she’d have a different surname, which could make her harder to track, especially if she had a common name. If both spouses disappear from records, it could be because the husband died and the wife remarried, or it could be because both spouses died.
Any time someone seems to drop off the records, calculate their approximate age. The older they are, the higher the chance is that the disappearance is due to death. If a child disappears from census records, determine if they were of a reasonable age to marry at that time.
When an ancestor has disappeared and death is suspected, begin searching for death records within the time frame and location where the death is possible. We will now discuss the various death records.
Social Security Death Index
If an ancestor who was alive in the twentieth century died before 2014, you can search for them in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). This database contains the names of people who had a Social Security number and whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. This usually includes the ancestor’s name, birth and death dates, last residence, and the date and location of their Social Security application. Below is my ancestor’s SSDI file from GenealogyBank.
If I had not previously known Chester M. Garner’s date and place of death, I would have learned it from the SSDI.
Obituaries and Funeral Announcements
Newspapers often publish obituaries, death notices, and funeral announcements. These could contain as little information as the name of the person who died and when their funeral is, to as much information as a life story and lists of relatives. Usually, the list of relatives is limited to those surviving, though some lists include deceased relatives. I found my ancestor’s brother’s obituary in GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.
Robert McElhinney’s obituary states he died after a lengthy illness, gives his birthplace as Donegal, Ireland, and lists his occupation. It’s also a great example for those researching Irish last names, as such obituaries often help trace family origins and migration patterns across generations. The surviving family members were his wife, children, and grandchildren. As he was the last of his siblings to die, his obituary mentions no surviving siblings.
Death Registers and Certificates
Most states began civil registration by the early twentieth century, when they began keeping death certificates. Some cities and counties were keeping death registers before civil registration was mandated. Many churches kept burial registers.
Death registers or death certificates typically name the deceased, provide the date and place of death, and often include additional information. Registers sometimes include the age of the deceased, and the names of parents or of the spouse. Most death certificates include that information as well as the birth date and place. Some death certificates give the parents’ birthplaces. Death certificates usually name the informant, but don’t indicate the relationship between the informant and the deceased.
I recently ordered the death certificate of Robert McElhinney, discussed above. I could not find it online, so I had to order it from the New Jersey Department of Health. Unlike his obituary, I’m expecting this to give me his parents’ names.
Cemetery and Burial Records and Websites
When an ancestor is buried, a gravestone is usually placed, and the sexton records the burial. Websites like Find-A-Grave and BillionGraves make it easy to search for an ancestor’s tombstone.
I found my ancestor, Catherine Rachel Simpers, on Find-A-Grave. She was born in 1883 and died on 10 October 1947. She was buried with her husband, John Fletcher Harris, in the Methodist cemetery in North East, Cecil, Maryland. (1) When I ordered her death certificate from the state of Maryland, they instead sent me the death certificate of Rachel Welch, who was buried in the same cemetery and died on the same date. I contacted the cemetery and found out they had a burial for Rachel Harris Welch, who lived from 1883 to 1947. (2) This information confirmed that my ancestor had remarried after John Fletcher Harris died.
Probate Records
Probate records are invaluable for pre-1850 research. The testator usually named his wife and children in his will. Sometimes he named in-laws and grandchildren. If someone died without a will (intestate), the court would appoint someone to administer the estate and ensure that all the legal heirs received their inheritances. If a man died leaving behind minor children, there would also be guardianship records.
My ancestor, Tobias Herr, was living with the Stoner family at the age of nine. (3) I suspect he was an orphan. His father, John K. Herr, died in 1847, according to his FamilySearch Family Tree profile. My next step in this research project is to find probate and guardianship records for John K. Herr.
As shown by the examples in this article, death records can be valuable in your genealogical research. Halloween is the perfect time for genealogy. Start with GenealogyBank’s SSDI and obituary collections and take it from there. Good luck with your research!
Explore your family history by creating your free account at GenealogyBank for 7 days, because every life deserves to be remembered, recorded, and rediscovered.
Note on the header image: Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island. Credit: Matt H. Wade; Wikimedia Commons.
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(1) Find-A-Grave, database and images (https://findagrave.com: accessed 8 July 2025), memorial page for Rachel Harris (d. 10 October 1947), Find-A-Grave Memorial ID 105847558, citing North East United Methodist Cemetery, North East, Cecil, Maryland, USA; Maintained by WX7WX (contributor 46837691).
(2) Monumental Inscriptions. USA. North East United Methodist Cemetery, North East, Cecil County, Maryland. Welch, Rachel Harris 1883-1947. [Transcription] North East United Methodist Cemetery office, screenshot sent by records custodian: accessed 23 July 2025.
(3) Monumental Inscriptions. USA. North East United Methodist Cemetery, North East, Cecil County, Maryland. Welch, Rachel Harris 1883-1947. [Transcription] North East United Methodist Cemetery office, screenshot sent by records custodian: accessed 23 July 2025.