Finding Death Certificates in Georgia
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Below are some links I found through the FamilySearch card catalog. All have a search feature, all produced results for me (I searched surname Smith), all gave me an error when I tried to click a specific image. EXCEPTION to that is the third url includes break collections with images that can be browsed based on year. There are MANY sub collections. 1928, for example, has 42 different collections and you will have to look at them to see how they are organized. Could be by date, or by county or by county then date, which would be the most annoying if you don't know the county of death. All of this is in the catalog which you can access from the main menu.
As to the errors I encountered, I suspect these are either images which only church members can see OR have to be accessed from within a FHL. However, I imply got "Something Went Wrong" error without any explanation. Hopefully someone can let me know what the issue is?
Georgia deaths : COLLECTION RECORD, 1914-1927: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1320969
Georgia deaths : COLLECTION RECORD, 1928-1943: https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1385727
Georgia deaths, 1928-1943: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/4092007?availability=Family%20History%20Library
If you are looking for a recent death certificate, say the event occurred within the last 20 years or possibly as far back as the 1950s or 60s, it may not be available to you anywhere unless you can prove you are an appropriate descendant. I would contact the Georgia Department of Public Health, link below.
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That far back death certificates didn’t exist. There may have been indexes kept; I know Kentucky kept an index of deaths at that time, but most likely you are going to have to search for indirect evidence. When was a probate record dated? Does it state the date of death? Some do. Which census records are they in and then not in, indicating death had occurred? Do a search on the spouse Milly to see if any records indicate she is a widow. Look at land records to see if deeds were recorded to “son of the late …” You have to become a private detective in these cases and you may have to be satisfied that death occurred after a date, or before a date or between two dates. Being listed in the 1860 census would indicate death occurred after that date. Use the catalog to search for Georgia records in the county they lived in. Unfortunately Georgia counties could have experienced record loss.
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@TooneRitaDale1 One of the quickest ways to find out whether a particular vital record exists in a particular place is to check the associated page in the Research Wiki. You can access the wiki by clicking Search, then Wiki. In the search field, put Walker County, Georgia. It takes you to this page: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Walker_County,_Georgia_Genealogy
There is a quick view box about major record dates for the county near the top. It shows that Death records were not kept until 1919. It is also a good idea to scroll down to the vital records section, or use the link by clicking 2.28.3 Death in the Contents box at the left.
If death records do not exist, we look for substitute records. These would include probate (did they own land, if so, there is likely a probate), newspaper, or cemetery. Land and property records and probate records have connections with each other. So land records are also good to check. Do you need help accessing these records?
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Looking for Searcy line
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@TooneRitaDale1 how you access a death record in Georgia will depend on the place and time that the death occurred. Can you give additional details? It would be helpful to know at least the county in Georgia and the decade you are looking in. Most records are organized by location and date, rather than alphabetically by name. Best wishes on your search.
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I looking for the death records of Milly and Thomas Searcy in Walker county in Georgia about 1850-1860
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Thank you for your answer.
the death dates I need would need to be after 1850 but before 1860
it looks like the probate, court, and land records started in 1883
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In that timeframe in Georgia your best bet is burial records. If you know their religious affiliation and they lived in a town then you may be able to find them in a graveyard. However, most rural families had private burial grounds.
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Thank you.
there is a Dickey Family Cemetery but nothing there for Milly Dickey Searcy nor her husband, Thomas Searcy
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