Where to Find a Cause of Death
For years I searched for death dates for my ancestors. Death dates were found in family records, bible records, headstones, obituaries, death records, etc. The death dates were not always combined with a cause of death. And, if cause of death was mentioned, I did not always pay attention and record the cause. I have since repented of my negligent ways and always try to find a cause of death, as well as the date of death.
Mortality Schedules
Mortality Schedules were included in the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 US Federal Censuses. The mortality schedules asked questions regarding those who died in the twelve (12) months prior to the census enumeration. During the 1850 to 1880 time period, the mortality schedules are among the best sources for cause of death if your ancestor happened to die in the year leading up to the census.
My 4th great-grandmother, Sarah McNeil, died in March prior to the census being taken on June 1st, 1860. She is shown in the Parke County, Indiana 1860 Mortality Schedule on page 41, line 24. Information given: Name: Sarah McNeal; Age: 60; Female; Born: Virginia; Died: Mar 1860; Cause of death: Consumption; Sick 14 days.
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| 1860 Mortality Schedule, Parke County, Indiana, line 24 Sarah McNeil, 4th Great-Grandmother Died of Consumption |
Death Records
Of course, the best place to find a cause of death is a death record/certificate. Most states did not start recording deaths until the early 1900's, although some local health departments in larger cities began recording deaths in the mid-1800's. Most of our ancestors lived on the frontiers of Oklahoma and Texas in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Death certificates were not widely available in Oklahoma and Texas until the 1920's and sometimes even into the mid 1930's - especially in Oklahoma. Thankfully by 1938 there was a death certificate for my grandmother's (Mabel Leffel Baldwin) cousin, Florida Tucker Stanford Leffel. Her death certificate solved a big mystery, read about it here.
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| Death Certificate for Florida Melissa (Tucker Sanford) Leffel Florida died of acute coronary occlusion |
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| James M Baldwin died of pneumonia on 11 Feb 1905 Robertson County, Texas Record of Deaths, Vol 1, pg 8 |
Obituaries
Sometimes an early obituary might mention a cause of death (but often times not). The example below of the 1891 obituary for my 3rd great-grandfather, James Wilson (1814-1891), mentioned his cause of death as "tumor of the stomach".
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| James Wilson Obituary The Democrat. (McKinney, Tex.), Thursday, April 9, 1891 |
Next is a 1903 obituary for Elizabeth Weiss Martin and her daughter, May Martin. Both, mother and daughter, died of measles on the same day, March 8, 1903.
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| Mrs. John Martin and daughter, May, died of Measles. 11 March 1903, Rock Island Argus and Daily Union, pg 8 |
Newspaper Articles
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| Britton Medlin died when a tree limb fell on him. Republican Banner, Nashville, TN; Monday, April 14, 1845 |
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| Mrs. Samuel Medlin died of cholera Republican Banner, Nashville, TN, 8 Jul 1854 |
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| Arizona Stockman Murdered Dodge City Globe, Dodge, Kansas 18 Nov 1884 |
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| Henry R Stewart death record Civil War Pension File |
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| Monument to those who were hanged in the Great Hanging at Gainesville October 1862 |
Cause of Death Pedigree Chart
