One of the records that we all hope to find about our ancestors is some kind of death record.  These have become more plentiful and available over the last 100 years.  But we need to know what we can expect to find in the them and also how accurate that information is.  To find whether we have accurate information or just a series of clues, we need to evaluate each record as we find it.

We know that the most reliable records are those which are created at the time of the event by individuals who witnessed the event.  If we are lucky enough to find a death certificate, then we are hopeful that we have accurate information.  On that death certificate we should find:

• death date and place
• burial date and place
• birth date and place
• parental names
• marital status and spousal name

Looking at this list, we can see that about the only information listed that was witnessed at the time of the event would be death and burial information.  What other details can be reliable?  The cause of death, length of illness preceding the death, and burial date and place.  This information is given by the doctor attending the death and the undertaker.  Because they are acting in their official capacity, they would have no reason to falsify that information.

So we are left with information that may or may not be accurate.  The next place to look on the death certificate to determine reliability is the name of the informant.  Who gave the information about the deceased to fill out the certificate?   Several of my ancestors’ death certificates list various people as the informant.  A great uncle’s informant is a nephew of his wife’s.  I can be pretty sure that the nephew wasn’t around when most of events occurred, since the uncle was born in Sweden and the nephew in Utah.  Also, the age gape is a good indication that the nephew wasn’t around at the time of my uncle’s birth.  We only have information that was given to him, perhaps by the widow.  Another ancestor of mine died in a mental institution, and that informant was an employee of the institution. 

We should also determine if the information given is consistent with other records we may have about the individual.  While the information on the death certificate is consistent with other records I’ve found, I can still question the source of that information about my uncle.  The one thing that makes the record challenging is that my uncle went by an Americanized name after coming to Utah.  So even finding him in records has been a challenge for me, since I have found him listed as Sam or Sven depending on the record.

Can we safely say that the names of the parents are accurate or the birthdate listed?  Again, was the informant around when they were born? Probably not.  The informant may have met the parents, but are the names of the parents that the informant knows their real names or nicknames? Shortened names?  In the case of my uncle, his birthdate is just a day off of the record my grandfather had for him.  That date might have been given to the nephew by his aunt.  All this information could have been supplied to the nephew by his aunt.  Their names are pretty consistent with names found on other records.

The best way for me to determine whether any of this information about my uncle’s birth and his parents is to find him in the household records of Sweden, which I have done.  Names match and the birthdate is one day off.  I am fairly confident that the information listed on the death certificate is reliable.  [The one record that still eludes me is his naturalization record if there is one.  Census records say he was naturalized but I’ve been unable to find a record for either a Sam or Sven Johnson in the year listed.]

The word of caution: Using information straight off the death certificate and not evaluating and looking for other records to support that information means that mistakes on the death certificate can be perpetuated.  False information can find its way into an obituary or even onto a headstone, never to be changed again!  Far too often, researchers accept any fact they find on records without evaluating the evidence.  Just like dealing with real people, we need to learn what records are telling us and which to believe.  [Source: Devon Noel Lee, “Over My Shoulder” video series, December 2018] –Liz Kennington