Wyoming Death Records and Death Index

It may surprise you to learn how often genealogists face this particular set of circumstances. They are aware of when their ancestor was born, when they may have married, when their children were born but they just can’t find out when they died.

There are a fair few instances where the only information missing is the death date which can be very frustrating. This is why knowing what death records may be available to you can be vital in your research.

It is important to note that one of the biggest issues in finding a death record can be looking in the wrong place. You may be surprised how often people miss records because they are looking in the wrong county and sometimes even the wrong state.

In this post we will be looking at Wyoming state death records and indexes to try and help you find those elusive ancestors. So if you are confident that your ancestor likely died in the state of Wyoming then read on and hopefully we can help you out.

About Wyoming

Wyoming was the 44^th state to join the Union having been admitted on July 10^th 1890. It is the 10^th largest state by area but with just over half a million residents it is the least populated of all the states.

This small population means that much of the state is still unspoiled wilderness, most notably the majority of Yellowstone National Park is located in the state. Wyoming also holds a place in political history as it was the first state to allow women to vote.

Social Security Death Index 1935 – 2014

All American citizens, naturalized immigrants and resident aliens require a Social Security number for proof of identification and authorization to work. This number follows us throughout our life and when we die this nine digit code is very important.

The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is a database of death records that was compiled from the United States Social Security Administration Death Master File. This was until 2014 when the rules changed and public access to the Death Master File had to take place through a certification program.

Those researching the deaths of ancestors in this state will likely find that most people who have died between 1936 and 2014 can be found on the Social Security Death Index. This does however only hold true if the person had a Social Security number when they died.

It is estimated that since 1973 the SSDI recorded 93% to 96% of the deaths of individuals aged 65 or over. The index was updated frequently and by June of 2011 there were 89,835,920 records available.

The index can be found on websites such as FamilySearch and Ancestry.com and offers details such as:

• Given name and surname (middle initial since the 1990s)
• Date of birth
• Month and year of death (Full date of death for accounts active after 2000)
• Social Security number
• State or territory Social Security number was issued
• Last place of residence when alive including ZIP code

Click here to search Social Security Death Index 1935 – 2014

U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

This is more or less an extension of the information you can find from the Social Security Death Index. It has been extracted from the SSDI records but features more details. It does not include all of the names found in the SSDI however but there are at least 49 million names included.

In this record you may find additional information such as:

• Date and place of birth
• Parents' names who, if deceased, would have been over 75 when you are viewing the records (may be redacted if under 75)
• Citizenship status
• Gender
• Sometimes race or ethnic group

Click here to search U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Wyoming Death Records Index, 1909-1969

This is a collection of vital record indexes from the Wyoming State Archives that have been gathered together on Ancestry.com. To view this collection you will need a suitable Ancestry membership. This is an index of deaths that occurred in the state between 1909 – 1969 but it only lists some basic details.

The things you might find out in this index include:

• Full name of Deceased
• Death place
• Cause of Death
• File Number
• Certificate number
• Age at death

The important piece of information is the certificate number as with this you can order a copy of the death certificate which will have far more detail including parents names and birthplaces.

Click here to search Wyoming Death Records Index, 1909-1969

Wyoming, Reclaim the Records, State Archives Vital Records Indexes, 1908-1966

This is a vital record index that has been compiled by Reclaim the Records and donated to FamilySearch who are a free genealogy website affiliated with the Mormon Church. It contains a death index, marriage index and divorce index.

The death index will offer the same kind of information as the ancestry collection above but only covers deaths between 1939 – 1952. Again you can find out the death certificate number from this index and order a copy of the original document for a fee.

Click here to search Wyoming, Reclaim the Records, State Archives Vital Records Indexes, 1908-1966

Indexes for Death Records, Cemeteries and Obituaries by County

When it comes to death indexes largely rural Wyoming does not have very many online options. If you start to look at the more local level however there are a few more options. Early deaths were recorded with the county rather than the state so there are more collections that may be county specific.

Conclusion

With a small population density the state of Wyoming takes a frontier attitude to life in many ways and this is reflected in the limited online presence of the state's genealogical records. There is a small set of death records to choose from especially when it comes to older records.

Neil Edwards

Genealogist and family-tree research specialist

Neil was born in Shropshire, England surrounded by centuries of living history. His interest in the past has been a lifelong passion leading to undergraduate degrees in both Economic History & Geography and History & Politics.

This interest in history quickly translated to family history when he moved to the U.S. in 2010. It was here that he began working on his own family tree as well as that of his American wife. That research allowed him to gain a wealth of experience working with both U.S. and European genealogical documents and studying their best uses in researching family history.

Following 9 years of honing his genealogical research skills, Neil was proud to have earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in late 2019. Neil also took part in the research process for a Duke University study into the families of 19th Century UK Members of Parliament.

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