Michigan Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The state of Michigan required registration of deaths beginning in 1867. This collection covers deaths registered through 1897.

The deaths are recorded on a two page ledger form provided by the Michigan Secretary of State. The registration ledgers are bound in volumes by year. The counties are listed alphabetically within each volume.

From 1867 to 1897, the township supervisor or city assessor or supervisor annually canvassed their area and recorded the deaths that took place the year preceding the first Monday in April. The supervisor or assessor returned the results to the county clerk within 30 days of completing the canvass. Each year the county clerk forwarded the records to Secretary of State. The Secretary of State had the records bound in books, one for each year, and made an annual report to the Governor. Registration was initially very incomplete. Some counties did not report any deaths during the first three years of this statute. This law remained in effect until 1897, when the state required a death certificate be issued. It is believed that approximately half of the deaths were missed in the time period from 1867 until 1897.

Deaths were recorded to serve public health needs. They are also used to probate wills and administer the deceased person’s estate.

Death information was collected during the year following the death of the individual. The assessor or supervisor could obtain the information from anyone who had knowledge of the death. Normally it would be the spouse, parent, or child, but could be another relative, neighbor, physician, or undertaker. The information would only be as reliable as the informant’s knowledge or memory.

Record Content
Information found in the Michigan death records includes:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Gender and race
 * Age in years, months, and days
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Cause of death
 * Birthplace of deceased
 * Parents' names and their residence
 * Date record was made

How to Use the Record
Use death registers to obtain death information. You may also find burial information. The registers normally provide clues for further research, such as; names of parents, birth date, birthplace, and place of residence.

Search the Collection
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Michigan Deaths, 1867-1897
 * Seeking Michigan
 * Collection: Death Records, 1897-1920

This Library of Michigan collection of Michigan death certificates features nearly 1 million records. This statewide collection offers researchers critical information in tracking Michigan ancestors during this time period. Information includes the decedent's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplace, cemetery name and location, and much more.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Michigan
 * Michigan Vital Records

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

A full bibliographic record is available in the FamilySearch Catalog.