Look

A leisurely Look at Michigan’s stories and traditions from yesterday to yesteryear.

Onward! The Million Record March Continues

By Kris Rzepczynski, Library of Michigan | March 31, 2009

A significant number of Michigan death records were added this week to the Death Records, 1897-1920 collection. With this second batch of records now loaded, the project is now about 2/3 complete; currently, there are about 660,000 of the approximately 1,000,000 certificates on this site. We’ll continue adding records regularly in the next few weeks, so check back often.

One death record of note is of Elijah E. Myers. Do you know who he is? You wouldn’t know it from his death certificate, but Myers was a leading American architect in the late 1800’s, designing dozens of buildings across the United States, including many here in Michigan. Among his many achievements includes the Michigan State Capitol, the old Grand Rapids City Hall, Lansing High School, as well as the Colorado and Texas State Capitols.

From his certificate, we can see he was born in Pennsylvania, died in Detroit on March 5, 1909, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery; both of Myers’ parents’ names are also revealed. Given Myers’ architectural achievements, it is interesting that his death certificate does not indicate his occupation.

So what years and counties are now here at Seeking Michigan? 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, so check back often.

Several years are now complete for the entire state: 1902-1903, 1905-1906, 1912, 1915, and 1917; plus, several years are nearly complete: 1904, 1907, 1914, and 1918

1901:

Lenawee – Shiawassee [incomplete]
Detroit [incomplete]

1902 & 1903:

Alcona – Wexford

1904:

Alcona – Wexford
Detroit [incomplete]

1905 & 1906:

Alcona – Wexford

1907

Alcona – Wexford
Wayne & Detroit [incomplete]

1908

Berrien [incomplete] – Delta [incomplete]
Monroe [incomplete] – Ottawa [incomplete]
Sanilac [incomplete] – Wexford
Wayne & Detroit [incomplete]

1909

Alcona – Bay [incomplete]
Ingham – Kent [incomplete]
Montcalm [incomplete] – Wexford

1910

Alcona – Houghton [incomplete]
Jackson [incomplete] – Kent [incomplete]
Macomb [incomplete] – Sanilac [incomplete]
Wayne – Wexford
Detroit [incomplete]

1911:

Gratiot – Lenawee
Oscoda – St. Clair [incomplete]
Wayne & Detroit [incomplete]

1912:

Alcona – Wexford

1913:

Alcona – Crawford
Midland – Wexford

1914:

Alcona – Wexford
Detroit [incomplete]

1915:

Alcona-Wexford

1916:

Berrien [incomplete] – Delta
Gratiot [incomplete] – Lapeer [incomplete]
Mason – Oakland [incomplete]
Wayne & Detroit [incomplete]

1917:

Alcona – Wexford

1918:

Alcona – Wexford
Detroit [incomplete]

1919

Delta [incomplete] – Lenawee [incomplete]

1920

Detroit [incomplete]

Thanks for your interest in Seeking Michigan, and we wish you success in your research!

Comments

Kris Rzepczynski

March 31st, 2009 : 9:58 am

Records are still loading as I type this, so please be patient if you don’t find what you’re looking for right away.

Several years are now complete. Happy searching!
Miriam Robbins Midkiff

March 31st, 2009 : 12:21 pm

I really appreciate the list of what is available. It keeps my frustration levels down and helps me to focus my searches on the counties and years that are available.

For someone who lives out of state and has literally dozens of direct ancestors and thousands of relatives that will appear in this collection, this is a priceless treasure. Kudos to the many people whose hard work makes this possible.

Appreciatively,
Miriam Robbins Midkiff
Genealogist, Michigan descendant
Spokane, Washington, USA
Kris Rzepczynski

March 31st, 2009 : 1:26 pm

Miriam -

Thanks for your comments. We look to have everything done in the coming weeks, that will certainly keep my frustration levels down!

Be sure to check back often….
Mrs. Haines

March 31st, 2009 : 3:09 pm

Thank you for the new information. I have found my
great-great grandmother’s death and my great-great-great
grandmother’s death certificates in Mason County, Amber
Township, Scottville, Michigan.
Mike

March 31st, 2009 : 3:35 pm

Great job. Is todays database addition still downloading? I cannot find a Dec. 1912 death in Calhoun Co- yet.
Thanks.
Chris Jacobsen

March 31st, 2009 : 4:31 pm

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! What a great thing the library is doing by putting these images indexed and online and FREE.
Kris Rzepczynski

March 31st, 2009 : 5:25 pm

Mike –

Yes, the records are still uploading, so not everything is quite there yet. Calhoun County 1912, apparently…..

Thanks for using the site, and I encourage you to check back.
Kris Rzepczynski

March 31st, 2009 : 5:27 pm

Mrs. Haines & Chris –

Thanks for your comments. I’m happy that you’ve had some success with the site.

Keep checking back, we’re adding records regularly.
Bill

March 31st, 2009 : 8:30 pm

Is the load finished yet? I’m not seeing the records for the places and years that are indicated above like Lapeer 1912.
Kathleen Tracy

April 1st, 2009 : 5:13 am

FINALLY FOUND MY GREAT GRANDFATHER PATRICK McNAMARA – SON OF BERNARD McNAMARA & ANNA/MARY ANN DUFFICY – McNAMARAWHO COULD NOT BE FOUND GOING THRU THE COUNTY OF WAYNE – CITY OF DETROIT & STATE OF MICHIGAN DIED APRIL 14 1915 – IN ELOISE FROM BRIGHTS DISEASE. AND BODY WENT TO DETROIT COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. PRESENT DAY WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY.
Jon

April 1st, 2009 : 10:19 am

This is great. Some of the records I was looking for are in the years 1903 and 1904 which show above but don’t seem to be in the database yet. So must still be uploading, understand it is a huge update. Thanks.
Mark Harvey, Archives of Michigan

April 1st, 2009 : 12:03 pm

Jon: They are still uploading. Because the site is so popular, we are vying for the same server resources to upload as users are to find records. More will appear this afternoon and into tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.
Steve

April 1st, 2009 : 12:12 pm

Thanks very much for keeping us updated when new records are added. Keep it up!
Diane

April 1st, 2009 : 7:57 pm

I haven’t been able to locate anything on the Oviatt surname in Lapeer County, MI yet. I think I might be a bit confused as to the usage of this site. All of my info would be in the pre 1900 time period. Was excited to hear about this site…
Diane

April 1st, 2009 : 9:49 pm

I have found a record that is indexed by an incorrect spelling — a misreading of the name. Can that be corrected so others find it more easily? Who can I contact?
Dan

April 1st, 2009 : 10:52 pm

Wondering if there are any death certs for the year 1900 Detroit, Wayne county
Kris Rzepczynski

April 2nd, 2009 : 3:02 pm

Diane –

This collection contains records from 1897-1920. That being said, at present, we have not yet loaded records for the 1897-1900 time period. As the project moves forward, we’ll be filling in some of the holes that you see here; thanks for your patience.

