Illinois, U.S., Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947

Image ID: FHL 1818997. index only, image not read

Validator (claude-sonnet-5-5, 2026-10-28): consistent, confidence 2/4, tier index.
The index lists Mary W. Wood, born 20 Apr 1861 in Brooklyn, died 1 Oct 1938 in Waukegan. The birth date and place match the claim, and the death year fits the 1861–1938 span. The surname differs (Wood vs Bentley), which would fit a marriage but is not shown here, so identity rests on the date and given names. The index does not state a maiden name.
Matches: Birth date 20 Apr 1861 matches the claim exactly; Birthplace Brooklyn matches Brooklyn, Kings, New York (Brooklyn is in Kings County); Death year 1938 matches the claimed 1861–1938 lifespan; Given name Mary and middle initial W match
Flags: Surname in the index is Wood, not Bentley; this is probably a married name, but the index does not say so
Limits: Index entry only; image not read; Index gives only 'Brooklyn', so state and county are inferred; Does not state maiden name or parents, so it cannot confirm that Mary W. Wood is the same person as Mary W. Bentley; Index entries give a birth date as reported by an informant on the death certificate, not a contemporary birth record