Chicago Death Certificate Lookups, 1878-1915
About these recordsChicago death certificates for 1878-1915 are available on 655 microfilms, all of which can be requested through any Family History Center. Unlike the later death certificates, the forms did not ask for parent or spouse names, but these records almost always give an approximate age, place of death, cause of death and cemetery name.
Indexing
The early Chicago death certificates are indexed online in the Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, on microfiche in the Cook County Death Index, 1871-1916, and on microfilm in the Index to Deaths in Chicago, 1871-1933. Check either of the first two indexes first. Then check the third if you are unable to find an entry in the first two, or if you think the individual died out of town or was stillborn.
Format
655 microfilm reels
Arrangement
Numerical by certificate number; a single year may have 1-4 repeating groups of certificate numbers and there are two arrangements for certificates from 1908-1915 depending on which group you are looking at; for more information, see below
FHL Catalog
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Missing certificates
Sometimes certificates are missing on the films, and these gaps are often indicated by small slips of paper which say "Missing #__ to #__ . The missing certificates usually fall at the end of a surname letter for a month (for example "S" certificates end, then the missing note appears, then the "T" certificates begin) and many of them seem to have been associated with coroner's inquests.
If you find that a certificate that is missing, the name will likely appear in the Cook County Coroner's Inquest Record Index, 1872-1911 and if it does, you can request the inquest record from IRAD.
Cook County coroner's death certificates, 1879-1904 are available on microfilm through the FHL system.
Information generally included on certificates
This information is provided as a guide; there may be exceptions to what I have noted. Also, even though there may be a space on a certificate for information, it may not have been recorded. This is especially true of birth places and parent names.
1878-1903
name
sex and race
age in years, months, days
occupation
date of death
marital status
nationality and place where born (usually a state or country)
how long a resident in the state
place of death (street address and ward)
cause of death
duration of disease
place of burial
name of undertaker
1904-1909
all of the information above
father's birthplace (usually a state or country)
mother's birthplace (usually a state or country)
number of years in Chicago
1910-1915
all of the information above
name and birthplace of father (usually a state or country)
maiden name and birthplace of mother (usually a state or country)
informant's name and address
1916 forwardall of the information above
name of spouse
Tips for locating death certificates on the microfilms
(1) Sometimes certificates were filmed out of order. If you find a gap without a "missing note," especially if it is for just one certificate, scroll forward and backward to see if it is out of sequence.
(2) If there are two or more numbers on top of the certificates you are looking at, the one you will want will likely be the hand-written one on the top right corner.
The first reel of film begins with "T" surname certificates for July. If you find an entry in the index for a certificate before that letter/month, you can request the record from Cook County.
Selecting the right film
This information is provided as a guide and you will find occasional exceptions to these "rules." Order films at your own risk!
From 1878-1907, the general rule is this: if there are two groups of repearing certificate numbers, the first is usually for Jan-Jun and the second is usually for Jul-Dec. If there is a small third group, it is likely to include December deaths.
From 1908-1915 there are three or four groups of certificates. In two or three of the groups, certificates are arranged by a handwritten certificate number and you will notice that "A" certificates for January, are followed by "A" certificates for February, etc. The records on these films are arranged by the certificate number that you can get from the online or microfiche index. The third or fourth groups are arranged by a stamped certificate number, and different letters of the alphabet are interfiled within months. The records on these films are arranged by the register number that you can get from the Chicago Death Index, 1871-1933 microfilm index.
The general rules for finding certificates between 1908 and 1915 are as follows:
If you found the certificate number in the online or microfiche index, check the arranged-by-certificate-number film first. Most of the time you will find the certificate there. If not, then check the arranged-by-register-number film.
If you found the certificate number for a 1908-1915 certificate on the microfilm index and there was no register letter or number in front of the death date, look for the certificate on the arranged-by-register-number film. There may also be a death certificate on the arranged-by-certificate-number film and you can find it by checking the other indexes for a handwritten certificate number or by scrolling through the right year/month/alphabetical section of a film.
In one test case, the certificate from the arranged-by-certificate-number film seems to be an original and is stamped with an Illinois State Board of Health "recorded" stamp; the certificate from the arranged-by-register-number film appears to be a copy in neat handwriting and it has no Board of Health stamp.
If you found the certificate number for a certificate before 1908 on the microfilm index and there was a register letter or number before the death date in the index, you are unlikely to be able to use that number to find the certificate on the films. You can (1) check the online or fiche index for the handwritten number or (2) look for the certificate by scrolling through the right year/month/alphabetical section of a film.
There are some idiosyncracies in the filming of certificates from 1908-1915 and the chart below will help you avoid being tripped up when the groups are not in logical order.
1908
Group 1: Jan-Jun, Arranged by certificate number
Group 2: Jul-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
Group 3: Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number
1909
Group 1: Jan-Jun, Arranged by certificate number
Group 2: Jul-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
Group 3: Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number
1910
Group 1: Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number
Group 2: Jan-Apr, Arranged by certificate number
Group 3: May-Aug, Arranged by certificate number
Group 4: Sep-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
1911
Group 1: Jan-Apr, Arranged by certificate number
Group 2: Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number
Group 3: May-Aug, Arranged by certificate number
Group 4: Sep-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
1912
Group 1: Jan-Apr, Arranged by certificate number
Group 2: May-Aug, Arranged by certificate number
Group 3: Sep-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
Group 4: Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number
1913
Group 1: Jan-Apr, Arranged by certificate number
Group 2: May-Aug, Arranged by certificate number
Group 3: Sep-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
Group 4: Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number
1914
Group 1: Jan-Apr, Arranged by certificate number
Group 2: May-Aug, Arranged by certificate number
Group 3: Sep-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
Group 4: Jan-Dec, Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number
1915
Group 1: Jan-Apr, Arranged by certificate number
Group 2: May-Aug, Arranged by certificate number
Group 3: Sep-Dec, Arranged by certificate number
Group 4: Jan-Dec, Arranged by register number