Early Michigan deaths from 1867-1897 can be found at the FamilySearch Labs page: http://pilot.familysearch.org.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 2nd, 2009 : 3:04 pm

Diane –

If you come across a transcription error, please contact the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov. We’ll be making scheduled updates/corrections to the index as we move forward.

Thanks for your interest in the Seeking Michigan site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 2nd, 2009 : 3:08 pm

Dan -

Although this collection contains records from 1897-1920, we have not yet loaded records for the 1897-1900 time period. As the project moves forward, we’ll be filling in some of the holes that you see here, including Wayne County 1900; thanks for your patience.
Joy

April 2nd, 2009 : 5:28 pm

What about 1916, specifically Allegan County? I’m looking for only one person, Evert Scholte(n), but this person has been my roadblock for a long time.

Keep up the good work and this is a great thing that you’re doing.
Dawn

April 2nd, 2009 : 8:32 pm

Are the records for 1901 in Saginaw up yet.
Pattie

April 2nd, 2009 : 10:01 pm

I was wondering if there was an estimate on when the missing records would be added. I still cannot find my great-great grandfather and I suspect the death record is among those that haven’t been added yet. I am searching in Houghton County.
Bill

April 3rd, 2009 : 9:56 am

Maybe I’m not using the search correctly. Based on the list at the beginning post, I should be able to see records in Lapeer county for 1904 & 1912, or aren’t there any records for that year? I don’t get any hits for that year in that county.
Dean

April 3rd, 2009 : 8:54 pm

Maybe its just my browser settings or display settings but when I get a page of search results sometimes the State of Michigan seal and the tabs that are supposed to be at the far bottom of the page isn’t and blocks one of the results. Each page says “Done, but with errors on page”
Line:366
Char:1119
Error: Unterminated string constant

(Windows XP, IE, 1440×900, cable broadband)
Jackie

April 4th, 2009 : 9:26 am

Looking for death certificates for Alger and Luce county and can’t find some that should be in those counties, per funeral home records I have. Are they all not on yet?
Dana

April 4th, 2009 : 10:41 am

Are all of the records for Berrien County uploaded yet.
John

April 4th, 2009 : 3:05 pm

Kris/Mark — I’ll echo everyone else’s appreciation for the great work you guys are doing. Many thanks.

I have seen the same error that Dean mentions above. I have also noticed that some advanced searchs do not retrieve the information I was expecting.

What is the best avenue to submit questions or potential problems we find?
Carol

April 4th, 2009 : 8:27 pm

Please, my grandmother died in a TB Sanitarium in Michigan. Where could I find records of her death?
mary

April 5th, 2009 : 1:07 pm

HI, trying to find address that my grandfather lived at when he passed away in 1941 in michigan. any websites besides this one in mich that may help me? Former resident.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 6th, 2009 : 9:34 am

Bill –

For some reason, the second batch of records are taking longer to load than we anticipated.

We’re all competing for the same server space, us uploading records vs. users searching the database.

Thanks for being patient, and we’ll look into the delay.
Mark Harvey, Archives of Michigan

April 6th, 2009 : 4:45 pm

There is a chance the records are at the Archives of Michigan. You can contact them at archives[at]michigan.gov Use the @ sign, we don’t put it in so we do not get a bunch of spam email.
Ryan

April 6th, 2009 : 5:57 pm

Is there a specific time that would be best for us to check the site? Im only asking because you say were all competing for the same bandwidth and I understand that that could be very frustrating for the people that are putting in the time to help us out. I typically try to check after 5pm for this reason since thats a typical workday but you tell us what you need and maybe some can hold off on checking until after that time. Either way, thanks for your help on this site to EVERYONE involved. It really helps with genealogy and family history exploration!
Robert Chapin

April 6th, 2009 : 8:15 pm

Still loading the entire batch? This is going to cause a lot of confusion because the article says, “second batch of records now loaded.” Can you be more clear about what the “No Items matched your criteria” means at this point?
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 9:15 am

Mary –

You might try a city directory for the time period you’re interested in. Those likely are not online, although the Library of Michigan has an extensive collection of Michiagn city directories available onsite.

Good luck, and thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 9:24 am

John -

We’re looking into that error message detailed by several users. Hope to have it resolved soon.

Any questions or problems, indexing or otherwise, can be directed to the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov. Depending on the problem, we’ll make sure it ends up where it’s supposed to.

Thanks for your comments.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 9:37 am

Dana –

There are lots of Berrien County records here. Take a look at the list above, which details the years and counties currently loaded/loading.

Please check back often, as we’ll continue to add records until the project is complete. Thanks for your patience.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 9:42 am

Jackie –

Lots of records for Luce and Alger Counties are already online here, it just depends on what year(s) you’re interested in. Take a look at the list above, which details the years and counties currently loaded/loading.

The second batch of records is taking longer to upload than we anticipated, so not everything that should be here is available yet. Please be patient, and check back often. Thanks for your interest.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 9:49 am

Pattie –

We’re working as quickly as we can to get all the records here. I don’t have a final completion date, but I encourage you to check back often.

We’re as anxious to finish the project as everyone else is! Thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 9:53 am

Dawn –

1901 Saginaw was among the records included in the second batch of uploads. This is taking longer than we anticipated, so not everything that should be here is available yet – 1901 Saginaw included.

Please be patient, and check back often. Thanks for your interest.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 9:57 am

Joy -

1916 Allegan County has not been completed yet. When the this second batch of uploads is complete, we’ll still have about 1/3 of the project remaining. It’s your luck that 1916 Allegan is part of that remainder!

