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Follow Up On Death Record Clues
From the information on the death records you've found, you're ready to search for the types of records listed below. Remember, each document you find about one ancestor may lead you to another ancestor you didn't know about before.
Birth records: Does the death record give a date and place of birth? If so, write for a copy of the birth certificate. For births prior to statewide registration (about 1900-1920), records may still be available from a county courthouse near the place of birth. (New England records from before about 1900 will be in the local Town Hall.)
Funeral records: To get an address for a funeral home anywhere in the US or Canada, call or visit any funeral director in your area and ask if you can use their directory of funeral homes, The Yellow Book. This directory gives the name, address, and phone number of every funeral home in North America. In your request for funeral records, include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), and be sure to ask about the cemetery where the person was buried and whether or not they can provide an address or phone number for the cemetery office.
Cemetery records: A cemetery office may have information such as the inscription on your ancestor's tombstone. If a cemetery does not have an office, a local funeral director may be able to tell you who the record keeper for the cemetery is.
Obituaries: Most libraries carry the Directory of Libraries, published by the R. R. Bowker, NY, NY. From it, you can get the address for the library nearest the place where your ancestor died. Write a letter (with a SASE) requesting a copy of the person's obituary from the local newspaper, which most libraries keep on microfilm.
Social Security Records: Since about 1967, death certificates list the deceased's Social Security number. With or without the number, you can request a copy of the person's original application (SS-5) for a Social Security card, which provides the following information:
- Person's father Maiden name of person's mother Date of birth Address at time of application
- Employer at time of application
For a copy of your ancestor's SS-5, write to: Social Security Administration, Office of Central Records Operations, FOIA Workgroup, P.O. Box 17772, 300 N. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21290.
Genealogist's Glossary:
SS-5 - the application for a Social Security card. Because it was filled out by your ancestor, it is a reliable source for information about them.
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