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 gives a death on 1 Oct 1938 in Waukegan, Lake County, for Mary W. Wood, born 20 Apr 1861, which matches the claimed date, place and birth year. The surname differs (Wood vs Bentley), so the link depends on Wood being a married name or a later surname. Without the image or a spouse name, identity is plausible but not confirmed.
Matches: Death date 1 Oct 1938 matches the claim; Death place Waukegan, Lake, Illinois matches the claim; Birth 20 Apr 1861 fits the 1861 birth year in the claim; Given name Mary W. matches
Flags: Surname in the index is Wood, not Bentley (possibly a married name or a different person)
Limits: Index entry only; no image was read; Surname difference is not explained; there is no spouse or parent information to link Mary W. Wood to Mary W. Bentley; Birthplace Brooklyn is not stated in the claim, so it cannot be checked; Illinois death index records do not give parents or a spouse, so identity rests on name, birth year and death details