For the Record: newsletter of the Illinois State Archives, & the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board, Secretary of State & State Archivist

              In a boon to genealogists and historians, Secretary of State
Jesse White’s Web site now offers an index listing of death
certificates in Illinois for the years 1916 through 1950. Death
certificates contain valuable information to researchers,
including the deceased person's full name, date of death,
marital status, birth date and birthplace, occupation, and
father and mother's names.
"My office has tried to make more information available
online for researchers and genealogists," said Secretary
White. "The Illinois Statewide Death Index is the 51st one
made available on my office’s Web site.”
The database begins in 1916, the first year the state was
mandated to keep death records. From 1877 to 1916, only
county governments were responsible for recording deaths.
Therefore, researchers seeking information about a death
during that time period need to contact the appropriate
County Clerk’s office of the county in which a person died.
Before 1877, death records were not publicly maintained.
The database ends with the year 1950 because of a state law
mandating a 50-year waiting period before death records are
available to the public. The database will be updated annually.
Other online databases on the Secretary of State Web site
include the Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900, lists of
Illinois soldiers who fought in 19th century wars, and various
county and city records. Many of the databases, including the
Statewide Death Index, are merely lists that acknowledge a
record exists. A researcher must then request a copy of an
actual record from the Archives or local government entity.
Non-certified copies of death certificates for the years 1916-
1950 may be obtained by contacting the State Archives or the
appropriate County Clerk’s office. Requests to the State
Archives are processed within about six to seven weeks.
Death certificates are provided only for persons who were
age 25 or older at the time of death.
Certified copies of Illinois death certificates, usually sought
for legal purposes, may be obtained from the Illinois
Department of Public Health for $17. Please address requests
for certified copies to:
Illinois Department of Public Health
535 W. Jefferson St. • Springfield, IL 62761
217-782-4977 • 217-782-3987 (fax)
For the
Fall 2002
Newsletter
of the
Illinois
State
Archives
&
The Illinois
State Historical
Records
Advisory Board
Jesse White
Secretary of State
&
State Archivist
Volume 16
Number 3
www.cyberdriveillinois.com
New genealogical tool on Secretary of State Web site
Three new resources are available through the Illinois State Archives. The Illinois Statewide
Death Index, 1916-1950, is now online, allowing researchers to access this valuable resource
from the comfort of home or work.
In the past, the Archives has made the Illinois portion of each decennial U.S. census available as
they are released by the federal government. This year, the 1930 census was released and is
available for viewing in the reading room at the Margaret Cross Norton Building in Springfield.
Finally, since 1982, my office has published several historical teaching packages to be integrated into Illinois classrooms.
The latest one, Hard Times In Illinois, 1930-1940 — a historical account of the Depression era — has been distributed to
some 1,410 schools across the state.
As State Archivist, I pride myself in providing the people of Illinois access to the most up-to-date historical and archival
documents available. I hope you find these new resources valuable in your genealogical or historical projects.
Jesse White
Secretary of State & State Archivist
Secretary of State Jesse White