Death Records in Ancestral Research Lineage Through Loss

In the world of genealogy, marriage, birth and death records are known as vital records. They are essential to documenting the life and lineage of an individual. Death certificates signal the end of life on earth and the beginning of a period of grief or mourning for loved ones. They also give valuable information to family historians.

Ancestry.com and FamilySearch have many death certificates online.

FamilySearch is a free site and Ancestry.com offers some information for free and other data requires a subscription. You can also contact the clerk at your county courthouse or the state Vital Records office.

Texas death certificate availability is the same as birth certificates. The Texas State Library and Archives website indicates, “Registration of deaths at the state level began in 1903” and further states, “it was as late as the 1930s before deaths were consistently recorded.” Depending on when and where your ancestor died, you may never find a death certificate.

Many elders went to live with their children late in life. If you don’t find any information in the place they lived for most of their life, check in the areas their children lived.

Be certain this is your ancestor by checking the age, race and location. Before reviewing the document, go to the line marked informant. The informant is the person providing the data for the deceased. Death certificates are only as accurate as the person providing the information. The funeral home nor the state takes the time to verify the information given. If the informant is a distant relative, neighbor or friend, the details may not be accurate. Sometimes, family members are in shock or grieving and accidently give wrong information.

There are many cases when a death certificate was found for someone who was believed to have died many years before. Some wives stated their husbands had passed away when they had actually ran away, to avoid the shame and embarrassment. Don’t be too quick to dismiss a death certificate because you were told they died years before the date on the document.

What is almost always correct is the location of the death; the city, county and state where the person passed away and the date of their passing.

Hopefully, the full name will be filled in. Sometimes, women are listed by their maiden names, if they are widowed or divorced. Also, consider a woman may have a different last name due to a marriage later in life.

Next, the gender, race and marital status are given. This is followed by the birth information. If everything on the death certificate matches your ancestor, except the birthdate, it’s probably your ancestor. Birth information is often wrong on death certificates. Especially for people born in rural settings and African Americans prior to the 1950s or so. As stated in the article on birth certificates, birthdates changed for a variety of reasons.

The occupation and trade are provided. Depending on their employment, this could be another avenue to explore. You may be able to obtain records from their place of employment.

The parent’s section is most valuable. This may be the only place the name of a birth parent could be listed. Pay close attention to the name of the father and maiden name of the mother. If the informant didn’t know the maiden name, they might give the last known surname the mother used. Research this closely. The informant and their address are right below this section. If you don’t know the informant, research to find out their connection to the deceased.

The cause of death is very important. Hereditary medical issues can show up here. If you notice the same cause of death for many of your ancestors, it may be worth discussing with your doctor. If there was no doctor present at the passing, this section is often left blank or a description of what occurred according to the family members was noted. In cases of car accidents or violence, check the newspaper to see if there are articles about the incident.

Finally, the place and date of burial is provided along with the funeral home who handled the arrangements. Many families bury their loved ones in the same cemetery and use the same funeral home each time.

We are looking for living descendants of the 435 Freedmen who migrated from Kingstree, Williamsburg County, South Carolina to Marlin, Falls County, Texas in 1867. If you have any questions, please contact us. Sharon at Sharon.kay@sbcglobal. net or Angela at honey_be_2001@yahoo. com.