Using Death Records to Find Someone

There are a number of ways of finding out people from the official records maintained by various government repositories. Checking the death records is useful as well. People whom you have lost touch with or information about relatives who are dead and gone can be retrieved successfully by scanning the official records of death. The actual reason and circumstances of their death along with the date as well as the burial details can be obtained by going through the death records of a person. There are quite a few means available for finding out information about a person with the help of the death records.

Social Security Death Index

The Social Security Death Index is maintained by the US government for all deceased persons who had possessed a social security card. The confirmation of death as well as the exact date of issuance of the card can be obtained by checking with the official website available at http://www.ntis.gov/products/ssa-dmf.aspx.

A number of information is also required to conduct a successful search through the death master file of the government. While the last name of the deceased person is essential for retrieving the information, entering the first name helps to refine the search process further. Additional information that may help you to obtain accurate results normally includes the date of birth, last known residential address and the possible date of demise. Entering the social security number of the person in question will help you to obtain accurate search results.

It is possible to get a list of search results by entering the minimum required information. An advanced search process can also be initiated if you are privy to more details. The zip code, state and county name can all be added to the search parameters in order to limit the number of search results appreciably.

The results thus obtained display the dates of both birth and death along with the last known residential address. The social security number as well as the last benefits form a part of the information given out. There is absolutely no fee for going through the death records of a person. Ordering a copy of the death certificate, on the other hand, entails a fee which varies from state to state. The first name of both the parents of the deceased person is mandatory while ordering a copy of the death certificate. This condition is imposed in order to prevent misuse of the information obtained from a death certificate.

Obituaries

The death of a person is included in the social security death index only after it is reported to the official agencies. The actual number of deaths far exceeds the number of death records available officially. Another way of retrieving death records is to go through the obituaries published in different newspapers. Death notices can also be checked to find the date and name of the person in question along with the funeral arrangements. Obituaries are much more detailed providing a background of the deceased person along with the names of his/her family and relatives.

Almost all the major newspaper publication houses have their archived files available in the form of micro films. It is possible to obtain information from these publication houses if you have an approximate idea about the date of demise.