California Deaths and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States California

What Is in the Collection?
This index is an electronic index for the years 1908 to 1974. This index is not complete for any particular place, region or time period. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information is usually found in these records:
 * Name
 * Birth and death place
 * Age at time of death
 * Name of Spouse

Coverage Table
A coverage table for this collection is available is the wiki article California Deaths, Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records) For details about the contents of these records and help using them see the wiki article Deaths and Burials Vital Record Index Collections (FamilySearch Historical Records).

How Do I Search the Collection?
To search the collection it is helpful to know some of the following:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate residence and date of death

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the California Department of Public Health.

I Found Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other county or California Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the United States Census, 1850 (FamilySearch Historical Records) or the United States Census, 1900 (FamilySearch Historical Records). Search the state censuses as well.
 * Use the information found in the record to find California, County Probate Books (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * Use the information found in the record to find California, Alameda County, Land Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).
 * Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index.
 * If applicable, search for immigration and naturalization records as well.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the infobox above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry): Top of Page