Tech Forum

A close friend, who is a member, passed away a few years ago unbeknownst to anyone in the church, including myself. I know this because her information is on the social security death index and her obituary is posted online. In addition, I know the church doesn't have the information because it has not listed her death in the New Family Search.

It is my opinion that she was inactive at the time of death and no one in her ward at that time was aware of her death. How can I notify church headquarters of her death and have them check into it? Of course, they shouldn't just take my word for it but I would like them to confirm and then update her record (if need be).

If you have her last known address can you contact the Bishop there to confirm whether her records are/were in that ward? If they even knew she was in the ward, I would hope they had noticed her death. Maybe they didn't have her records. But it seems that would be the simplest place to start asking.

Another option:

Send a message within MLS to Membership and include as much information about the individual as you know (especially her full name and birth date). They can check to see if her death has been recorded on her membership record, wherever it is. If she is less active, it is entirely possible her record is in the "address unknown" file.

I do this from time to time when members tell me their less-active grown children (who don't reside in our ward) have moved to another city. I always receive a nice note back indicating they have moved the individuals to their correct new ward.