Genealogy / Seeking Michigan adds new death records

[Crystal]

Big news for genealogy researchers! From the Archives of Michigan:

The Archives of Michigan is thrilled to announce that images of Michigan death certificates from 1921-1939 are now available for free at Seeking Michigan: http://seekingmichigan.org/ The index for records from 1940-1952 will be made available in the next few weeks, with additional certificate images to be released each year as privacy restrictions are lifted; for example, 1940 images will be released in January 2016. Together with the records from 1897-1920 that have been available at the site for years, this collection makes Seeking Michigan the one-stop destination for more than 2.6 million free, publicly-available 20th century death records for Michigan ancestors.

This 1921-1952 collection of death certificates and indexes, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Community Health and FamilySearch, covers a critical period in the growth and development of Michigan. Here, researchers will find evidence of the influx of Eastern European immigration, the emergence of Detroit as the automotive capital of the world, and a state crippled by the Great Depression. Those ancestors that immigrated to Michigan, worked the assembly line, and struggled to make ends meet can all be found here.

An individual’s last name, first name, county and township/village/city of death, birth year, age, and parents’ names are all indexed and searchable. Additional information, including the decedent’s occupation, cause of death, burial location, and birthplace is listed on the certificate itself.

Michigan death records from 1897-1952 are now all in one place, for free! And, as luck would have it, Seeking Michigan is also celebrating its 6th birthday today.

Enjoy and happy searching!

[Ray1936]

Great info, Crystal. Bookmarked!

[1953]

Yes, thanks so much!

[Chicago48]

I just tested the site and it has a long way to go with its search features. Very unlikely to find someone by name. I hope they get it together and make it easy to search like ancestry.com.

[Crystal]

In the past 24 hours several of my fellow genealogy researchers have found ancestors' 1921-1939 DCs.

A DC lists not only the DOB, DOD, and cause of death, but usually also the home address, where interred, spouse's name, and parents' names and birthplaces.

I've found sad information as well, including a drowning [[listed as accidental) on Belle Isle, drowning [[listed as suicide) in the Tittabawassee River, a baby's death from an accidental overdose of morphine during childbirth, and another suicide [["Gunshot wound of head, Despondent over ill health".)

There are also many, so many, deaths from childhood illnesses we rarely see today: diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, others.

Keep in mind that there will be transcription errors and search accordingly. For example, if you're looking for Schulte, search for Schultz as well.

It's a valuable, fascinating resource that can fill in holes in family trees.

[Ray1936]

I've had no problem searching. Also no problem in reducing size to printable version.

[Wintersmommy]

Ha I came here to ask a question about info I found on a DC last night and low and behold there is an thread about it. The seeking Michigan website is invaluable to genealogists!! so can anyone tell me what was at 500 John R. in 1902? tying to find out if an ancestor was killed on the job or if he died at a hospital located at this address ...anyone with a directory able to tell me ?

[jcole]

Ha I came here to ask a question about info I found on a DC last night and low and behold there is an thread about it. The seeking Michigan website is invaluable to genealogists!! so can anyone tell me what was at 500 John R. in 1902? tying to find out if an ancestor was killed on the job or if he died at a hospital located at this address ...anyone with a directory able to tell me ?

500 John R is now 3800 John R which is now smack in the middle of Wayne State; near the corner of John R and Alexandrine

[Wintersmommy]

500 John R is now 3800 John R which is now smack in the middle of Wayne State; near the corner of John R and Alexandrine

hmm any one know what was at 500 John R in the early 1900's? My ancestor is listed as being a machinist and died of an injury at work to his shoulder. im wondering if the address was the machine shop or a hospital or a home

[mikefmich]

This is great news to see the actual records for another chunk of history.

Been using that site for a long time. The search engine, like any takes a little getting use to, but one can trick it out and find good stuff. I've never had a problem, and it doesn't even remotely come close to the shit hole search engine that ancestry has.

[lpg]

Found my grandfather on my dad's side. Also my dad's little brother who died of diphtheria just shy of his 3rd birthday.

