Why You're Not Finding Death Records -- and How You Can Fix It!
TLDRAmy Johnson Crow, a genealogy expert, offers valuable insights and strategies for locating elusive death records in family history research. She explains that the absence of civil death records in certain time periods, the possibility of ancestors dying outside their usual place of residence, variations in names such as married names for women, initials for men, and the use of nicknames or middle names can all complicate the search process. Crow suggests alternative records like tombstones, church records, obituaries, and probate records to infer death dates when civil records are unavailable. She also emphasizes the importance of considering the location of children and married daughters when an ancestor's death record is missing, and encourages researchers to be creative with search methods to accommodate the fluidity in naming practices of the past.
Takeaways
- 📚 Remember that not all locations started keeping civil death records at the same time, which can affect your ability to find them.
- 🏞️ Consider that your ancestors may have died in a different location than where they lived, such as across a county line or in a different state.
- 👵 For women, death records might list them under their husband's name, so searching with the husband's name can be helpful.
- 🧑 When searching for men, keep in mind that they might be listed using initials rather than their full names on death records.
- 🚫 Be aware that death records may not exist for your ancestors if the location did not keep such records during their lifetime.
- 💡 If a death record is not available, look for alternative records that might provide similar information, such as cemetery, church, obituary, or probate records.
- 👪 Trace the lives of your ancestors' children to find clues about where the ancestor may have died, especially focusing on married daughters.
- 🔍 When a woman has had multiple marriages, ensure you search with the surname she had at the time of her death.
- 🤔 Consider using nicknames or middle names when searching for death records, as these were sometimes used instead of formal first names.
- 🧒 For children's death records, be particularly mindful of common nicknames, as these might be how they were recorded.
- 🌟 Utilize larger genealogy websites that may have more flexible search capabilities to accommodate initials and nicknames in their databases.
Q & A
Why might it be difficult to find death records for ancestors?
-There are five common reasons: 1) Death records may not have been kept at the time of the ancestor's death, 2) The ancestor may have died in a different location than expected, 3) The ancestor may be listed under a different name, such as a married name for women, 4) The record might use initials instead of full names, and 5) The record could use a nickname or middle name instead of the given name.
What does Amy Johnson Crow suggest doing if you can't find a death record because it wasn't created?
-Consider looking for other records that could provide the same information, such as tombstone inscriptions, cemetery records, church records, obituaries, probate records, or military pension records.
How can knowing when a location started keeping civil death records help in genealogy research?
-Understanding when civil death records began can prevent frustration when searching for records of ancestors who died before that time. For example, if an ancestor died in 1847 in Ohio, where civil death records began in 1867, you would not find a civil death record for them.
Why should you consider the possibility that an ancestor may have died in a different location than where they usually lived?
-Death records are typically based on the location of death rather than the usual place of residence. Ancestors living near county borders or those who moved later in life could have death records in a different county or state.
What is a common reason for difficulty in finding a woman's death record?
-Women are often listed on death records under their husband's name (e.g., Mrs. John Smith) rather than their own name. If searching by maiden name or first married name, consider using the husband's name or the name she used at the time of her death.
How might the use of initials on death records complicate the search process?
-If a person is listed using initials (e.g., W.H. Starkey instead of William Henry Starkey), a search using the full first name may not reveal the record, especially on smaller genealogy websites or databases that do not have flexible search capabilities.
What is a common naming practice that could affect the appearance of an ancestor's name on a death record?
-Ancestors may be listed using a nickname or middle name on their death records. For example, a person named William Henry might be known as Henry or even have his death record listed under just 'Henry.'
Why is it important to consider the use of nicknames when searching for death records, particularly for children?
-Nicknames were often used, especially for children, so a child named William might be listed as Bill, Billy, Will, or Willy on a death record. Familiarity with common nicknames can help in locating records that might not appear under the full given name.
What is a strategy for finding death records of ancestors who may have moved to live with their children in their later years?
-Trace the children of the ancestor and determine where they were living around the time of the ancestor's expected death. Focus first on the married daughters, as it was common for elderly ancestors to move in with them.
How can searching for death records using only a surname and date of death be beneficial?
-This strategy can help bypass potential issues with initials, nicknames, or middle names. If the full name is not known or if there are variations, using the surname and a probable date of death can yield more accurate results.