Future updates about records being added can be found at the Look page here at Seeking Michigan. Thanks for your interest.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 10:07 am

Robert -

Yes, still uploading. I recognize how frustrating this is.

Yes, I agree, the blog article above is inconsistent with what’s available right now. We did not anticipate the upload taking as long as it has.

We’re working as quickly as we can. I encourage you to check back if you’re not finding a county you are expecting to see. Thanks for your patience and for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 7th, 2009 : 11:04 am

Ryan –

Excellent question. The time of day that you’re using the site should not impact the speed of the record upload or the user’s searching experience. So long story short, search away at your convenience…..

Thanks for using the site.
Bill

April 7th, 2009 : 11:28 pm

Maybe it would help to reload records again in smaller batches? Anyways thanks for this new research tool. It will really help a lot of people.
Judy Gleason

April 8th, 2009 : 12:33 am

Just wanted to say with others how thankful I am for these records being online! I have been out of state for a couple months, but these records made it possible for me to continue doing genealogy as a snowbird! There is so much here for me to work on that I have postponed some other subscriptions this year. That has saved me$$, also the gas and parking fees traveling to Lansing. This is appreciated so much.

I hope nothing happens to our treasured State Library in the budget cuts. Please keep us informed, and if you need volunteers to keep doors open, please let the public know.
Bruce

April 8th, 2009 : 8:56 am

Question, according to the web site the year 1915 is complete. I have a gr-gr grandmother that died 12-1-1915 in Kent county. I know this because I got a copy of her death certificate from the Kent County Clerk. I do not find her in these records, does this mean that a death record was never created for her?

Thanks and appreciate all the hard work you are doing to get these records entered in the system.
Paula

April 8th, 2009 : 5:18 pm

Am anxiously awaiting the records to be complete, especially for Detroit (1911). I assume I’ll need to contact county clerk for a death record for 1896 (assume Detroit, but not sure if it’s city or they were in the county)?

Thank you for all your hard work – having helped get Missouri’s death records on line I can appreciate how time consuming it is
Kris Rzepczynski

April 9th, 2009 : 8:17 am

Bruce -

I would encourage you to be creative in your searching. You can search up to 4 fields at once, in any combination: December, 1915, Kent, first name, etc. Depending on the name, too, there are perhaps dozens of different spelling variations.

Your ancestor’s death certificate should be here. Somewhere. Good luck!
Kris Rzepczynski

April 9th, 2009 : 9:56 am

Paula -

Thanks for your comments. The Missouri site is excellent, too.

Early Michigan deaths from 1867-1897 – including Wayne County 1896 – can be found at the FamilySearch Labs page: http://pilot.familysearch.org.
Joann

April 9th, 2009 : 12:41 pm

Twice now on different computers I tried to get on the Death records and on different days and different computers I receive this message
“CGI Error”
The specified CGI application misbehaved by not returning a complete set of HTTP headers”
Now what do I do?
Sue

April 9th, 2009 : 6:02 pm

Thanks so much for making these available to all!

You note that the year 1903 is complete for the entire state, yet I do not see any from Detroit.

And you mentioned the deaths from 1867-1896. Are there also death certificates available, or just the records?
Dena

April 10th, 2009 : 11:21 am

I am really enjoying this site- however, there are many many many misspelled names. I am currently using your information for people who are buried in the Union City area of Branch county, and am finding that possibly more names are not correct than are. The names are not copied correctly from the certificates. I can help with corrections, but need to know how. I am currently photographing the graves and I feel like I know these families. How can I help?

Thanks for what you are doing. It’s a wonderful thing!
Dena
Susan

April 10th, 2009 : 9:36 pm

When will the uploading begin for the death records between 1897 and 1900?
Judi

April 10th, 2009 : 9:40 pm

Kris,

I have a quick question for you. I was trying to see if a relative’s death certificate from Detroit was downloaded. Her last name was “Zabkiewicz”, unfortunately as of now it hasn’t been, but I was thinking maybe they may have misspelled her name so I was looking under the Death year of 1920, with her first name and City, no look.

My question is I found some death certificates for the years of 1928 and 1929, I thought they were only doing the death certificates until 1920, how come there are some in later years???? I pulled up the one from 1928 and it was a boy who was born in 1920.

Also you state that 1906 was completed for the entire state, but my great grandfather passed away in 1906 and his death certificate is not here. His name is Joseph Patalon from Detroit. Are the still downloading????
Dean

April 10th, 2009 : 11:48 pm

Judi your g-grandfather is indexed as ‘Joseph Patalan’ and yes they are supposedly still uploading the last update.
Anne Wares

April 11th, 2009 : 12:20 pm

This is a great site! I found a stillborn son of my grandparents that I’d never heard about, and I am trying to work through, gradually, the Civil War documents in search of some of my ancestors. Are there Michigan death records prior to 1897, and are there plans to digitize these? Most of my mother’s family were in Michigan from about 1837-1950-ish.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 11th, 2009 : 9:19 pm

Judi -

Yes, the records for 1920 Detroit available here are incomplete, so I encourage you to check back after we’ve added additional records.

You’re right, there are a number of renegade records from 1928-1929. They are the exception, though, as this collection runs only from January 1, 1897 to December 31, 1920. Those records you found are part of our microfilm set of 1897-1920 records, from which this online collection is based.

Looks like Dean found your elusive Patalon/Patalan record.
Judi

April 12th, 2009 : 12:30 am

Dean,

Thank you for finding my great grandfather and Kris thank you for the information about the records from 1928-1929.

Judi
Nancy Knoll

April 12th, 2009 : 11:49 am

Thankyou so much…are you getting tired of hearing that yet. These records are special to me because I live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. My grandmother came from Michigan in 1912 with her parents from Montmorency County, Michigan. They were originally from Hillsdale County. I now have found certificates for some of the family. I would love to come to Michigan and do the research but at this time it is not feasible. So this has saved me money and hours. It is so easy to sit at the computer and type in the name and there it is. Keep up the good work.
Nancy
Marilyn

April 13th, 2009 : 1:44 am

Kris,
I am still not being able to find people in Ingham County, Washtenaw county, Oakland County and Wayne County that I know should be there. I have called the counties and they told me I can request a copy for a fee. I don’t want to pay if they are going to be here, but it is looking pretty grim for me. Can you say for sure that every death record for say Washtenaw County in this time frame will be here? I have also tried Family Search and they do not come up. I have even searched page after page by just county, in the case names were spelled wrong and they are not there. With only a few hundred thousand not up yet, I can’t imagine all the ones I am looking for are in those few thousand.
Thanks!
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 9:15 am

Marilyn,

It depends on what year and what county you are looking for. As you can see in the list above, there are lots of records already online for the counties you’re looking for. Note that as the second batch of records finishes, we’re only about 2/3 complete. That’s a lot of records still to be loaded, about 300,000+.

