More than once I have "found" the death record of a family member after sending (and paying) for the record I thought I didn't have. While I knew I had to organize what I have, I couldn't wrap my head around how to do it. It seems the universe was guiding me when I attended two separate virtual events within months of one another. At a Zoom meeting of the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society - Chicago (AAGHSC) member Alvin Blakes presented his Death Certificate database that he had created in a Google Docs format. Alvin has a family history blog, Almost Disappeared. Months later I attended a webinar of Robyn Smith who presented, "Putting It All Together", showing how she created a table format for her death records. Robyn has a genealogy blog, Reclaiming Kin.
I decided to use Google Docs/Sheets so I can have the information readily available for research trips. I merged and tweaked both of their forms to include headings that work for me. My spreadsheet has been very helpful in allowing me to compare and see what family members were serviced by the same undertaker, are buried in the same cemetery or area. More importantly, I have death records in one place, and I can easily add more as my research uncovers the information or I "happen to find" documents in my genealogy files.
While I present the spreadsheet headings here to accommodate the page, it's actually one continual form with cells from A to Q.
Death Records Spreadsheet Headings
Surname
First/Middle Name
Maiden Name
(Death) Certificate #
Date of Death
Place
Date of Birth
Place
Parents
Marital Status
Spouse
Informant (on death certificate)
Cause of Death
Cemetery
Date of Burial
Undertaker
Comments
In the Comments section I put whether the record is a death certificate, obituary, or funeral program. I also list where I physically have the record, as well as the source for newspaper obituaries and death certificates.
