USA Death Certificate

[Puck]

I wonder if somebody can help.

Does a USA Death Certificate contain more information
than a UK one.  Would I get any Family History from
such a certificate or is it cause of death and place only.

I believe the cost to be 26 dollars

Is it worth sending for one? 

Thank you

Puck

[avm228]

The format and content of US death certificates varies according to both the date of issue and, most importantly, the State issuing them.  There has never been a central BMD registration system applied across the United States; it is a matter for individual States.

Generally speaking they are a great deal more informative than those issued in England & Wales.  One can often find parents' names and even parents' birthplaces included. See for example this page about Massachusetts vital records: http://www.mass-doc.com/massachusetts_vital_records_content.htm.

You may be able to find similar information online about the vital records of the State you are concerned with.

Anna

[shellyesq]

If you let us know what state and time frame you are looking to get the certificate from, maybe someone can give you specific information.  There also may be alternative/less expensive methods of obtaining it.

[Puck]

Thank you for your help.

I am looking for a time span of 1879 - jun 1963. 

Michigan is the last known place of abode.

I have looked on the Michigan site and found it
quite difficult to understand how to obtain and pay
for the certificate.  I am reluctant to use credit card
details on line.  I have a friend in the USA who will
obtain the certificate for me. 

But the questions is will it be worth it?

Thank you

Puck

[shellyesq]

There is a free database of Michigan death certificates from 1897-1920 here:  http://seekingmichigan.org/discover-collection?collection=p129401coll7 

There are also free Michigan death certificates from 1867-1897 here:  http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#start

So, if you're looking for anything in those time frames, don't pay for them.  Also, those will give you some idea of what information is available on the certificates.  I don't know anything about Michigan certificates otherwise, but generally more information is available on more recent vital records than older ones.

There are also some helpful links here:  http://www.deathindexes.com/michigan/index.html  If you can get an exact date of death, you could try to pursue an obituary to verify that you've got the right person before ordering the certificate.

[coombs]

Yes finding a death cert in America depends on the State and the time. Pennsylvania started keeping registrations of births and deaths from 1906 and Georgia in 1919. As America is such a large country a nationwide BMD index would be colossal if all the states sent quarterly returns of their BMDs.

What is the name of the person or people that you are interested in?

[coombs]

American death certs can also list a place and date of burial and mothers maiden names. Much more informative than UK ones.

[Puck]

Thank you all for your help.  I have been looking at the
sites you quote.

The family I am checking is Burrell and Jewell Frazier
Burrell died in 1963 and I believe Jewell died 1973.

Jewell Frazier was born in England in the Forest of Dean
in 1881.  Her maiden name was Julia ElizabethVaughan.

Julia/Jewell married Burrell Frazier in 1901? in Blackford
indiana and he was a Rail Road Yard Master.  They had
a son John.

I have them in the 1920 USA Census but have lost track
since.  I have found an entry on Ancestry giving the
date of Burrell's death.

I wondered if the Death Certificate could tell me more about
Jewell Vaughn, residence. etc. I have also lost track of Jewell's Mother Julia (Hewlett) Vaughn.  Her husband William Henry Vaughan returned to UK in 1890 with some of the Children.

The name is spelt Vaughan/Vaughn.

I await to see if you can help

Puck

[shellyesq]

An article in the Mansfield (Ohio) News from 27 Sep. 1922 states that "Burrell A. Frazier, who has been general yard-master for the Pennsylvania system in this city for ten years, left last evening, accompanied by his wife for Detroit, where he will take a better position with the same company, and make his future home."  A WWI Draft Registration card lists Burrell's middle name as Arthur, gives the same birth date as the Social Security death index has for him, and has him working as the yard master for Penna. RR Co., so that seems to match.

They also show up in a 1920 city directory for Mansfield here:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohrichla/1920Directory/202.jpg

One thing to keep in mind is that Michigan death certificates only cover people who died in Michigan.  I see Burrell on the Social Security Death Index with a last residence of Michigan, but without further information about his place of death, it's possible that he died while in another state.  I see a Jewell E. Frazier on the Michigan death index who died in 1974 in Allen Park, Wayne Co., so if that's her, then she did die in Michigan.