What I can say is that this collection is based on our microfilm collection of Michigan death records from 1897-1920. If your record(s) was registered with the State of Michigan, you should be able to locate it here at Seeking Michigan.

If you’re not finding a record, I encourage you to check back at the site, we’ll be adding records regularly until we finish the project. Thanks for using the site.
Joseph

April 13th, 2009 : 9:31 am

This follows the message from Marilyn. All sides of my families are from Michigan, so I have a great interest in these records. So far, I have located only 8 death records here. I am still looking for 25 to 30 more that fall within the range of years for this project. I do not consider these missing, just not posted yet. Hang in there, Marilyn!! We need to wait for all the records to be posted.
William Southard

April 13th, 2009 : 10:17 am

Is it possible that not everyone had a death certificate issued? I have it on good authority (published books and obituaries) that I’ve had a few different ancestors pass away within this time period, but I cannot find their records…but according to your database, they should be available. I have two in particular who died in 1905 in Lenawee County whose surname is Matthews, but I can’t find them at all.

Bill Southard
Julie

April 13th, 2009 : 11:26 am

Any idea when the collection will be complete??? I am still missing some!!!
Love the collection!!!!!
Kris Rzepczynski, Library of Michigan

April 13th, 2009 : 11:40 am

Julie -

I hesitate to give a date when we’ll be finished, but rest assured we’re working as quickly as we can. We’re as anxious as anyone to get this wrapped up.

I encourage you to check back here for the latest information on new records being added. There will be a new Look article when that moment arrives.

In the meantime, I encourage you to sign up for our newsletter – the Michigan Genealogist – for updates. You can sign up here: http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-18835_18895_38271—,00.html. You can also follow us on Facebook, under the group name “Michigan Genealogy”.

Thanks for using the site, and keep checking back!
Mark Harvey, Archives of Michigan

April 13th, 2009 : 12:33 pm

We are working correctly to fix this. We may have broke a link in uploading the second batch of death records.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 12:48 pm

Bill Southard -

There has been a snag with the uploading of the second batch, not everything that should be there actually is. Specifically, that includes the 1905 Lenawee records you’re looking for.

There will be an update here when the second batch has been completed and is working properly. Thank you for your patience.

Keep in mind, too, that the names may also have a spelling variation. I encourage you to check back often, thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 12:58 pm

Nancy,

We never get tired to hearing “thank you!” I’m happy that you’ve had some success with the site. Your example perfectly illustrates why we put these records online here.
The Library of Michigan is happy to offer these records to researchers for free, wherever they may be. Saskatoon, Lansing, or anywhere in-between.

Thanks for your comments.
John

April 13th, 2009 : 12:58 pm

Nothing for 1903 or nothing new for 1904 either, but you probably know. Appreciating all the hard work that’s being put into this project though. Thank you.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 1:01 pm

Anne -

Earlier Michigan deaths from 1867-1897 are available at the FamilySearch Labs page: http://pilot.familysearch.org.

Michigan began recording vital records at the state level in 1867. Earlier records, specifically marriages, may be available earlier at the county level. Check with the county clerk, local library, or genealogy society for those records.

Thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 1:04 pm

Susan -

The records from 1897-1900 will be part of the third batch to be uploaded. We’re working as quickly as we can, thank you for your patience.

I encourage you to check back here for the latest information on new records being added. There will be a new Look article when that moment arrives.

Thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 1:09 pm

Dena -

If you come across a transcription error, please contact the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov with the appropriate information. We’ll be making scheduled updates/corrections to the index as we move forward.

We certainly want the index to be as accurate as possible. Thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 1:13 pm

Sue –

There has been a snag with the uploading of the second batch, not everything that should be there actually is. Specifically, that includes the 1903 Detroit records you’re looking for.

There will be an update here when the second batch has been completed and is working properly. Thank you for your patience.

Earlier Michigan deaths from 1867-1897 are available at the FamilySearch Labs page: http://pilot.familysearch.org. Those images at the LDS site are not certificates like these at Seeking Michigan. Instead, they are ledger book entries, but serve as the official state record.

Thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 13th, 2009 : 8:36 pm

John –

As indicated above, there has been a snag with the uploading of the second batch, not everything that should be there actually is. Specifically, that includes the 1903-1904 records you’re looking for.

There will be an update here when the second batch has been completed and is working properly. Thank you for your patience.

We’re working as quickly as we can. We’re as anxious as anyone to finish this project and get started on the next one.

I encourage you to check back here for the latest information on new records being added. There will be a new Look article when that moment arrives

Thanks for using the site.
Ruth Ann

April 14th, 2009 : 6:41 pm

Thank you for solving a mystery that my cousin and I have had for over 40 years. Our gg-grandparents last name was changed 3 times. Thru your site we have found our gg-grandparents death records. Our mystery is solved this has helped find many of their children thru Family Search Records and Census records. We live in California so this has made it possible to continue with our genealogy research on line.
We appreciate all of your hard work.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 15th, 2009 : 9:00 am

Ruth Ann -

Thanks for your comments. The Library of Michigan is happy to offer these records to researchers for free, wherever they may be.

Thanks for using the site.
James

April 15th, 2009 : 10:53 am

Is 1000 results the most the advanced search will allow? Because if I put in a year of death say 1915 or any other year in the advanced search with nothing else 1000 results is the most that will come back, or is this the problem you are working on? Thanks.
Marge

April 15th, 2009 : 5:47 pm

Kris, Extermely pleased that you are responding to everyone’s postings on this site. Like everyone else, I am waiting for the rest of the uploading. Most interested in the City of Detroit. Do have a question. In responding to “John” you said you “anxious as anyone to finish this project and get started on the next one”. So what is the next project that is in the workings and coming soon? Please tell us!!! Birth certificates meeting the State year limits would be super if you would like a suggestion.

