Searching collections:
Introducing the Michigan Death Records Collection
Welcome to Seeking Michigan! As a partner in the site, The Library of Michigan is excited to make these Michigan death certificates for the years 1897 to 1920 freely available online. The years 1915 to 1920 are particularly significant, as a readily available statewide index did not exist previously.
There are terrific ancestral discoveries just waiting to be made in this statewide collection. Take Guy Robinson, for example. His death certificate is exceptionally detailed, even more so than usual. Guy died 17 May 1914 in Delta Township, Eaton County. In addition to both his parents’ names (his mother’s maiden name, too), the certificate identifies his mother’s specific county of birth – Dodge County, Wisc. Guy’s father’s birthplace is even more specific – Woodland Township, Barry County, Mich., as is his own – Oneida Township, Eaton County, Mich. Guy’s burial was at Union Cemetery in Eaton County, perhaps at a family plot there. The certificate’s informant was Guy’s father, Loell Robinson, giving a certain validity to the information. If this were your “Guy,” you’d be ecstatic.
Currently, there are about 250,000 of the approximately 1,000,000 certificates on this site, or about 25 percent of the total collection. We’ll be adding additional records regularly in the next few weeks, so check back often.
So what years and counties are here? The list below details what records are currently available; [incomplete] means that particular county (or Detroit) is not yet fully loaded, not that the whole run of counties listed is incomplete. Remember that the Library of Michigan will be regularly adding records in the coming weeks.
1901:
- Lenawee – Midland [incomplete]
- Detroit [incomplete]
1902:
- Alcona – St. Clair
1904:
- Detroit [incomplete]
1905:
- St. Joseph – Wexford
- Detroit [incomplete]
1911
- Gratiot – Ionia [incomplete]
1912:
- Menominee – Washtenaw [incomplete]
- Detroit [incomplete]
1913:
- Alcona – Crawford
- Midland – Wexford
1914:
- Alcona – WexfordDetroit [incomplete]
1915:
- Alcona – Wexford
1916:
- Berrien [incomplete]
- Delta – Gratiot [incomplete]
- Lapeer [incomplete] – Detroit [incomplete]
1917:
- Genesee [incomplete] – Wexford
1918:
- Alcona – Berrien [incomplete]
- Kalamazoo [incomplete] – Wexford
- Detroit [incomplete]
We hope you enjoy Seeking Michigan and wish you happy searching. I hope you find your “Guy!”
Hi! I simply love the work y’all have done! So many questions have been answered!
One correction needed … “Sarah A Chevogran” d. 4.1.1910, Clare Co. is really Sarah A Cherryman. Anyway, to make that correction?
Thanx!
Mary
I have exausted my limits in search of the death of Noah Huffman. I only know what is on his tombstone in the Wyllis-Sebring cemetery in Hillsdale County:
1857-1897
i have good info on his wife, Frances, and his children, Noah Frank and Emma. Any help would be appreciated.
My browser does not allow me to go directly to the county I am looking for for death records. Any advice?
Looking for death record of Christin Rush, last know addess was Ferris, Montcalm, Michigan. This was 1920. Can’t find anything after that, he did not appear on 1930 census with his wife. Any help would be appreciated. He was born in 1851 in Lenawee, Michigan.
I like the idea of putting all the death cert. on here and have found 2 that i have been looking for.But i am looking for one That died after 1930 in Wayne . Are there going to be any others released.
John –
The collection here (1897-1920) is based on our current holdings available here at the Library of Michigan. We’re always looking for new additions to the site, but at this point, we’re only going up to 1920.
For a post-1920 death certificate, you would need to contact the State Vital Records Office or the Wayne County Clerk.
Post 1920-indexes to many Michigan counties can be found at the FamilySearch site, but I don’t believe Wayne is part of that. Still, you may want to take a look.
Also, the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library has an outstanding index to Detroit deaths, starting with 1920.
Thanks for your interest in the Seeking Michigan site.
We’ve been making corrections to the index for the death records collection here. As you would expect, we have a lot of suggested corrections from researchers, but please note that any changes made will be based on the information on the certificate itself, not the information as it should be.
Also, there are several larger problems – missing counties, etc. – to contend with, so we appreciate your patience as we work to make this index and database the best that it can be. Happy searching!
Ihave been searching for a death certificate on your web site for a William Harrison, who died 8 May 1908 Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, with out any success. Do you have the Grand Rapids deaths on your web site yet??
Regards Keith F Fox
Keith –
Yes, the 1908 Grand Rapids deaths are there. I didn’t see one for William Harrison on 8 May 1908, but there is one for 30 May 1908. he was born in 1824, and his parents’ names were William and Anne; perhaps this is your William.
Good luck!
ok I’am new to this but I cant figure out how to get to the death certificates help please
Laura –
The easiest way is to click on the red Seek tab along the top of the home page. You can then search up to 4 fields at once, just be sure to select a field with “Death Records” in it from the dropdown menus on the right. You will then be searching just the Death Records collection. Good luck!
Do you know when the Kalamazoo death record for 1909 will be added or are they a “missing in action” year. They are there for the year prior and after. I’ve been hoping to find the record for Ann Eliza (Harris) Allen who died in 1909, probably in Prairie Ronde where she lived almost all her life. She was born 13 Sep 1823 and is buried in Harrison Cemetery in/near Prairie Ronde. Thanks.
I am looking for a deathe certificate for:
Thomas Featherstone
birth: 16 Apr 1838
death: 3 Mar 1895
I am out of state and I am at loss. Help
Janis –
Michigan death records from 1867-1897 can be found online at familysearch.org. Good luck!
