How to verify a person’s death

You are doing a search for which you need to check if a person is still alive or not and if so, know their date of death. You would therefore like some advice on the tools suitable for this purpose but, unfortunately, you have not yet been able to find anything valid. That’s the way it is, right? Then don’t worry: I’ll help you if you want.

In today’s guide, I will explain how to know the date of death of a person using some free Web services suitable for this purpose, all of which are easy and direct to consult and often also accessible from smartphones and tablets. If these do not satisfy you, I will then point out paid services that require registration, to allow you to explore in a more in-depth and detailed way all the elements relating to the people who are the subject of the searches.

How do you say? Is this exactly what you were looking for? Perfect, then try to find the best solution for you and carefully follow my advice to find out how to best use it: whether you want to establish the date of death, check the genealogy, family history or news related to the death of a person, there are several resources to explore, both via PC and via smartphone and tablet. Enjoy the reading!

Index

• Ancestors (Online)
• FamilySearch (Online / Android / iOS / iPadOS)
• Ancestry (Online / Android / iOS / iPadOS)
• Find A Grave (Online / Android / iOS / iPadOS)
• Newspaper Obituaries (Online)

Ancestors (Online)

The Portal of the Ancestors is a platform dedicated to the free consultation of digital reproductions of the registers of the Civil Status, whose rights holder is the General Directorate of the Archives of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MiBACT). Although they are updated less frequently, the site also includes other documents of genealogical and personal data taken from the individual Italian State archives.

Its primary function is to provide access to the documentation necessary for the registry and genealogical research, as well as to the history of individuals and families, protected by the Italian State archives. This is a portal that can be used via a web browser, accessible by clicking on the link I have previously provided.

Once you have accessed the site, you can directly search for the name of the person whose personal data you are checking by clicking in the Find the names section of the main menu, at the top right. After clicking on the Accept button, in this section, you can query the database of names extracted from the civil status registers, with the possibility of carrying out a search using different parameters ( Name, Surname, Type of Deed, Municipality / Locality, Start Year and End Year ).

The more parameters are entered, the more refined the results will be, making it easier to find the name card of the person you are looking for. When you are sure you have entered them all, press the Search button at the end of the page: the most relevant results will be displayed, divided according to the aforementioned parameters.

Finally, you can click on the Open button, located under each result, to view the image of the reference document ( birth, marriage, or death ).

FamilySearch (Online / Android / iOS / iPadOS)

FamilySearch is a nonprofit genealogical organization dedicated to helping anyone browsing its database (containing over 4 billion names) to find information about their family history. It is a free service that can be used both from a web browser and as an app for Android and iOS / iPadOS.

To download FamilySearch on your Android terminal, open the Play Store (the colored ▶ ︎ symbol), search for FamilySearch Tree in the latter and first tap on the application icon, in the search results, and then on the Install button. If you are reading this tutorial directly from your device, you can open the FamilySearch tab on the Play Store using the link I gave you earlier.

If, on the other hand, you use an iPhone or an iPad, open the App Store (the blue icon with the “A” in the center, located on the home screen), press the Search tab (bottom right), search for FamilySearch Tree and tap first on the application icon, in the search results, and then on the Get / Install button. If necessary, verify your identity with Face ID, Touch ID, or Apple ID password. If you are reading this tutorial directly from your device, you can open the FamilySearch tab on the App Store using the link I gave you earlier.

Now, if you are using your PC, you can immediately search for a person’s name by opening the FamilySearch website and clicking on the Search button in the top left menu, and then on Genealogies. Here you can fill in various data fields, however, I suggest you complete only the Name and Surname, then click on the blue Search button located at the end of the page. You will get a series of results sorted by name, including Events (date of birth and death) and any Relationships of the deceased, reported by the platform.

If you are using a mobile device, once you have started the app you have to press the Search for an ancestor button, enter the information in your possession ( Surname required, then possibly Name, Year of Birth, Place of Birth, Year of death and Place of death ) and press the Search button located at the end of the screen.

You will be shown a list showing the number of people with that surname in the family tree, showing you the worldwide spread, as well as a list of matching results. If available, the date of birth, the date of death and any relatives previously registered on the platform will also appear in each result.

Ancestry (Online / Android / iOS / iPadOS)

Ancestry is a site dating back to 1997, which still represents a large online source of information relating to the history of the family, accompanied by an impressive collection of historical documents. This platform allows the research of individuals through the use of software, which allows you to create your own family tree, with almost 9 billion documents relating to the history of humanity. The service can be used by connecting via a PC or from an app for Android and iOS / iPadOS.