Great job to you and everyone involved.
mark

April 15th, 2009 : 11:18 pm

I bookmarked this site, Thank you for good job!
Dawn

April 17th, 2009 : 8:41 pm

Thank you so much for all the work you guys have done. It is awesome. I was able to find one of my brick walls thanks to this site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 17th, 2009 : 11:22 pm

Marge -

Thanks for your comments. We’re especially happy with the blog feature here at Seeking Michigan.

As far as the next project, we’d like to finish this one first! Looking ahead, though, we’re keeping our options open, there are lots of terrific Michigan genealogy resources that we can choose from. A good problem to have, I think.

Thanks again for using the site.
Judi

April 18th, 2009 : 1:24 am

Kris,

I tried to go onto the site this evening, the 17th, and I was having some problems accessing any death certificates and I was wondering if the site was down. I would input a last name and I tried to click on death certificates at the bottom but it would not move over and when I clicked on search nothing comes up. I tried for names I knew that I had seen before and I am getting nothing.

I have tried on AOL, IE and Mozilla and I’m getting nothing.
Jo Marie

April 18th, 2009 : 4:59 pm

Great Site! Found some information I’ve been looking for. I’ll be checking back often. Thank you so much for making this site available. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
Ila Ezop

April 20th, 2009 : 1:25 am

I’m looking for birth/death records of my mother’s brother George Johns, born May 5,1906, died April 21, 1909, buried in Woodmere Cemetery April 24, 1909. All this information is handwritten in a book, yet I’m unable to find it as a public record. How do I reach the correct website?
Judi

April 20th, 2009 : 3:28 am

Kris,

Just to tell you I still can’t do an Advance Search. I can do a regular search, but my family names I know would be misspelled and that’s why I wanted to do an Advance Search. Is it still down???
Bridget

April 21st, 2009 : 9:25 pm

Ila,
Click on the red, “Seek” tab at the top of this page and type “George Johns” into the top line of the form. The record you are looking for is the only one that comes up. The birthdate is listed as May 5, 1905, but everything else looks as you listed it.
Mark Harvey, Archives of Michigan

April 22nd, 2009 : 10:10 am

We love this! Researchers helping researchers on the site. Heck, you guys don’t need us…carry on!
Kris Rzepczynski

April 22nd, 2009 : 2:22 pm

James -

You might want to try it again. I’ve tried several different searches – including 1915 – with results going well over 1,000 records. Keep using the Previous and Next tabs on the upper right side of the Search Results page.

Good luck, and thanks for using the site.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 22nd, 2009 : 2:24 pm

Judi –

Well, it seems that everything is working smoothly when I try a search. You might want to try again.

Good luck, thanks for using the site.
Joseph

April 23rd, 2009 : 7:41 am

Just wanted to send a word of encouragement to those who are still looking. This week I found 10 more death records for my families, bringing my total to 15 so far. I am still looking for 19 others, but I know that some years are still not posted. This is a great project from the Library of Michigan. I appreciate all the time and effort that the staff has given to this database. Despite the inevitable glitches and delays, it is well worth it. Congratulations to the staff of the Library of Michigan!! Thank you.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 23rd, 2009 : 8:55 am

Joseph –

Thanks for your comment, we appreciate it.

We expect the last big chunk of records to be uploaded in the next few weeks. As always, there will be an updated article at the Look section of seeking Michigan detailing exactly what is available.

That article won’t be posted, though, until the upload is complete. Stay tuned, and thanks for using the site.
Karen

April 24th, 2009 : 12:25 pm

How do we report errors in the metadata tagging?
Pattie

April 24th, 2009 : 10:12 pm

Again, thanks for all the hard work involved in this project. As genealogist living in Oregon, sites like this make the search much easier.

I am having some problems locating a death record. I am looking for Henry Souden, my great-great grandfather. I don’t have a date of death for him but I found him on the 1910 census in Houghton County. He was living in Calumet. I tried looking for the last name Souden and got nothing. Then I tried Sowden, Sonden, and Sarden in case the name was misspelled. Still nothing. I have even looked for the first name Henry in Houghton County. Nothing (well, I couldn’t find MY Henry). Is there a web site that I can use to see if I can find him on the death index?
Kris Rzepczynski

April 27th, 2009 : 9:35 am

Pattie -

Thanks for your comments.

Remember that not all the records have been loaded for this project. We still have about 300,000+ records to go. This would include Houghton County for 1913.

I’d keep an open mind about spelling, and try different combinations as you’ve already indicated. You might also want to look through directories for the time period. We have several here at the Library of Michigan during the 1910-1920 time period that might be of interest.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 27th, 2009 : 9:38 am

Everyone -

The second batch of records should now be complete. We appreciate everyone’s patience as the records loaded.

This death records project now totals more than 600,000 records, with more on the way. For a listing of what years and counties are available, please look above at the top of this page.

Stay tuned, and we’ll post another blog article here when the third batch upload has been completed.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 27th, 2009 : 3:33 pm

Karen –

If you come across a transcription error, please contact the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov with the appropriate information. We’ll be making scheduled updates/corrections to the index as we move forward.

We certainly want the index to be as accurate as possible. Thanks for using the site.
Everett

April 27th, 2009 : 6:28 pm

Mark & Kris,

I am so excited to see that the Michigan Library (state of Michigan) is finally making efforts to make public (easily accessible) the vital records that are now considered public domain. I have about 24 family lines that I research and they are all based in the state of Michigan! Actual documentation has been hard to come by for those relatives that remained in Michigan their entire lives. I have had an ancestry.com account for almost 3 years and I’m an avid browser of the familysearch.org Pilot Site. Gaining access to death records is huge as it allows people to see the parent’s names of the deceased. I can’t thank-you for your efforts! I’m so glad that the state of Michigan is finally getting it together concerning the ease of access of public domain vital statistics! Keep at it!

