death records: online and off
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Death Records: Online and Off. The internet is a tool of the last days. However, the most important guide for using the internet is to listen to the spirit of the holy ghost. . Finding Death Records. What records are created when someone dies? Time and Place determine available records. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Death Records: Online and Off
THE INTERNET IS A TOOL OF THE LAST DAYS.HOWEVER, THE MOST IMPORTANT GUIDE FOR USING THE INTERNET IS TO LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
1. What records are created when someone dies?2. Time and Place determine available records.
3. Find the records online and off
FINDING DEATH RECORDS
WHAT RECORDS ARE CREATED WHEN SOMEONE DIES?
Newspaper announcing illness and family gathering
Will draw up, land and possessions dispersed
Doctor in attendance, hospital records, death certificate or death record
Mortician, funeral home, cemetery and sexton
Obituary or death notice or estate notice in newspaper
Funeral- mortuary or Church arranges funeral, writes notice of death in newspaper or church news
Family Bible record made by family or minister
Probate will to appoint executor, if no will appoint administrator, Widow’s portion
Taxes paid by heirs or administrator
City directory notes death, changes wife’s status to widow
Census year has morality schedule
Pension canceled, social security notified widow reapplies
Social Clubs such as Masons will note death, may have bio-sketch.
START BY NARROWING THE PLACE AND TIME PERIOD OF DEATH
Find ancestor in the census, land and or tax records Look at all the children’s census and cemetery records
because parent move close to their children in their old age.
Look at sibling’s census and cemetery records Estimate age of death, siblings usually live to the same
decade.
DETERMINE WHAT POSSIBLE RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND OFF
TIME AND PLACE DETERMINE AVAILABLE RECORDS
Use FamilySearch.org wiki or the Red Book or Handybook to determine when records start in city, county, and state
Social Security Death Index is only good for deaths after 1937, 98% Death indexed in 1962. The index does not include everyone that registered for Social Security.
Death certificates mandated by Federal Government 1911, some states didn’t comply until 1930. Some large cities have death records or registers as early as 1790.
Obituaries became more common in the
later part of the 1800’s and early 1900s. During the depression period obituaries declined.
Church records
Funeral homes
Cemetery
Newspapers
Bible Records
Taxes
Land Records
Probate
Delaware: 1860 New Jersey: 1878 Florida: 1865 New York: 1880 Hawaii: 1850 Rhode Island: 1853 Iowa: 1880 Vermont: 1770 Massachusetts: 1841 Virginia: 1853 Michigan: 1867 Wisconsin: 1876 New Hampshire: 1840 Washington, D.C.: 1871
The earliest cities to require civil registration were New Orleans (1790), Boston (1848), Philadelphia (1860), Pittsburgh (1870), and Baltimore (1875). Fourteen states also initiated registration before 1880:
ONLINE SEARCH
LOOK FOR INDEXES THEN ORIGINALS
Check FamilySearch.org Catalog and Wiki(Titles in Catalog- maybe the same index or record online . Do not look at a record twice.) Wiki- look at date records started, look for links to
repositories as well as online indexes
INDEX LINKSwww.Progenealogists.org and
Death Index Online www.deathindexes.com www.ancestry.com
Note which books, films or sources have been searched to save time later
Search both Vital Record Search Engine and Use the card Catalog
Findagrave.com.
INDEX PRINTED IN PERIODICALS CHECK PERSI (AncestralQuest or Ancestry.com): Many
local historical and genealogical societies have published birth and death records in their periodicals, newsletters, and journals; they should be examined whenever available.
CHECK PERSI Bible Records, Cemetery Indexes, Obituary Indexes
INDEXES CREATED BY LOCALSLocal Archives and LibrariesGoogle: name of city or county + libraryCall and ask names of local cemeteries,
newspapers and obituary indexes
PROBLEMS FINDING NAMES IN INDEXES, I.E. DEATH CERTIFICATES
Common or nick names Spelling of name especially surname changed,
Initials Women listed as Mrs.
