How can I get a Death Certificate when I do not know in which state the person d

Question:

How can I get a Death Certificate when I do not know in which state the person died?

Need this information in order to locate a deceased husband of my 91 year old Mom who has Alzheimers. Cannot get VA benefits for her without this information. VA is of no help so far.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Unfortunately, the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) only tells you where someone lived when they last received benefits or made a contribution to SS. But it won't tell you where they died. So if your mom's husband was in Florida for 6 months and Chicago in 6 months, either address could have been on file for him, but that wouldn't tell where he actually died, especially if he was in Texas visiting a brother when it happened.

The easiest way to find out where he died is to find out where he is buried. In the US, no body can be buried without a death certificate and the permission of the County. So the easy way is to find the cemetery and ask if they have the information on the death certificate or if they can give you the name of a funeral home that handled things. If he was cremated, it's a little different.

If you have an idea of when he died, then you just need to search for an obituary. The sad part is that the VA already has records on him. But they don't cross-reference each other's units. If you really can't find anything, then the next step is to take the information you do have and start searching every state's vital records unit (most have indices online). You can narrow down the obvious states first, then expand to the less obvious. It only becomes more difficult if he died pre-1972 since that's when most of the online indices were started.

If you get really stuck, drop me a note through my profile and I'll be happy to help you search and snoop for him. Good luck and a big hug to your mom.