Greetings.
The Minnesota Department of Health is paying for the microfilming of the state copies of
death records (for a number of years, vital records were made out in triplicate: a local
copy (city, town), a county copy, and a state copy filed with MDH). Once the state copies
are filmed and the film is checked and approved, the original records are sent for data
entry. MDH is handling that process and the State Archives at MHS was told that they would
have access to the electronic index, but no details have yet been worked out.
The data entry is being done on only the official certificates that date from 1908 to
1955. An incomplete card index was kept at the state level from 1900-1907, and that was
filmed but not entered into a computer. (That would be a good project for a group like MGS
to do.)
However, it is important to remember that the local registar was not always dutiful. I
know of cases where the death was recorded at the local level, but a duplicate record
never made it to the state or county. I know that the local records from each city or
township have been scattered, while many of the county records have been filmed, the film
copy remaining in the space-challenged courthouse and the original placed in the state
archives. A consideration is that most counties took the certificates and re-typed them
into big books, so errors in reading the local registrar's handwriting did creep in.
The state copies at MDH are in the original hand of the registrar. You really need to
check for all three death records between the years 1908 and 1950, especially in the early
years.
Roughly after 1870 and before the state certificates were in place in 1908, the local
registrar's book and the county's book do not always agree. One may list the
birthplace of parents while the other may only list the father's name. One may list
the age at death while the other gives the date of birth. In one case (Baytown Township in
Washington County), the township death record does not list the name of the decedent! In
many cases during that period, it was the "city health officer" who kept track
of deaths, and to them it was statistcal information that was being gathered, not who
died, so causes of death were more important than names. Misspelled names are the norm.
Again, check for both copies. It may take some sleuthing, but it can be done.
Getting back to the topic: I don't know when or how the state death index will be made
available. The person at the Minnesota Department of Health who may have an answer is Barb
Bednarczyk. If someone does find out, let me know!
Dean R. Thilgen
MGS-MHS Liaison