If you could, would you mind posting (as a reply in this blog) the available years for the vital statistic dates (birth, marriage & death) that are considered public domain as of 2009? I’m sure there are some ameture seriously interested researchers out there like myself who would appreciate having this information posted here. Thanks!
Everett

April 27th, 2009 : 6:38 pm

TWO corrections to the above post in the blog…

I can’t thank you ENOUGH for your efforts! [I thought you'd like that phrase repeated anyway... ]

If you could, would you mind posting (as a reply in this blog) the available years for the vital statistic dates (birth, death & marriage) that are considered public domain as of 2009? I’m sure there are some ameture AND seriously interested researchers out there like myself who would appreciate having this information posted here. Thanks!
Molly

April 27th, 2009 : 11:21 pm

Thank you for this wonderful site…I had been searching for over a year on one family member, and in one evening I was able to locate her married name and pull up her death certificate. Not certain how I located SeekingMichigan.org but so glad I did…certainly will tell others about and will be visiting often! Your hard work is appreciated by many!!!
Sue

April 28th, 2009 : 10:31 am

For those who haven’t heard, Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit is putting its records online. The website is
woodmerecemeteryresearch.com
Julie

April 30th, 2009 : 9:33 am

Kris,
There is some kind of glitch with the red search box. If I search for “Lutomski” with the document box checked , I only get Eleanor, If I search without the check I get both Eleanor and Helen. If I search under advanced both came up. I couldn’t figure it out at first as I had been searching for Helen, for quite some time before I figured this out.
Thanks

PS LOVE THIS COLLECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
would like to see 1920-1930 in the future, even just an index!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shirley Weller

April 30th, 2009 : 3:11 pm

Hi, still searching frequently for the lost. And still happy to be finding them. However! Please correct spelling, if you will: You have VAN HOSIE, MARY MARONDE, Livingston County, MI, died August 26, 1914. The number on the certificate is 17. She was born 06/22/1855 in the Village of Hamburg, Livingston Co. You have her father’s given name as CALORIE (WELLER).

This woman is MARY MARANDA VAN HORN, daughter of Calvin Weller and Emily Lyons Weller. These names are clearly legible on the death certificate!!

Also, Charles Emel Bentley – very difficult to find. You have him spelled Carles Emul Bentley. The number on the death certificate is 145, stamped March 5, 1908, registered no. 5. First husband to one of my aunties. Found, at last!

Thanks a lot – hopefully if you correct the spellings, it will be easier for other researchers.

Thank you so much and keep up the lovely, often very difficult, work you are doing.

Shirley Weller
Dawn

April 30th, 2009 : 3:34 pm

Are the Saginaw files for 1920 loaded in yet. I am looking for my husbands G Grandfather Henry Youmans who died in Saginaw in 1920…He was at one time mayor of Saginaw.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 30th, 2009 : 3:38 pm

Dawn -

The 1920 Saginaw records aren’t online yet. There are a smattering of Detroit records for that year, but that’s all for now. We’ll be adding the remainder of the collection shortly, please stay tuned.

Thanks for your interest, and please keep checking back.
Kris Rzepczynski

April 30th, 2009 : 3:39 pm

Shirley -

Thanks for the indexing note. In the future, if you come across a transcription error, please contact the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov with the appropriate information. We’ll be making scheduled updates/corrections to the index as we move forward.

We certainly want the index to be as accurate as possible. Thanks for using the site, I’m glad that you’ve had some success.
Julie P.

April 30th, 2009 : 10:42 pm

Thank you very much! Because of your hard work I have discovered my g-g-g grandparents! I can’t wait for the 1916 Wayne Co. records to be uploaded as I will hopefully learn the names of even more ancestors. Thanks again!
Tony

May 3rd, 2009 : 10:17 am

Hi,
I see no mention of 1897-1900, are they in the 3 batch??
Thanks for all your hard work!!
Dave Lancaster

May 3rd, 2009 : 1:23 pm

Hi I’m getting this message when trying to access death records. Maybe the problem is me, can you help?

Dave Lancaster

CGI Error
The specified CGI application misbehaved by not returning a complete set of HTTP headers.
Kris Rzepczynski

May 5th, 2009 : 8:42 am

Tony -

Yes, the records from 1897-1900 will be in the third batch of records. Should be soon, look for a Look article that will give more specific details.

Thanks for your interest.
Paula

May 5th, 2009 : 4:26 pm

1911 Detroit – trying to search, to see if these are complete, but just not seeing what I need to I guess. Sorry to ask (since you’ve been flooded w/questions lol) and don’t mean to sound impatient – but are the records for Detroit, 1911, done yet?

TY!
Kris Rzepczynski

May 5th, 2009 : 4:35 pm

Paula -

The article above is the most current info available, showing that 1911 Detroit is still incomplete.

When the third batch of records are loaded, there will be a new Look article here at Seeking Michigan. That article won’t be posted, though, until the upload is complete.

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience. Hang in there, we’re anxious to get this project wrapped up!
Pattie

May 5th, 2009 : 10:27 pm

Have you started uploading the third batch yet?
Kris Rzepczynski

May 6th, 2009 : 8:39 am

Pattie –

When the third batch of records are completed, there will be a new Look article here at Seeking Michigan. That article won’t be posted, though, until the upload is complete.

I encourage you to check back often. Thanks for your patience.
Shirley Weller

May 6th, 2009 : 11:13 pm

I got some more tonite! My stuck spot remains – the elusive ggrandfather, but hey, I don’t mind the lateral expansion of the tree. So glad that you answered my comment regarding misspellings. They bug me, and if I know the correct name, that’s a boon for anyone else who has that same person in their tree. I will be sending them, as you suggested, to the Librarian@Michigan.gov This is an amazing undertaking – again, I appreciate it so very much!
Shirley Weller
Atlanta, Georgia
John

May 7th, 2009 : 8:46 pm

The link to the death records is not working
Pattie

May 7th, 2009 : 11:36 pm

Kris,

Thanks for your response; however, you did not answer my question. My question was: have you started uploading the last batch of records?
Conrad

May 8th, 2009 : 12:47 pm

Going through the records for Presque Isle County, I have found 3 copies of the same record in the data base. Also the same in Alpena County. It looks as if 3 different indexers input the same record because there is a slight variation in the spelling of the name from record to record, but each record is linked to the same digital copy. So maybe you’ve really only input one batch of records, two or three times.
Mark Harvey, Archives of Michigan

May 8th, 2009 : 9:43 pm

Conrad:

When indexing, variant spellings of names are used to make certain we cover all possibilities.
Sue

May 15th, 2009 : 7:54 pm

I hate to sound stupid, but I can’t figure out how to do a search on Seeking Michigan. I am trying to find a Death Certificate for 1916. Do I put in a name, a date or what to do a search. Thanks for your understanding.
Hilary Machan

May 16th, 2009 : 7:46 pm

What a great website. My sister stumbled upon this a few weeks ago and she and found the death of one of our missing family members. A huge thank you to those involved in this project. I have many family members who went to Michigan and this site is going to be a key to helping me find out where they went and when they died. Congratulations on a job well done. I can’t wait for everything to be uploaded!!
Kris Rzepczynski

May 18th, 2009 : 1:10 pm

Sue -

You can always search from the Seek box at the Seeking Michigan home page. Just key in the name, county, etc.

