MY KINFOLKS OF KY AND BEYOND
You're asking yourself
"Why should a death certificate be obtained for my genealogy research?"
There are many reasons to obtain a death certificate for your research. Keep in mind that not all death certificates are filled out completely and there are individuals that do not have a death certificate. If you are interested in obtaining Kentucky Death Certificates from 1911 to 1955, please see previous page on how to obtain those.
Here is a sample of a Kentucky Death Certificate. Format varies on death certificates from year to year and from state to state, but generally includes the information listed below.
| (1) PLACE OF DEATH | Not only will you have the county, you will have the voting precinct, incorporated town, city, registration district number, primary registration district number, street address and ward in which the individual lived.
| (2) FULL NAME | Maybe the individual being researched went by their middle name. The full name of the deceased is listed (sometimes including maiden names for women). In cases of stillborn children, if they were not named, the death certificate is usually found under the father's name.
| (3, 4, 5) PERSONAL AND STATISTICAL PARTICULARS | Individual's sex, color or race, marital status, including spouse's name (in some cases this does not appear).
(6) DATE OF BIRTH
(7) AGE AT DEATH | This may supply you with a complete date of birth. Even if the date of birth isn't filled in completely, but the age is listed including years, months, and days; a birth date can be figured.
| (8) OCCUPATION | Trade, profession or particular kind of work will be listed (if applicable and known). General nature of industry business or establishment in which employed (or employer) may be listed. These could lead to companies to find work records.
| (9) BIRTH PLACE | Listed here could be the city as well as the county and state the individual was born.
| (10, 11, 12, 13) LOCATE PARENTS | In all of your research, you've not been able to locate the individual's parents. Parents, if known, are listed on the death certificates. The parent's place of birth may also be listed. This is especially good if the individual is a woman and could have been married more than once.
| (14) INFORMANT | This could be a brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, mother, father or neighbor. The addresses of the informant's are usually shown as well.
| (15) DEATH CERTIFICATE FILED | Lists date in which the registrar signed and filed the death certificate. Sometimes death certificates are filed months or years after the death date.
| (16) DATE OF DEATH | Maybe the individual's tombstone only lists years. This will give you the exact date of death.
| (17) CAUSE OF DEATH | This could help determine genetic diseases. Also shows if the individual was murdered, committed suicide or was killed in an accident. Shows duration and contributory factors in the death. It may be signed by a physician.
| (18) LENGTH OF RESIDENCE | Lists at place of death the number of years, months and days. In the state for number of years, months and days. Where was the disease contracted, if not at place of death? Former or usual residence.
Sometimes (depending on year of death certificate) this block asks for external causes of the death (violence, accident, suicide or homocide) and where the injury occurred, manner and nature of the injury.
| (19) PLACE OF BURIAL OR REMOVAL - DATE | Lists where the individual was taken for burial; cemetery information and date. Sometimes it only lists a city or state.
| (20) UNDERTAKER - ADDRESS | This could lead to funeral home records.
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