Where do you start to look for free death records to help fill in the blanks in your genealogy tree research? In this article we will discuss a few of the endless possibilities. We will touch on important heirloom books as well as libraries, sites and websites that you can explore.
Naturally, the search should start close to home. That Family Bible at your Grandmother's is a good place to start. In the past parents were very careful to keep the Family Bible up to date with all the latest information about births and deaths. These records are fairly reliable but as you can imagine exact details were sometimes missed or recorded incorrectly.
After a thorough review of all of the family information in the Bible, try other family scrapbooks and keepsakes that your ancestors kept. Many times important events were documented in the local newspaper and your ancestors may have cut out the column and stored it in a scrapbook. Sometimes it was just folded and placed between the pages of the family bible or other important book or heirloom.
Other sources of death records that you can search for free are the local sites like newspaper offices, libraries and even funeral homes. These places may have archives and websites that you can search for information on lost tree history and even just stories that will bring your family research alive.
If you are not in the same community as your deceased family member then you may have to try some other sources for your genealogy search. Some communities have large Research Libraries that have limited editions of documents and books that relate to the region. Many of these libraries have genealogy departments with knowledgeable staff, familiar with their genealogy research services, techniques and websites.
Another growing source of death records and other genealogy information are websites on the internet. Simply enter the phrase "free death records" in your favorite search engine and a host of sites will be displayed. Try each one and search for each ancestor that you need to trace. Some of these sites will not provide the information that you require. However, as systematic search will likely yield some new important information that you can add to your genealogy documentation.