So very cool!! I found about 12 death certificates of family members and learned the names of some I feared lost. THANKS for this great site
Correction should be made to a death record indexed as “Jane Kriegston”, died June 25, 1903, The surname should be “Kingston” – as Jane Kingston, widow of Samuel, who died 25 June 1903 in Wayne Co., MI.
Is there a way to make a correction on a transcription error on a death record? i found one for James Salley b.Dec. 29,1899 d. Jan.11, 1900 that was indexed as James Salby. Please correct to the surname of Salley.
A big chunk of the previously-missing death records will start appearing.
Alcona, Alger, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Barry, Bay, Benzie, and Berrien from 1908. Ionia, Iosco, Iron, and Isabella from 1909.
More coming in the next few days, including the missing Detroit and Wayne County records from 1911.
Thanks for your patience, and happy searching!
All of the previously-missing death records have now been added – including Wayne & Macomb counties from 1911. To the best of my knowledge, this collection is now complete. Enjoy!
Please let us know if you find a record with a transcription error, we want the index to be the best it can be.
Thanks again for your patience, and enjoy the now-completed database.
I found the grave location for Bertha C. Campbell at the Detroit’s Woodmere Cemetery Records site, but can’t find her death certificate on this site? Can’t seem to find her on familysearch.org either. I’m trying to ensure I have the proper Bertha C. Campbell
Bertha C (Osborne) Campbell, late of River Rouge, died Aug. 16, 1897, buried at Woodmere Cemetery Aug. 20, 1897 at section A, Lot 727, Grave No. 17.
Husband: Duncan Campbell
Father: Robert Osborne
Mother: Elida Fairweather
There were two Bertha Campbell’s buried in the Woodmere Cemetery — Bertha Campbell, 3 death certificates found
— Bertha C. Campbell, nothing found
Is there any way to make corrections and send them to you? It is very hard to read the names on the death certificates but I have noticed some that have been “translated” incorrectly. I was just reading Alexander Agens died 1906 Mason co. The person reading it put down the middle name as UPSON but it is MASON. I have found several of these with mistakes but don’t know what to do with them. I am not talking about the mistakes that the clerk made but the translator from the U of M. Thanks
Hi Many people are looking for the death date for John Wintermute Daon(e) Possible died in Huron County Michigan in the 1890’s Buried in Columbia Twp Cemetary in Unionville Tuscola county His wife was Mary Ann Goodman buried in Bad Axe Huron County. Parents were Moses DOane & Mary Wintermute Where do we look???? Thanks Sam Gale
Looking for any death information of a Samuel Berryman. b.Cornwall Eng 1843. Ended up in Adams/Franklin townships working in the copper mines. Has disappeared. Cannot find any records since 1880 census. Wife Eliza and children back to Pennsylvania in the 1990 census. She buried there.One child was my grandmother. Searched the county records mentioned/genealogysocietys/historical ect. Mining records distroyed. Believe his death is natural/accident or suicide. Any help/suggestions/ appreciated.
I am seeking information on a Fredricka Topp (spelled many ways.) She died in October 1920. Trying to find a death certificate. Believe she died in Detroit. Would appreciate any information.
Please furnish any other information on this individual that you may have.
Birth Date or age
Fathers Name
Thanks
I have been trying to find an obit for my grandfather John Charles Matson. We believe he died in 1915 somewhere in Houghton County. He moved around a lot for work. He lived
in Winona until his wife Julia who died Sept 4, 1903 and daughter Edith Matila Linnea died in 1904. they were buried
at Lakeside cemetery in Hancock. So I would think he was
buried there also. I haven’t been able to find any death
information for him. His son Lloyd H. J. Mattson was raised
by foster parents so I would think they probably took care of John’s funeral as they were in contact.
Any help you can give me would be tremendously appreciated.
Thank you.
There was a time when one could find the free searches. Now a long drawn out song and dance has to be done to find them. I won’t be back.
M. W. Ronquist,
I’ll confess to some confusion on your comment. All of the searches on this site are free and always have been. The search box is still the left section of our home page ( http://seekingmichigan.org/ ) and always has been. More complex searches – and searches of individual collections – can be done by clicking on “Search Advanced.”
Guy Robinson in this death certificate if my grandfather’s brother. I never knew about him until today.
I agree with “M W Ronquist”, what a TERRIBLE site to navigate. Hey BOB! the link you provide in your response http://seekingmichigan.org/ does not provide a search box to the left as you say. So I must confess to some confusion on YOUR comment. If one tries to access the death records like a new visitor to the site would through the Discover/Death Records drop-down tab it takes you to http://cdm16317.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p129401coll7 which has no search box but 971,852 records you would have to browse through to find the record of interest. If you go to the main site a click on death records again like a new visitor would it takes you to http://seekingmichigan.org/discover/death-records which again provides no search box just a bunch of descriptions that tell you nothing. Again, you can click browse if you wish to search through the 971,852 records. Hidden at the top of the pages is a search box and an advanced search. That is what people want/need. But you hide it on people, maybe Bob has time to browse through 971,00 records but most people don’t. So if you need to search for a death record find the small advanced search link at the top of the page or you will need to search through ancestry.com ($) to find the link of the person you are searching.
The search button is on the RIGHT, so I misspoke (or “mistyped”) in that instance. My apologies for any confusion.
As for the rest – We are currently having some difficulties, and these are of a recent nature. We are aware of the issues and are working to correct them.
I have been trying to locate some death certificates for relatives buried in Alemna Township Cemetery in Van Burean County. All died between 1897 and 1920 and there is nothing on the Seeking Michigan site for them.
Thank you
I’ve been searching for my great great grandfather for years and think I finally found him.. thanks much!