While browsing FamilySearch’s new Record Search site, I noticed that they had recently published a state-wide index to Washington’s death certificates for 1907-1960. In fact, Record Search is beginning to add quite a collection of free indexes and images, thanks primarily to the wonderful FamilySearch Indexing project.
I’ve previously used the microfilm version of this index to locate members of my Brown family who died in Washington, but in some places the filming was so bad that it was very difficult to locate any of the family.
In particular, I have been searching for the death of Amelia Shopfer, who was born abt 1874 in Ohio, the wife of Ralph L. Brown. I knew that she died sometime between 1930 and 1951, probably in Washington. As I prepared to search the index, my heart raced because of my anticipation. I typed in her name, entered her approximate birth year and clicked search. The third entry in the list was her!!! It listed her exact death date and place, her age at death, her spouse (Ralph L.), and even her parents.
Time for another Genealogy Happy Dance!
Thank you to all FamilySearch Indexing indexers for your hard work in making this index available. To learn more about the world-wide indexing projects, visit www.FamilySearchIndexing.com.
To search this database, or any of the others, visit http://labs.familysearch.org and click on the Record Search link. You will first have to register (free), and then you will have access to the collections.
Thank you both for the info and update. That is exciting information!