Vital records are genealogical researchers' vital links
By DONNA MURRAY ALLEN
Published June 26, 2003
Vital records - birth, marriage and death certificates - are the mainstay of genealogical research. Every researcher should strive hard to acquire these documents. Unfortunately, most states did not consistently require recording these events until around 1905.
Some records do date back to the 1700s, and like many pre-1900 records, they are kept in each state's archives. Later ones are on file with each state's department of vital statistics.
Because there is no universal rule for which repository has what records, you need to check out what procedures apply in the geographical area in which you're researching. The quickest way to do that is by logging on to www.vitalrec.com You'll discover which records are available in each state and county, what they cost and how to get them. Records information for some territories and several foreign countries is also included. Don't own a computer? Log on at a public library. Technophobes can use such publications as Everton's Handy Book.
The site is more comprehensive than the one sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/nchs) because it contains links to each county in each state plus other useful information. It does, however, have some flaws. Important details may be missing. Click on Florida, for example, and it says birth certificates starting with 1963, death certificates from 1917 and marriage licenses from June 1867 may be obtained from the Office of Vital Statistics in Jacksonville.
No mention is made about where to get earlier birth records. (Get them from the same office.) Information may conflict. You're told that you can get birth records only from the state. But click on a county link and up pops contact information for ordering birth certificates from that county.
A disclaimer suggests contacting the specific office before ordering a record because price and availability are subject to change. That's a good idea. Before I sent the correct information to the Web master, the site stated that Hillsborough County has birth records from 1950 to present for $19. Death records cost $13. In actuality, Hillsborough County has access to birth records for the whole state from 1930 to the present. They cost $14. Uncertified copies of death records from 1991 to the present that exclude the cause of death are available to anyone for $8.
Impatient researchers who crave immediate gratification can often order records through VitalChek (www.vitalchek.com) by clicking on the link and paying a surcharge. (I have used this service, and it delivers as promised.)
Most vital records are not online and probably won't ever be. But there are plenty of sites to surf. Most are free. Some are fee-based.
Click on death records from 1908-1920 for Winston County, Ala., for example, and you'll get a surname index of people who died during those years and their death dates. The Michigan Death Index lists those who died between 1867-97. A comprehensive list of deaths in California between 1940-1997 includes the person's birth date and sometimes the mother's maiden name. Complete obituaries for residents of Fulton County, Ind., from 1914-2001, an index of 200,000 obituaries dating back to the 1830s from the Sandusky County, Ohio, area and an index of more than 170,000 names dating back to the 1800s are also available.
The site is also an excellent source for obituaries. Volunteers from the Pinellas County Genealogy Society did a great job of creating indexes for obituaries appearing in the St. Petersburg Times from 1990-92 and extracts from obituaries published in the St. Petersburg Times from 1901-35, the St. Petersburg Independent from the 1908-35 and the Clearwater Sun from 1925-27.
- Donna Murray Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy. Write to her c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@yahoo.com
Register now for Genealogical Conference
The 2003 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference takes place Sept. 3-6 in Orlando. Register by July 15 to qualify for the advance registration price of $159 per person. After July 15, the cost is $189 per person. A variety of seminars will be presented. Log on to www.fgs.org to register and view a complete schedule. Or call toll-free 1-888-347-1500.