[Maof]

i'm having a hard time locating death records of family. it says to go to advance search than to search from all fields such as "given name". i don't see that option. any ideas?

[jcole]

hmm any one know what was at 500 John R in the early 1900's? My ancestor is listed as being a machinist and died of an injury at work to his shoulder. im wondering if the address was the machine shop or a hospital or a home

According to Polk, 3800 John R was Harper Hospital in 1928

[Wintersmommy]

According to Polk, 3800 John R was Harper Hospital in 1928

awesome thank you ! ...looks like it was Harper hospital in 1902 as well so very solid chance he died in the hospital after the accident at the shop

[Detroitnerd]

I can't find my great-grandfather in this DB. And I know he died within that year range. What gives?

[jcole]

I can't find my great-grandfather in this DB. And I know he died within that year range. What gives?

There are often transcription errors; try spelling the name a couple different ways. Or perhaps they used his middle name rather than his first.

[Crystal]

Not all the records are uploaded yet.

[dtowncitylover]

I've found sad information as well, including a drowning [[listed as accidental) on Belle Isle, drowning [[listed as suicide) in the Tittabawassee River, a baby's death from an accidental overdose of morphine during childbirth, and another suicide [["Gunshot wound of head, Despondent over ill health".)

It is sad, Crystal. Found my grandpa's uncle who came up from Tennessee to attend U of M and graduated, then died at the age of 25 after an operation. First in his family to attend and a bright life cut short.

[Crystal]

It's been a thoughtful, sometimes emotional, few days, that's for sure. The DCs have given family, friends, and other correspondents much new information, some of it completely unexpected. There are deaths from botched abortions, [[more) murders and suicides, many deaths from infection, deaths during childbirth, and one of my uncles is now known to have died at 6 months at Henry Ford Hospital from "hydrocephalus due to birth injury".


A grandfather thought to have been in Indian born in then Oklahoma territory now looks to be Caucasian [[from the photos) and was born in Arkansas. Just this morning we learned the grandfather was a hero of WWI, and there is a glowing write up about him in a commemorative book about " ... the gallant and courageous men from Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, U.S.A., who served in the World War 1917-1918-1919".

[kathy2trips]

Thank you, Crystal! I've got some family mysteries to solve and this is just the ticket. I'll make sure my relatives get this link, too. We appreciate this!

[Ray1936]

Most interesting. Came across the death certificate for Hazen S. Pingree, one of Detroit's most famed mayors. Cause of death: "Natural causes. Some disease which was not infectious." Well, that narrows it down.......

[Crystal]

From the Seeking Michigan web site:

Death of an Idol
After two terms Pingree left office and traveled to Africa for a safari and to study the Boer War. He fell sick and died in London before he could return home. Twenty-five thousand people attended his funeral in Detroit, and the aforementioned Pingree statue in Grand Circus Park was dedicated three years later. To many of his contemporaries, this early Progressive reformer was indeed an “idol of the people.”

[Brock7]

I haven't had any luck finding my paternal grandfather's death certificate although with use of the asterik as a wild card and only the initial and final letters of his last name I believe my search was broad enough that it should have been found. He drowned in 1925. I've always thought it occured locally, but now I wonder if perhaps it was on the Windsor side or elsewhere. Does anyone know if death certificates were regularly filed for Michigan citizens whose deaths occurred outside of Michigan as in the case of Hazen Pingree?

[mikefmich]

I've had a field day x3 so far. Filling in a LOT of gaps, and finding folks that had been MIA. Very glad to have this. It's been great for my Vo[[a)kes people.

[jcole]

I haven't had any luck finding my paternal grandfather's death certificate although with use of the asterik as a wild card and only the initial and final letters of his last name I believe my search was broad enough that it should have been found. He drowned in 1925. I've always thought it occured locally, but now I wonder if perhaps it was on the Windsor side or elsewhere. Does anyone know if death certificates were regularly filed for Michigan citizens whose deaths occurred outside of Michigan as in the case of Hazen Pingree?

Some cities have their own archives for death certificates. I know Dearborn is one of those and we had to go to their city hall to get my father in laws certificate.