Are you using death records in your genealogy research? If not, you should. These are important records for beginning genealogists. Here's how to find them.
Category - Death Records Research
What Funeral Home Records Can Tell You About Your Ancestors
When an ancestor dies, most genealogists know the usual records to search. There’s the death certificate, obituary, cemetery record, gravestone, probate file, and perhaps a church burial record. But...
Death Certificates: Your Doorway to Your Ancestor’s Life
Learn more about your ancestor's life through the wealth of information on his or her death certificate. Here's how.
Obituaries: A Closer Look at Death Records #2
In instances where you can’t find a death certificate for a particular ancestor, there are other options to get the information you need. One of these options, that is a truly excellent one, is in...
Death Certificates: A Closer Look at Death Records #1
Death certificates are one of the three basic types of vital records used in beginning genealogy research, along with birth and marriage records. The amount of information you will find on a death...
Death Record Alternatives: A Closer Look at Death Records #4
If you looked everywhere you knew to look, and still couldn’t find a death record for your ancestor, you should be hopeful. There are several worthy alternatives for death records that you might not...
Death Indexes: A Closer Look at Death Records #3
If you are not able to locate a death certificate or an obituary for an ancestor, you may be able to find a date of death for them (as well as some other information) in a death index. There are...
Finding and Fact-Checking Old Obituaries in Online Newspaper Archives
If you are looking for old obituaries in online newspaper databases, you are doing excellent genealogical research. This is a wonderful technique for finding important information on those elusive...
Social Security Death Benefit Records
Explore Social Security death benefit records, compare possible SSDI matches, and learn when an SS-5 or Numident can help your family history research.
What Stories Are Your Ancestors’ Headstones Telling You?
Headstones are so much more than just permanent places to record a person’s name, birth date, and death date for posterity, and mark their final resting place. They are little windows into the lives...
Researching Church Records in the U.S.
Have you ever looked at church records to find your ancestors? If not, you're missing out on a valuable genealogical resource. Here's what you need to know.
Wills Galore! Using the New U.S. Wills Collection on Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com has released a huge collection of wills from across the country on its site. Here's what you need to know about it and what you may find in it.
How to Order Your Ancestor’s Social Security Application
Have you heard of Social Security applications as a means of genealogical research? If this is a new record source to you, here's what you need to know.