I finally found (who I believe to be) my GGF in the 1940 census-there are 2 bits of info I need now and have exhausted my research skills. The census states he was naturalized in 1905 and he was 70 in 1940 in NY, but can find no record of death. I have spent hours searching ancestry, familysearch, findagrave, genealogybank, heritagequest, italiangen, stevemorse, google to name a few.
Can anyone suggest other avenues to search for death record- I would think that at 70 living in NY the likelyhood that he moved elsewhere at this stage of his life would be slim- so I would guess he probably passed in NY. I have been checking the whole country but wondered if he went back to Italy- seems unlikely to me.
or naturalization info?
I found a couple of entries in ancestry for naturalization but all they had was volume and page- so no way that I know of to tell if it is the right man.
Any suggestions would be helpful-
Thanks!
I found my GFs death information by contacting the few Catholic cemeteries in the NYC area. You can then get the date of internment, and then request a death certificate from wherever death archives are in that area.
I would start with the vital statistics repository of his last known residence. I mailed away for my GGF Death Certificate from the City of Newton (MA) and that was the first document I found that listed his birthplace. Genealogy sites are great, but offices that keep the primary source documents are where I have had the most success.
Happy hunting!