Michigan Death Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index to deaths for the years 1971 to 1996 from the Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records in Lansing. The index is provided by Ancestry.com.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records

Death
 * Name of Deceased
 * Name of Father
 * Name of Mother
 * Name of Spouse
 * Place of Death
 * Age at Death
 * Estimated Birth Year
 * DGS Number
 * Date of Death
 * Certificate Number or page number
 * GSU Film Number
 * Image number
 * Sex
 * Page Number

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of death
 * The place of death

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information from the index to obtain the actual death certificate
 * Use the information found to search for the family in census records
 * Use the names and places to locate church and land records
 * Search additional state and county records
 * Look for burial and probate records in the same location
 * Search for an obituary and cemetery record

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Michigan.
 * Michigan Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.