As with birth records, Tennessee did not start requiring statewide death certificates until 1908. The Tennessee Vital Records Office holds death records for 50 years. Death records from 1969 to the present can be obtained from the Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. Restrictions and fees apply, so be sure to check the web site. TSLA has statewide Tennessee death records for the years 1908-1912 and 1914-1968. No death records were recorded at the state level in 1913. Copies of available records can be ordered from TSLA, with instructions found on this web page: Ordering Death Records. The Ancestry.com database “Tennessee, Death Records, 1908-1958“ contains images of death records. This database is also available to Tennessee residents through TEL, and the FamilySearch database “Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966” also contains images.
Other places to look for death records include newspapers, bible records, funeral home records and cemetery records. Many county historical societies have published books listing local cemeteries and transcribing tombstone inscriptions.
Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville all started recording deaths earlier than 1908. Later blogs will discuss records available for these cities.
Other places to look for death records include newspapers, bible records, funeral home records and cemetery records. Many county historical societies have published books listing local cemeteries and transcribing tombstone inscriptions.
Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville all started recording deaths earlier than 1908. Later blogs will discuss records available for these cities.
