sflemi2
death cert question
General Genealogy Discussion
Hi - I am getting ready to request a death cert for my great-great grandmother. I discovered in a newspaper clip that she was living in Port Jefferson. My grandfather had always said Brookhaven. When I looked at the New York Death Index 1852-1956, I discovered that the place of death is listed as Mineola. If I wanted to reach out to a local jurisdiction rather than the state, so I go with where she was living or where the death is listed from the index? Thanks for any help!
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I hope I can help
Hi, what's important to remember is that NYS didn't commonly start issuing vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates) until 1880 and then not all places did them. It was over a decade until cities, towns really started doing them. Quite frustrating really, especially if you have an exact date and location and THAT place says "Sorry we don't have anything before..."
If I'm not sure exactly where my ancestor (died for instance) I will email the town clerk(s) of the most likely places I think it is. I pick my top three places, prioritize them and start with the first one. Depending on the size of the place they are often fairly accommodating as long as you're willing to be patient. I have to admit though that all the places I have dealt with in NY have been more rural in the Hudson Valley and Catskills area. I don't know how big/small/busy/slow those areas are that you're looking into. My philosophy has always been - emails cost nothing and it doesn't hurt to send a kind but to-the-point email; thanking them in advance and asking them to let me know what any costs are.
I hope this has been a little helpful. :)