What advice does Amy Johnson Crow give for enhancing the discovery of family history?
-Amy encourages researchers to think creatively about the names and records they are searching, to consider all possible variations and related documents, and to use multiple strategies when searching for elusive death records.
How can genealogy researchers stay updated with Amy Johnson Crow's new videos and content?
-Researchers can subscribe to her YouTube channel and click the bell notification to receive updates whenever she posts a new video. They can also visit her website, amyjohnsoncrow.com, for more resources and information.
Outlines
😀 Difficulty Finding Death Records: Common Reasons and Solutions
Amy Johnson Crow discusses the challenges of locating death records for ancestors, offering tips and encouragement. She explains that the absence of civil death records during certain periods can hinder research. For example, Ohio began keeping such records in 1867, while Indiana started in 1882. If an ancestor died before these dates, no civil records would exist. Instead, researchers should look for alternative sources like tombstones, cemetery records, church records, obituaries, probate, and military pension records to approximate the date of death. The speaker also suggests considering the possibility that an ancestor may have died in a different location than expected, which would affect where to find the death records.
👵 Tracing Ancestral Deaths: Considering Location and Name Changes
The video script highlights that death records are often based on the location of death rather than the usual residence, which can complicate searches, especially for ancestors living near county borders or those who moved later in life. It's common for elderly ancestors to live with their married daughters, so checking death records in those areas could be beneficial. For women, the use of a married name or initials on death records can make searches challenging. The script advises to search using the husband's name or consider all possible married names if the woman had multiple marriages. Additionally, men might be listed using initials or a nickname, which requires flexible search strategies and consideration of middle names or common nicknames to find the correct records.
🧒 Nicknames and Middle Names in Death Records: A Focus on Children and Women
The script emphasizes the fluidity of names in historical records, particularly for children and women. It points out that nicknames were commonly used, especially for children, and that a death record might list a child's or a woman's commonly used nickname instead of their formal given name. For adult men, it's less common to see a nickname used on death records, but for women and children, it's more frequent. The speaker encourages researchers to be familiar with common nicknames for the names they are researching. She also promotes her website and YouTube channel for further research assistance and concludes with a reminder to subscribe and enable notifications for new video uploads.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Death records
💡Civil death records
💡Probate court
💡Cemetery records
💡Obituary
💡Military pension record
💡County border
💡Married daughters
💡Nicknames
💡Middle names
💡Initials
Highlights
Death records provide valuable information for family history research but can be difficult to locate.
Not all locations began keeping civil death records at the same time, which can lead to frustration if the records are not available for the time period of interest.
Ohio started keeping civil death records in 1867, while Indiana began in 1882 and Pennsylvania even later.
If civil death records are not available, consider alternative records such as tombstones, cemetery records, church records, obituaries, probate, and military pension records.
Death records are based on the location of death, not the usual place of residence, which can lead to confusion if the person died across a county line or in a different location.
Ancestors may have moved to live with their adult children, so tracing the children's locations can help find the death records.
Married daughters often provided a home for elderly ancestors, so focusing on their death records can be beneficial.
Women's death records may list them under their husband's name, such as Mrs. John Smith instead of Mary Smith.
For women, consider all possible married names when searching for death records, as the record should reflect the name used at the time of death.
Men's death records might use initials instead of full names, which can complicate online searches.
Genealogy websites like Ancestry and FamilySearch may include initials in search results, but smaller sites might not have this feature.
Ancestors may have used a middle name or nickname on their death records, which can differ from the formal name used in other records.
Adult men are less likely to have nicknames on their death records, but it is more common for women and children.
Familiarity with common nicknames can help in searching for records, as they can be used interchangeably with formal names.
When searching for a child's death record, consider possible nicknames that might have been used, such as Bill for William or Kate for Catherine.
These strategies can help researchers overcome common obstacles in finding death records and make significant discoveries in their family history.
Encouragement is provided to continue researching and exploring various records to piece together family history.
Transcripts
Browse More Related Video
Big News from RootsTech day 1!
Help! There’s No Class on Researching My Ancestral Homeland
7 FREE Genealogy Websites You're Overlooking
How I Found An Enslaved Ancestor in My Family Tree
Demo: Tips and Tricks for Attaching Records on FamilySearch
Start Your Genealogy Research Right - Avoid These Common Mistakes!
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: