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Tennessee deaths

Much genealogical information can be gleaned from death certificates and obituaries.

Knox County Cross Index Search

The Knox County cross index search will search all the locally produced Knox County databases at one time from one location.

The databases produced by the Knox County Archives include the Knox County Chancery Court index, Knox County Circuit Court index, Knox County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions index, Knox County delayed birth registrations index, Knox County marriages index, Knox County divorces index, Knox County naturalizations index, Knox County wills and estate settlements, and the Hamilton District Superior Court of Law and Equity.

The databases produced by the McClung Historical Collection include the Knoxville obituary index 1885-1906, which indexes the Knoxville Journal and the Knoxville obituary index 1991 - present, which indexes the Knoxville Journal's obituaries for 1990 (after which they ceased publication) and the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1990 to present.

Knoxville Military Cemeteries

From the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs, this website has information about Knoxville National Cemetery with a link to the national grave locator and a map of the cemetery.

Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery on Lyons View Pike and East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery on John Sevier Highway may also be searched on this website.

Knoxville Obituary Index 1885 - 1906

This index covers obituaries from the Knoxville Journal from 1885 to 1906. Information included is surname, date the obituary ran and the page number. Also included can be given name or names, age, or county/state of death. There are many obituaries that do not include first names; these obituaries usually have another identifier, for instance, Mrs., Mr., child, infant, daughter, or son. Also, there are many obituaries of people who died out of county or out of state but had a connection to Knoxville.
Please contact McClung by phone, mail or email to request a copy of the obituary. There is a $3.00 fee for up to three obituaries, which can come from either of the two obituary databases.

Knoxville Obituary Index 1991 to present

This index covers obituaries from the Knoxville papers—the Knoxville Journal in 1991 (after which it ceased publication) and the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1991 to present. There can be up to a 4 month delay in adding to the database. Information included can be surname, given name and additional names (middle name, maiden name), age, and the date of the most complete obituary that ran in the newspaper. Residents of surrounding counties frequently appear in the Knoxville paper. Please contact McClung by phone, mail or email to request a copy of the obituary. There is a $3.00 fee for up to three obituaries, which can come from either of the two obituary databases.

Tennessee Death Certificates at FamilySearch

FamilySearch provides free access to Tennessee death certificates from 1914 - 1966. In order to view the actual death certificate, you will need to sign in. Follow the directions on the site to set up your acccount.

Tennessee Death Certificates at McClung

The McClung Collection has Tennessee Death Certificates and index of the death certificates on microfilm for all of Tennessee for the years 1914 - 1965.

Tennessee Records on Ancestry.com

Tennessee State Library and Archives has partnered with ancestry.com to provide Tennessee Death Records 1908–1958, City Death Records 1872–1923, Delayed Birth Records 1869–1909, City Birth Records 1881–1915, 1891 Enumeration of Male Voters, North Carolina and Tennessee Early Land Records 1783–1895, North Carolina and Tennessee Revolutionary War Land Warrants, Wills and Probate Records 1779–2008, and Tennessee Supreme Court Case Index 1809–1950. These are available without charge to Tennessee residents, but you must sign in to view the certificates. Follow instructions to set up your account.