Indexers misread name such as “L” for “S” Right-of-privacy laws restrict access to certificate
OFF LINE SEARCH
2 TYPES OF CEMETERY RECORDS
1. Sexton’s Records 2. Tombstone or Gravestones
Sexton’s RecordsProvide ~
Names and dates
of those buried.
They are not obliged to share these records.
Sexton may also
provide Maps of burial plots
Salt Lake City Cemetery
HOW TO CONTACT SEXTONS• Google, http://www.linkpendium.com/• Rootsweb sites• Books @ BYU
• “Cemeteries of the United States”• Organized by County
• “United States Cemetery Addressbook”• Organized by State and Town
AFTER CHECKING ONLINE GO TO THE LIBRARIES
LOCAL LOOKUPSLDS ward clerks can get the phone number of the
local branch president or bishop. Call and ask for a local genealogist, or someone who might do a look up.
www.raogk.org: Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness.org
Association of Professional Genealogist ICAPgen
Example of a complete and informative
Death Certificate
HOW TO FIND VITAL RECORDS
What you need to know:Ancestor’s name, time period and locality of
vital event.
How do you find this information?
• Censuses.
• Biographies.
• Cemetery records.
• Bibles.
• Court records.
• Funeral homes.
• Genealogies.
• Land records. • Local histories. • Naturalization records.
• Newspaper notices.
• Pension files.
• Probate files.
SEARCH OTHER RECORDS, IF NECESSARY, TO FIND CLUES ABOUT THESE EVENTS. RECORDS WHICH MAY CONTAIN AT LEAST THE YEAR OF A BIRTH OR DEATH INCLUDE:
HOW TO FIND VITAL RECORDS
Wiki.familysearch.orgProgenealgist.org
HOW TO FIND FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOG DEATH RECORDS
Look in by Locality: town, county and state
oUse Topic of “Vital Records Index” and Vital Records”Use Indexes to locate your individual then go to actual
recordsSometimes FHL ONLY has index Look at Cemetery, Obituaries, Newspapers, Probate,
Land
SOME EXAMPLES BY STATES
Connecticut – an early stateRecords by town by 1658Special collections available
oBarbour CollectionoHale Collection
SOME EXAMPLES BY STATESNebraska
No records per se at Family History LibraryLook at Catalog for Vital Records in
Nebraska. We find:oSubstitute Records are Newspaper AbstractsoNebraska Vital Records Index
OTHER SOURCES FOR VITAL RECORDS AT THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY
DAR and Genealogical Organizations
publish extractions
CAN LOOK LIKE THIS…
Records at the Family History Library
Newspaper Abstractions
[book form many times]
CAN LOOK LIKE THIS…
“Abstracts of Cazenovia, NY”Newspaper Extractions
FHL 974.964B32a
OR LIKE THIS…
NEWSPAPERS
• U.S. Newspaper Program http://www.neh.gov/projects/usnp.html.
• http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/
• Index both existent papers and location of microfilms or digital links..
• Look at local university library catalogs for microfilm.
• Example: FHL, BYU, U of U, Utah State Newspapers in microfilm.
• You can borrow the films through Orem City or BYU Interlibrary loan.
HTTP://WWW.NEH.GOV/PROJECTS/NDNP.HTML
PROJECTS TO IDENTIFY NEWSPAPERS• Each state's largest newspaper repository. inventoried holdings in public libraries, county courthouses, newspaper offices, historical museums, college and university libraries, archives, and historical societies.
