My friend, Jeff Bockman, just posted an article on death records at this “Genealogy According to Jeff” website. Click on the Deaths link under the Death heading to read all about it. Following is a teaser.
Few people are fortunate enough to have been left a small fortune by a wealthy relative when they died. A researcher may, 
however, find a wealth of information in the records created when their ancestors died. These can include: Home Records, a Jurisdictional Death Certificate, Newspaper stories and obituaries, a Burial Permit, Funeral Home Records, Cemetery Records, Tombstone Inscriptions, Probate Records, and possibly Church Records or Military Records. There could also be Coroner Records if someone died in an accident, and Police or Court records if their death was caused by foul play.
Read the article at GATJ.