That being said, I would encourage you to do an Advanced Search. Click on Search Advanced in the red Seek panel. Use the dropdown menus on the right hand side of this page, and drag down to the bottom. The fields here are specific to the Death Records Collection.

You can search up to 4 fields at once, in any combination. First name, last name, year of death, month of death, county, city/village/twp., age, birth year, father’s first name, and father’s last name. Researchers have a lot of flexibility to find their death record, I think.

Remember that we’re only about 2/3 complete, so not every year is complete – that includes 1916. I encourage you to check back, the last batch of records should be completed soon.

Thanks for using the site, and good luck!
Julie P.

May 21st, 2009 : 10:31 pm

Just so I know whether or not I should be searching every day (like I’m currently doing), are new records uploaded every day or so, or will they all be uploaded in one big batch once they are all scanned and indexed?

Thanks!
Carol Orlowski

May 21st, 2009 : 10:40 pm

I can’t say enough about this site. I have found all death certificates for my mother’s immediate side of the family. I just happened upon this site. I truly can’t tell you how I found it. Just glad I did. Thank you so much
Brian L.

May 22nd, 2009 : 8:47 am

I would also like to know the plan for adding additional records as I have been checking everyday. Will they be added in small batches daily or one large batch on a single day for the remaining 1/3 of the records.

I do have to say the records I have found are amazing and I very much appreciate all the work that has been put in this project.

Thank you very much!
Kris Rzepczynski

May 22nd, 2009 : 9:25 am

Julie and Brian -

When the records are available, there will be a new Look article highlighting their addition.

I recognize everyone is anxious to see this project completed, we certainly are too. Hang in there, it won’t be long.

Thanks for using the site.
Julie P.

May 22nd, 2009 : 2:27 pm

Thanks for answering my question. I’ll watch for the new article instead of searching every day. And thanks so much for all of your effort. What you are doing is wonderful!
Margot Wells

May 23rd, 2009 : 5:26 pm

What a wonderful service you are doing for all of us searching for ancestors. My grandfather was buried on December 4, 1901 in Lakeview Cemetery, Calumet. We haven’t been able to find out when or where he died. Will there will be additional death records added for the UP counties from 1901? Thanks for all your work!
Darla

May 24th, 2009 : 9:29 pm

Love the site but the transcription errors are as bad as I’ve ever seen Are there any plans to add a soundex or other searching tools given the errors?
Also, instead of just complaining, is there a way I can send correct info so others will be able to find them?

Thanks again for the site
Kris Rzepczynski

May 26th, 2009 : 9:28 am

Darla -

Indexing and record transcriptions are an eternal struggle in family history research. That being said, I think users have a lot of different search options here at Seeking Michigan, allowing researchers to find their record(s).

If you come across a transcription error, please contact the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov. We’ll be making scheduled updates/corrections to the index as we move forward.

There will be a software upgrade shortly after the last chunk of records are added, which should result in better searching capability.

Thanks for your interest in the Seeking Michigan site.
Kris Rzepczynski

May 26th, 2009 : 9:33 am

Margot -

Thank you for your comments.

The last chunk of records should be loaded soon, including 1901 and before. That being said, there are a number of 1901 U.P. records already here, including Marquette, Ontonagon, Luce, Schoolcraft, and Mackinac; the Houghton County records will be part of that last upload – coming soon!

When the records are available, there will be a new Look article highlighting their addition. Hang in there, it won’t be long.
MK Heitmann

May 26th, 2009 : 12:52 pm

Dear Kris,

Congrats on a great database!

By chance does the Library of Michigan have a long-term goal of adding Michigan Death Certs. for years 1920-1940?

Although your site is grand, would there be a link for corrections?

Fond regards,
MKH
D. Aschenbrenner

May 26th, 2009 : 2:31 pm

Are there records for the National Guard in 1915-17?
Kris Rzepczynski

May 27th, 2009 : 8:46 am

MK -

The 1897-1920 represents what we currently have in our collection here at the Library. We’re always looking for new additions to the site, but at this point, we’re only going up to 1920.

If you come across a transcription error, please contact the Library of Michigan at librarian@michigan.gov. We’ll be making scheduled updates/corrections to the index as we move forward.

Thanks for using the site.
Bob Garrett, Archives of Michigan

May 27th, 2009 : 9:14 am

To D. Aschenbrenner-

The Archives of Michigan houses census records and bonus application files of World War I soldiers. For more information – or to submit a reference request – please send an e-mail to archives@michigan.gov

Bob Garrett, Archivist
Vanessa J.A.Warbler

May 27th, 2009 : 3:06 pm

I am very excited about this site. I have finally found the burial place for my grandmother’s brother who died at 18 years old in the mines. I am looking forward to the rest of Keweenaw County being online (looking for a relative who died in 1910) as well as the pre-1900 information as I am hoping to find the record and burial place of my great-great grandmother. In looking through these records I have noticed what are obviously transcription errors but due to the fact they are not my family and I don’t have specific knowledge of the individual I would hesitate to send in any changes. I have been checking your site daily for updates to the records. FYI to researchers: LDS has a great pilot program that has lots of wonderful information – check it out. I found a lot of information, including the death record of my g-g-g-grandmother.
Jane Fabiano-Turner

June 3rd, 2009 : 7:39 pm

I love this site. I can’t wait to see more. When are you going to add more? I hope the state budget cuts have not affected this project.
Kevin O’Brien – Laguna Hills, CA

June 4th, 2009 : 9:41 pm

Dear Mark and Kris et. al,
What a fantastic effort on behalf of the people of Michigan as a reward for genealogy buffs worldwide! I doubt anyone is unaware of the financial distress that Michigan is weathering right now, yet the Great Lakes State has really gone out of its way to compile this priceless gift. I wish every other state would follow your lead and do the same thing. Genealogy has given me the excuse for five trips to Michigan thus far, and now with the new information I have found on your site my family and I will be traveling again in July. I don’t know if it was part of your plan but I will bet many others will be doing the same thing. Thank you again for this gift and the sacrifice Michigan is making to provide it to everyone!
Kris Rzepczynski

June 5th, 2009 : 8:50 am

Everyone -

Thanks for your comments, we’re happy that everyone is using the site and having success with it.