• Online links
CLICK ON STATE OR SCROLL DOWN
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO DIGITALIZE
LINK TO STATE COLLECTION: GEORGIA
OTHER SOURCES FOR VITAL RECORDS
Collections and Postings on the Internet such as:
www. familysearch.org
INTERNET SITES THAT LINK TO VITAL RECORDS
www.progenealogist.org
www. Progenealogist. com/genealogysleuthb.htm
HTTP://WWW.DEATHINDEXES.COM Used to be Wee~monster site
OTHER INTERNET SITES
www.Ancestry.comoSearch Vital Records
WWW.ANCESTRY.COMWWW.ANCESTRY.COM
OTHER INTERNET SITES
Linkpendium.com USA
OBITUARIES
Newspapers, Online (Progenealogist.com)Locate the local papersCheck Ancestry.com obituary collectionCheck World Vital Recordshttp://news.google.com/archivesearch
CEMETERIES ONLINE
Use Animap to create a list of cemeteriesGoogle the cemetery-some have their own
online indexesSearch Find A Grave and Linkpendium
• The two types of Cemetery Records:• Sexton’s Records
• Tombstones or Gravestones
These may be transcribed and found in publications.
HOW TO FIND TRANSCRIPTIONS OF CEMETERY RECORDS IN THEFAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY AND ELSEWHERE…
ONE FHL TOOL:“THE CEMETERY RECORD COMPENDIUM” 1979BY JACK STEMMONS, FHL[HAS A KEY TO FORMAT]
LISTS SOME OF THE LIBRARY CEMETERY RECORD HOLDINGS
USES FHL FILM NUMBERS
OTHER TOOLS FOR FINDING TRANSCRIPTIONS OF CEMETERY RECORDS
• Library Catalog Topics:• Cemeteries• Vital records• Also found under Newspapers and Obituaries
•PERSI
THE FHLC CAN PROVIDE CEMETERY HELPS LIKE “INDEX TO UNITED STATES CEMETERIES”
LET’S DO A SEARCH FOR A MRS. ROXANA DAME IN THE NIAGARA, NEW
YORK AREA.
WE’LL USE THE FHL CATALOG.
4 search paths
L.D.J. December 6, 1884, p 2 c 5 In Royalton, Nov 28, 1884 – Dame- Mrs. Roxana Dame, relict of Samuel Dame age 88 yr., resided here 50 yr. Born Vermont. Early to Canada. 1st husb. Capt. Cutter with whom came N.Y. 4 children. He died consumption. She mar. Samuel Dame. Members M. E. Church Grandchildren. Miss Sara and Orlanda Dame. Lived with James C. Swift Family, Mrs. Swift being a step-daughter.
Lockport Daily Advertiser is a close match.
HOW CAN WE LOCATE A NEWSPAPER ENTRY?
This shows the location where a copy of the actual newspaper article can be found.
SEARCH 2PERSI BECAUSE THE CATALOG DOESN’T HAVE WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR IN DRYDEN, TOMPKINS, NEW YORK.
SEARCH FOR ARTICLES WITH SURNAMES AND CEMETERY RECORD INDEXES
Periodical is New York Genealogical and Biographical Record
BYGBR’sFound in at BYU or FHL
This gives tombstone readings
THE SEXTON’S RECORDS FOR WILLOW GLEN CEMETERY LOOK LIKE THIS…
Another source for Cemetery or
Obituary Records is
Newspaper Transcripts
A valuable source of older record information
Easier to find than original copies.
ABSTRACTS CAN LOOK LIKE THIS…They can
provide good
information.
THE FHL CANNOT HOUSE MICROFILMS OF ALL NEWSPAPERS.
IT HAS SOME.
THE FHL CAN BE A GOOD SOURCE FOR INDEXES TO NEWSPAPERS.
GOOD EXAMPLE OF A NEWSPAPER INDEX IS THE “NEW YORK TIMES INDEX”
Use the index to locate actual articles.
LOCATING AN ACTUAL OBITUARY CAN BE VERY VALUABLE IN GATHERING FAMILY HISTORIES.
DIGGING UP THE DEADIS A GREAT OCCUPATIONTHAT LEAVE A TRAIL OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
President Hugh B. Brown declared to a group of us when the Priesthood Genealogy Committee was first organized that “missionary work is going forward in the spirit world at an accelerated pace, compared to how it is going forward in our earthly existence. . .
Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their children here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties.” Thomas S. Monson, “The Key of Faith,” Ensign, Feb. 1994, 2.