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 index lists the following information:


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

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate date of death.
 * The place of death.

Search the Index
Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.

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.

Be aware that search returns may include a GS Film Number. This is not a searchable Family History Library microfilm number and will not lead you to images for your ancestor. The full record can be obtained from Michigan Department of Community Health.

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

 * Use the information from the index to obtain the actual death certificate.The full record can be obtained from Michigan Department of Community Health
 * Use the information found to search for the family in census records
 * Use the names and places to locate additional records about the individual or family such as church and land records
 * Search additional state and county records
 * Look for burial and probate records in the same location
 * The informant is often a close relative

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
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census

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.

"Michigan Death Index, 1971-1996." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. From "Michigan, Deaths, 1971-1996." Database. Ancestry. http://www.ancestry.com : 1998. Citing Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records, Lansing.
 * Collection Citation:

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