I was finally able to track down a death certificate for my great-grandfather's brother and sister! Congratulations to me!
At last, I have a date of birth, place of birth, parents' names, and date and place of death.
I had recently discovered these particular ancestors lived and died in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. Using the genealogy website www.familysearch.org, I was able to find a copy of both of their death certificates.
Evelyn Truman Smith is a son of James Smith and Sarah Benge, His death certificate actually states his father's name was Jim Smith.
Miranda (Mirandy) Smith Thornton, is a daughter of James and Sarah Benge. Her death certificate states her father's name was Jimmy Smith. She married Egbert Winfield Thornton.
My direct ancestor is Horace Everett Smith, his Mississippi death certificate states his father was James Smith.
The place of burial is very important to your research. You may be able to locate spouses, children, and other relatives.
By comparing all three of these records, I am confident I have the correct names for their parents, including Sarah's maiden name! This allowed me to travel backward one more generation in her family.
I am now searching for obituaries for this Smith line to see who, if any, survivors are. The obituary could contain other clues to the parents. I have been trying for many years to confirm the parents of James (Jim, Jimmy) Smith. Being that he died in 1896, there most likely will not be a death record. The only mention of his death I have uncovered is in Sarah's widow's pension record.
Other vital records you need to search for are birth records, marriage records, military records, Bible records, census records, and even court records. The court records could be a divorce record, will, land deed, or land transfer.
If you are not fortunate enough to find your record online, you may need to contact the county or state vital records office.
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