find cause of death records: a practical guide

Why these records matter

Cause-of-death entries open doors to medical history, migration clues, and kinship links. They validate family stories and highlight hereditary risks you may want to discuss with relatives. For local historians, they reveal outbreaks, workplace hazards, and community change-adding context that raw dates can’t supply.

Where to start

Begin with the official certificate, then triangulate. Search state vital records, county clerk holdings, and coroner or medical examiner files. Layer in newspapers and cemetery registers for narrative detail. Note the informant and physician; their proximity and biases affect accuracy and wording.

• Death certificates and delayed registrations
• Coroner inquests and verdict summaries
• Probate files mentioning terminal illness
• City directories noting widows or deaths
• Newspaper obituaries and public notices

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Relying on a single jurisdiction or spelling.
2. Ignoring time gaps caused by wars, fires, or privacy embargoes.
3. Treating the stated cause as final; consider chain of events and context.
4. Overlooking revisions or amendments on certificates.

Keep notes of sources, dates searched, and negative results; meticulous logs make updates and DNA matches far more actionable.