Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1948
Name index of deaths and stillbirths in Illinois, 1916-1947.
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Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths
What is in This Collection?
This collection includes death and stillbirth records for the state of Illinois from 1916 to 1947. The collection contains one page pre-printed death certificate forms filled in by hand or typed. Deaths were not generally recorded at the county level until 1877, although the practice was not universal before 1916. Some records existed in cities prior to 1877. A 1915 statute provided for the first effective system of registration of deaths and stillbirths in Illinois. It required the State Board of Health and county clerks to record these events. In 1919 the Illinois Department of Public Health was established as the successor agency to the State Board of Health. Deaths that were recorded prior to 1 January 1916 can be found at the county clerk’s office. Death records beginning 1916, with a statewide index from 1916 to the present, are available from the Illinois Department of Health, Division of Vital Records.
Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.
What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
- Deceased’s full name
- County and city in which death took place
- Address where death occurred
- Sometimes the voting ward of that place
- Gender
- Marital status
- Birth date
- Age at death
- Date of death
- Occupation
- Employer
- City and state of birthplace
- Name of the informant providing the above information
- Filing date
- Name of the registrar
Collection Details
Location of Original Records
Public Board of Health Archives, Springfield
"Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1948." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 25 October 2025. Public Board of Health Archives, Springfield.