The process of uploading a collection of this size just takes time, it has nothing to do with the state budget. The more records are loaded, the slower the process becomes.

Please be patient, it won’t be long.
Lisa Raines

June 6th, 2009 : 1:33 pm

Thank you so much for doing this! I have found so many ancestors on this site & also on http://pilot.familysearch.org. I have learned many new things besides getting confirmations of parents & maiden names. This is just wonderful, thanks again!
Patricia Goward

June 12th, 2009 : 2:42 pm

Mark and Kris
Thank you for doing this! I am looking for Oliver Goward he
died on May 21,1896 in Detroit, Wayne County. Great job
Ila Ezop

June 13th, 2009 : 10:30 pm

Bridget
Thank you so much for helping me find my Mother’s brother’s death records! I haven’t visited the site since I sent the email in April and for whatever reason I logged on it tonite! Again, thanks for helping!
Ila Ezop

June 14th, 2009 : 8:34 pm

My Mother and her brother were residents of The Home of the Friendless in Detroit MI around the early part of 1909. However, there seems to be no record of that in the archives. Can anyone help me?
Jane Fabiano-Turner

June 17th, 2009 : 6:43 am

I just love this site. Can’t wait to see more records? Just wondering when you plan to add more.
Joyce

June 27th, 2009 : 10:04 am

A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart for this website. It has helped me tremendously. Any chance you might go beyond 1920 someday? I can’t find any method of searching for a post 1920 death certificate in Michigan when I don’t know the date of death.
JENNIE

June 30th, 2009 : 6:08 pm

WILL YOU BE GOING BACK TO 1890′S ?
Marilyn Kowalski

July 5th, 2009 : 9:58 pm

Wow just found you and this time I have results of two infants who subsequently passed away withing the first 3 months… I don’t think anyone in the family ever was aware of these sweet angels. Thanks…
Joseph

July 20th, 2009 : 9:08 am

For those who have not noticed, I just found that LoM has two different blogs going about these records. One is more updated than the other, and thus has a more recent list of the records that have been loaded. The two are not connected. Go to the Discover page and look for the Blogs headline. Select the one with the later date in March for the updated list of counties.
Andree Kinnee

July 23rd, 2009 : 8:41 pm

Thank you! This is just awesome!
Kris Rzepczynski

July 28th, 2009 : 8:32 am

There is a new blog – The Million Record March Heads to the Finish Line – announcing the current status of the death records project. The direct URL is here: http://seekingmichigan.org/look/2009/07/28/million-record-finish-line.

The project is now 99% complete, with more than 99% of the records loaded and available here at Seeking Michigan.

Thanks for everyone’s interest. Happy searching!
Janet Sears

August 28th, 2009 : 2:56 pm

My gggrandfather, Peleg L. Sweet, served in the Civil War, and lived in Dewitt, MI., and is buried in Delta cemetery, and no one in the Michigan archives even acknowleges his service record or his burial. I have the pension papers from his wife, Lucy Wells Sweet.
Kevin Handy

September 1st, 2009 : 5:00 pm

Wow am I pleased this effort is underway in Michigan. Despite the dire circumstances I hear MIchigan is in it is heartening to know that my native state (and city, Lansing) are doing something profoundly positive to honor our forbears. I look forward to being able to search records for my folks from 1860 to the 1930′s one day here. Right now if I can find folks from Tuscola and Genesee counties I would be so lucky. Thanks everyone for all your hard work and effort. Best of luck – Kevin Handy, Plano, TX (formerly Ann Arbor and Lansing, Michigan)
Tony Huhn

January 23rd, 2010 : 9:09 am

Albert McLaughlin marries Mabel Schultz on May 16, 1911. They had a child that was stillborn or died in a few days in 1911 or 1912. Albert McLaughlin drowned also shortly after in I believe 1912. Albert’s parents were Ralph McLaughlin and Anna Hess. I got both death certificates to come up once and I failed to copy them. I cannot get them to come up again.
Ila Ezop

April 14th, 2010 : 7:16 am

Looking for WWI record of my grandfather being in that War. Have rank and regiment but unable to find record…can anyone help?
Dale Scott

April 19th, 2010 : 10:03 pm

You guys are doing a great job. So many records and so much time. Bless you all for the work you are doing.
I check out once in awhile and have found some family.
GREAT JOB.
Dale
Kris Rzepczynski

March 23rd, 2011 : 10:09 am

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!
Kris Rzepczynski

November 8th, 2011 : 5:55 pm

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!
Ann Starr Flattery

November 20th, 2011 : 8:33 pm

While looking through the Bay City, Bay County Death Certificates, I found an April 7, 1917 entry for John Onzarzak. If you look again, the “N” should be a “W”. It is legible as a “W” on the actual document. That was my Grandmother’s family name.

I am currently searching for family records and have found my Great-Grandmother. Antonia Gwiazda, which is clear on the document. Her given name was Antonina (on her headstone), but I understand why the record stands as written.

Thank you for all the effort. The Polish spellings can be especially tricky.
Kris Rzepczynski

November 21st, 2011 : 8:33 am

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.
Ann Starr Flattery

November 22nd, 2011 : 9:27 pm

The URL for John Owczarzek (see my previous email of 11/20/11)is http://seekingmichigan.org/u?/p129401coll7,414924

About Look

"If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." The Michigan state motto served as the inspiration for this blog. If you look, you will find stories, photos and more to connect you to this great state and its wonderful history.