Are you trying to document the death of your ancestor in Vermont? You may not be aware of the different places to look for resources. Below, you may be able to find one or more resources that will help you.
Vermont vital records online
Vermont, Deaths and Burials, 1871-1965 (free) – This is an index of deaths. You will want to order the original on microfilm to see if it contains more information. If you do not find your ancestor, check to make sure the database contains records from your ancestor’s locality:Record Coverage.
Both of the following collections contain deaths for Vermont as well as births and marriages. Neither collection is complete. To learn more, see Record Description. Death records are sometimes a great place to learn the names of an ancestor’s parents.
Vermont, Vital Records, 1720-1908 (subscription) - From the record description of this collection, you learn that before 1857, vital records were kept at the town level. Also you learn about gaps in death records. Always read the record descriptions to learn more about the content and how to use a collection.
Vermont, Death Records, 1909-2008 – (subscription) Earlier records are probably on microfilm, but the later ones will needed to be ordered as the record description advises.
Vermont Death Index, 1981-2001 – (subscription)
Family History Library Catalog
Be sure to search the Family History Library Catalog for the county in Vermont where your ancestor lived. You may discover more records that are not online. For example, a search for Vermont, Essex County brings up a reference on microfilm to vital records of unorganized towns of Essex County. See search results.
Cemeteries
Discovering the cemetery where your ancestor is buried can lead you to information about his or her death. You may also discover other people related to you in the same cemetery. Start by searching Find A Grave to see if the cemetery is listed and if your ancestor’s name has been added.
Some older cemeteries or tombstones may no longer exist. In that case, contact genealogical or historical societies to see if a list of burials exists for the cemetery. If you have no idea where your ancestor was buried, you will need to begin researching local cemeteries. Hopefully, the local library will have books documenting the burials in older cemeteries. Use this search engine to search for resources about Vermont cemeteries.
It is much easier to research cemeteries once ancestors’ burial places and funeral homes are included on death certificates.
Probate Records
Vermont, Probate Files,1800-1921 (free) – It will be helpful if you know the county where your ancestor lived and the approximate year of death. You can discover much more information in a probate record besides the death date. See this example. For now, only the counties of Chittenden and Essex have been included. Check back for the addition of other counties.
Check the probate records for the county in Vermont that you are researching. Also, find out if your ancestor is listed on the probate index at the county probate court office. Remember that not everything can be found online.
Other ideas
If you are not able to locate death information using the resources above, try newspaper obituaries. Newspapers are both online and on microfilm. Family bibles may also have recorded deaths. If your ancestor died within 12 previous to the years 1850, 1860, 1870, or 1880, he or she could be listed on a US Census Mortality Schedule.
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