Death records are important pieces of the family history genealogy puzzle. Where did your relative die? What was the cause of death? Who did that person leave behind? What church was the funeral held at? Where is he or she buried? What was the last place of residence? Did your relative leave behind a will? All of this information could help you create a fuller picture of your family history. By tracing patterns of death, you may also find out some startling truths about your genetic makeup, which will help you adjust your lifestyle accordingly to live a longer, fuller life.

The death certificate will tell you many things about a person. It will list the full name of the deceased, the date the death occurred, the address at which the death took place, the age of the deceased and, most importantly, the cause of death. You'll also learn the name, address and relationship of the person who reported the death and the maiden name of a widow left behind. Once you have the death certificate number, you will be able to find the microfilm records associated with that death, which can provide other family history research information. Some death certificates will even list the parent's names, the number of children left behind, the former residence, the physician, contributing causes of death and the place/date of burial. Not all this information will be on every certificate, as it depends when the death was filed.

The Social Security Death Index is the largest online database of death records, with over 80 million deaths reported. This family genealogy database was created in 1935 by FDR's Social Security Act. This file contains social security numbers, names, birthdates, death dates, as well as the zip code and state of residence. These records can be obtained at www.death-records.net/ssdi.htm. Additionally, at www.worldvitalrecord.com, you'll gain access to all the SSDI information, but you'll also see a list of other people who died in the same zip code that same year and you'll see a Google map of where the person died and the nearest cemeteries. The SSDI is available in many places for free, but some databases are updated better than others. Both Rootsweb and www.ancestry.com sites provide SSDI database tools as well.

In addition to finding death records like a death certificate, you can also look up obituaries for added information. Obituaries were (and still are) written and paid for by family members to be included in the local newspapers. There are many "national newspaper databases" online, but your best bet is to focus on local town and city papers where your relatives lived. The nearest library is probably the most comprehensive place to look, rather than at the limited online entries. You may decide to enlist the help of a professional genealogist to help you with your search, but you may also find that searching the records is an addicting hobby too.

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