Dead Men Do Tell Tales
Death certificates contain a wealth of information, from when and how someone died to the names of their parents and their parents' birthplace. Many states began producing death certificates after 1908. Previous to that, deaths were recorded in a log book, and many deaths did not get recorded. While the log books might provide information beyond when and where someone died, they seldom recorded information about the deceased's parents.
Death certificates will tell you where your ancestor died, down to the township or even the hospital. They recorded age, race, sex, as well as marital status and occupation. Most beneficial to researchers is the recording of the names and birth places of the deceased's parents. The certificates will also tell how long the person was sick, how they died, and the location of burial. Researchers should pay attention to the informant, as the informant may be a distant relative or not related at all and may give inaccurate information. It is best to take all "facts" with a grain of salt and check them with other sources.
Missouri Digital Heritage has Missouri death certificates after 1910 and to as recently as fifty years ago. Researchers can search by first or last name, death year, and county. An advanced search option is available if, for example, the surname was sometimes spelled differently. The website familysearch.org also has many national death certificates on file.
Speak with your local Springfield-Greene County library for assistance on interpreting death certificates, visit our Local History and Genealogy Department at The Library Center, or go to the Library's website to explore our genealogy databases.
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