Use information from the Social Security Death Index (SSDI)

The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is a database of deaths in the United States, and it contains a wealth of information just waiting to be discovered. In some cases, this includes details about the cause of death. There are numerous online tools that can assist you in searching for Social Security death records.

Start by looking for family members whose names you already know. You'll learn about their last known address, zip code, and date of death. You could supplement this with local obituaries to learn more. If you have an unusual surname, such as a Jewish surname, it may be worthwhile to conduct a general surname search. If your initial search yields too many results, you can narrow it down by using keywords and other parameters.