Posts Tagged ‘Social Security Death Index’

Building Your Family Tree By Finding Death Records

Friday, December 30th, 2011

In most cases Death records can be obtained from the state or county where the individual died. Vital records like Texas death records, California death records and other state death records can be gotten in a range of different places. However it’s not necessarily an easy process, and can involve a lot of time consuming work and research.

A Death record gives you a lot of helpful information regarding a person’s death. These details include date of death, place of death and the name of the persons parents. In a number of cases these records may also include the deceased’s mother’s maiden name.

If you’re asking for a death record, the most important thing to understand is that the state and local recorders are the only offices that issue death records. This means you could need to visit the vital records office of the state or county where the individual died.

You have got many resources to hand when it comes to finding death records. One of the most convenient strategies is the Net, that has made the job of finding this kind of information easier and faster.

Vital Records and Public Records Offices

It is of course possible to get records from Vital Records offices by calling in person to these offices. Nonetheless these offices are usually extremely busy and you may have to wait a couple of weeks to obtain the death record you have requested.

An alternative is to request the record from the state’s vital statistics office. You may request these records via the State’s vital records web site where the death took place, and write to the appropriate office.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI)

Another choice for finding death certificates is the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). The SSDI started in 1935. It is a comprehensive online database of records of death that may make it easier to find records regardless of if you’re uncertain of all of the facts related to the death such as the state in which it occurred. In many cases, you will be asked to supply information like the name of the deceased, their date-of-birth, date of death, social security number and the state or county they lived in. The SSDI is a very useful tool, and stores over 80 million records. But it does not include records about all those who have been recorded as deceased.

Online Death Records Searches

The popularity of genealogy and searches for records of deaths has led to an increase in online archives. These web sites offer you a more handy way to get vital records. Trusted and reputable websites charge a tiny fee for their service and searches can be completed from your computer, laptop or smart phone.

One of the main benefits of these archive search databases is that you can search for records in numerous states, counties, cities and towns. So , rather than trying to find ancestors via different websites, you search from one place.

As you can see, it has never been better to locate records of ancestors. The popularity of online resources has helped make your search even easier, and you may find the records you are looking for from state and county offices as well.

An increased number of people search for family history details including death records of ancestors. The death recordsinformation internet site enables you to find records of deceased people from the comfort of your home .

Using Death Records in Genealogy

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

ancestor

When creating a genealogy, death records can be one of your biggest assets. Along with birth records and marriage records, death records can provide extremely valuable information about an individual ancestor as well as his family. When creating a family tree, designs and included information may vary from tree to tree. However, a family tree will always account for births, deaths and marriages. It is important to make sure that these dates and locations are accurate.

Modern death records for the United States can be located through the Social Security Death Index. This Index is fully searchable online at no charge. From the Social Security Death Index you can find the birth date, Social Security Number and state of issue, death date and last residence of your ancestor.

To search the Social Security Death Index, simply input as much information as you have. It is possible to search only by last name, thereby finding the death records of everyone who shares a particular surname. This can be useful in starting research on a possible ancestor about whom you know very little or finding a whole new branch of a family tree.

If you are seeking death records from another country or pre-1960s United States death records, you will have to go through alternative sources. If you know the town and approximate year in which your ancestor died, try contacting that town’s offices. You may be able to get information on how to proceed. Also try contacting genealogical societies both locally and online. Some societies publish their own databases of death records and other vital records. These sources are generally based on the members’ research and may not be 100% accurate,  so use caution and document your sources carefully.

The death records of women can be difficult to track down because during certain periods of time and in different locations, women were considered property. They belonged to husbands and fathers, and some had no documented evidence of significant events in her life. The same problem may arise with a male family member, but checking probate, military and even prison records might turn up the appropriate information on date of death.

It is possible to use guesswork to fill in the blanks if you simply cannot find certain death records. This is often necessary in the case of persecuted peoples such as Jews or Gypsies as well as slaves. If you cannot find death records for one or more of your family members, then fill in as much information as you can and move on. It is possible that the death records will surface at a later date or you will be able to estimate the approximate time of death with a reasonable degree of accuracy as you obtain more information.