Helpful Information


Placing Newspaper Notices

The Brentwood Funeral Chapels supply obituary information to the Memphis daily newspaper, The Commercial Appeal. Your funeral director can assist you in completing this form. To see The Commercial Appeal online obituary page, click here.

We can also assist you with placing obituaries in additional papers.

Copies of the Original Death Certificate

Our funeral homes are responsible for originating and completing local death certificates. The physician or medical examiner is responsible for stating the cause of death and signing the certificate. Once we receive the completed certificate, it is then delivered to the Department of Health. To get certified copies of death certificates, the family of the deceased must contact the state and county where the death occurred.

In Tennessee

To order copies by mail from Tennessee Vital Records:

Mail your request to the office at the address shown below. For all requests for death records, please include a photocopy of a government issued form of identification, which includes the requestor's signature. Certificates requested through the mail are usually returned to the customer within four to six weeks of the day received. The certificate of a recent death is often not available from the Office of Vital Records until several weeks after the event. The cost is $7.00 per certified copy.

You will need to provide the following:
  • The type of certificate being requested (death certificate)
  • The name on the record
  • The date of death
  • The Tennessee city or county where the death occurred
  • The number of copies you want
  • A check or money order for the total amount, made payable to Tennessee Vital Records
  • Your signature and relationship to the person named on the record
  • A photocopy of a government issued form of identification which includes the signature of the requestor
  • The address to which the copies should be mailed
  • A daytime telephone number

Memphis and Shelby County Health Department

(for Shelby County deaths only)


Death Records
814 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105
Phone: (901) 544-7730


Tipton County Health Department

(for Tipton County deaths only)


4700 Mueller Brass Road
Covington, TN 38019
Phone: (901) 476-0235

Note: The health department will not accept out-of-state checks. Only money orders will be accepted if out-of-state.


In Mississippi

To order copies by mail from Mississippi Vital Records:

For fees, detailed instructions and to download an official application for certified copies of death certificates, click here.

Mailing address:

Public Health Statistics
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215-1700

To order online using a credit card, click here.

To order by phone from a private vital records service using a credit card, call (601) 576-7981.

To order in person, visit the Jackson Office and pay by cash, check or money order. The certificates will be mailed within 7 to 10 business days of ordering.

Mississippi Vital Records
571 E. Stadium Drive
Jackson, MS 39216

For vital records from other states, contact information is available online here.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm

Social Security Benefits

Social Security should be notified as soon as possible after the loss of a loved one. You may be entitled to certain allowances, including a one-time payment of $255 if you are the surviving spouse and were living with the beneficiary at the time of death. Or, if living apart, you were eligible for Social Security benefits on the beneficiary's earnings record for the month of death. Certain family members may also qualify for monthly benefits. Learn more by calling 1-800-772-1213. You will need the Social Security number of the deceased to confirm your eligibility. To find out more from Social Security Online, click here.

Veterans' Burial and Memorial Benefits

It is possible that you may be entitled to burial allowances provided by the U.S. Veterans Administration. If these allowances were not assigned to the funeral home at the time funeral and financial arrangements were completed, please contact the following agency to confirm eligibility or file a claim:

In Tennessee:

Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
215 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-2931

In Mississippi:

Jackson VA Regional Office
1600 E. Woodrow Wilson Avenue
Jackson, MS 39216
Phone: (601) 364-7000

For detailed information about burial benefits and eligibility requirements, click here.

You may also call 1-800-827-1000 to speak with a Veterans' Benefits Counselor about your eligibility.

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

For information on burial and survivor benefits for retired railroad employees from Tennessee, contact the local RRB office:

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
233 Cumberland Street
Memphis, TN 38112
Phone: (901) 544-3274

For information on burial and survivor benefits for retired railroad employees from Mississippi, contact the RRB district office:

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
1200 Cherry Brook Drive
Suite 500
Little Rock, AR 72211
Phone: (877) 772-5772