If you are using a PC, connect to the main Ancestry page, then click on the Search button located at the top right. At this point, you can enter, in the search mask that appears, Name, Surname, City and Year of birth of the person sought (further options are available from the drop-down menu next to it, called Show other options ). Once you have entered the data, press the button below Search: you will get a list of results, viewable by Documents or Categories, as well as manageable through the Filters located at the top left of the page.

If, on the other hand, you are using the Ancestry app for Android / iOS / iPadOS, you must first register: you will be able to enjoy the paid content, starting with a free 14-day trial or decide to keep a free account forever, but with more limitations. If you decide to try the service, press the central button Start, check the first box regarding privacy, tap Continue (bottom right), then enter your email address and then click Next.

Now write your name and surname, click on Next, choose your new password and, finally, click on Sign up. At this point, you can press the Ignore button at the top or on Start your free trial. I remind you that you can always change or cancel your subscription later, by accessing the Account section on the main screen of the app (bottom right).

Once you have made your choice, click on Ok, I understand!, at the end of the screen, and start creating your family tree, or click on Ignore, at the top right, and on Yes, to get to the main application screen.

Now, to carry out a search, press the button in the form of a magnifying glass in the menu bar below, then enter Name, Surname, and possibly Place of residence and Year of birth and press the Search button.

You will then get a list of people divided by obituary collection and source of information, customizable via the Settings menu, at the top right.

Find A Grave (Online / Android / iOS / iPadOS)

Find A Grave is a free portal dedicated to finding the graves of your ancestors or creating memorial pages by adding photos, virtual flowers and messages on the memorial page of loved ones. It allows you to browse cemetery documents to find both ordinary people and famous people around the world, and can be used without the need for registration, both from the website and from the app for Android and iOS / iPadOS.

With more than 180 million graves and half a million cemeteries, Find A Grave provides an extensive database for finding missing persons. If you are using your PC , visit the site using the link I gave you at the beginning of the paragraph: you will immediately notice that Find A Grave allows a quick search starting from its home page.

Enter, then, the First Name, the Surname, and possibly the Middle Name, the Year of birth, the Year of death and the location of the cemetery of the person you want to find. When you have completed your data entry, click the Search button next to the More Search Options menu (which include options regarding commemorative pages).

At this point, you will have access to a page with a list of results, each with a possible photo of the tomb, year of birth, year of death and the place of burial. If you click on one of the records, you will be able to access the detailed profile of the person in question. This card can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or via Email, by pressing the Share button on the left of the photo; alternatively you can save on Ancestry , in a virtual Cemetery made available by the site, Copy to the clipboard or Print, by clicking on the button save in place next to the + symbol.

If you are using the app for Android / iOS / iPadOS, press on the green icon in the shape of a tombstone with a question mark on the left of the main screen and enter the required data. The only mandatory data is the Surname, however also inserting the First Name and the Country can help to narrow the search results field.

Finally, press the Search button at the top right and you will have access to a list of results including name, surname, photo, year of birth, year of death and place of burial. If you tap on it, you will have access to the complete commemorative page: in addition to the aforementioned data, you will be able to find (if available) information on the family and any biography.

Newspaper Obituaries (Online)

Another way to verify the death of a person is to check the obituaries online: the sections of websites and newspapers dedicated to funeral announcements constitute a very rich and easily accessible free resource. Let’s see together some of the most popular newspapers on the national territory.

• Il Messaggero: founded in 1878, it is a historic newspaper based in Rome. After visiting the link I gave you, you can enter the name and surname of the person whose obituary to check in the search window (located to the right of the advertisements in publication), then click Find.
• La Repubblica: a renowned Italian newspaper based in Rome – By clicking on the link I gave you a moment ago, you will directly access the Necrologies section: you can explore it by entering the name and surname of the deceased in the search bar under the main menu, then clicking on Search. An Advanced Search can be carried out by pressing the appropriate button under the heading All obituaries, customizing the search by Newspaper and Publication Date.
• Il Corriere della Sera: is a famous Italian newspaper, founded in Milan in 1876. From the link I gave you, you will immediately reach the page where you can consult the obituaries, by entering Name, Place and Date in the box on the left of the page and clicking on the button below Search.