In 2000, a year after I began researching my family history, I was on vacation at my mother’s in Ohio. During that trip, I realized that I should make sure I had a copy of my birth certificate in case it ever came to pass that I could travel with my husband out of the country requiring a passport. When I was at the Health Department in Xenia, Ohio – county seat of Greene county, I asked if it would be possible to purchase (cheaply) an uncertified death certificate for my maternal grandfather. After all, what would a genealogist (even an amateur one) be without a real document? The lady at the counter was very helpful and produced a copy for me. When she asked if there were any other relatives that had died in Greene county, I realized that I could also get my great-grandfather’s death certificate as well. (I could have bought more but I couldn’t remember dates off the top of my head.) I especially wanted that one in order to get the name of his father. Sadly, I had a lapse in judgment as the information on a death certificate is only as good as the memory and knowledge of the informant.
Death Certificate for John Lafayette Johnson
- The document was stamped UNCERTIFIED COPY – this could not be used for official documentation to receive compensation, benefits, or for legal matters. It does not have a raised seal.
- At the top, the document reads that it is from the STATE OF OHIO (names the state), DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (which agency issued the certificate), DIVISION OF VITAL STATISTICS (in charge of birth and death certificates as opposed to checking the cleanliness of restaurants, etc.), CERTIFICATE OF DEATH (not to be confused with a Birth Certificate)
- Under place of death – not to be confused with where the decedent was living – the information is recorded as to County: Greene; Registration District is 2471. Under section 3709.01 of the Ohio Revised Code it means a “city or county health district” (Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 3701-5 Vital Statistics). The file number is 419 (used for file management).
- The township is listed as Bath, Village as Fairfield (this location and it’s neighbor, Osborn, merged in later years to become the City of Fairborn). The city is left blank because it was an incorporated area.
- The Primary Registration District is left blank indicating that the Registration District was the only one and not part of another.
- The Registration Number is 5 (used for file management).
- The fields pertaining to an exact location of death (house number, street, ward, hospital) are left blank.
- The length of time at the death location is also left blank. If the location had been filled out, it would have listed my grandfather’s address as well as the time of 9 years at the location.
- How long in the U.S. if foreign birth was not complete because he was born in the United States.
- The fields asking about military service are not filled in – either because the informant (my grandfather) was not asked or the answer was no so it didn’t seem pertinent to fill it in.
- Full Name of Deceased is listed as John Lafayette Johnson. I was pleased to see this because so many death certificates have initials or no middle name.
- Residence/Usual place of abode was also not completed. Had it been, it would have listed my grandfather’s address of 40 Ohio Street in Fairfield, Ohio.
- Sex: Male (self-explanatory)
- Color or Race: White (self-explanatory)
- Single, Married, Widowed, Divorced: Left blank (he was widowed as my great-grandmother had died 9 years earlier). I don’t know why that wasn’t filled in.
- Name of spouse (if married, widowed or divorced: Katie J Johnson
- Date of birth: March 2, 1861 (hoping my grandfather knew his father’s birthdate).
- Age: (this is inferred as at the time of death) 78 years 2 months 26 days
- Trade, profession, or particular kind of work: Fruit merchant (he owned a truck that he used as fruit vendor).
- Industry or business in which work was done: Left blank (he was self-employed)
- Date deceased last worked at this occupation: left blank (so I have no way of knowing if he was selling fruit up until he became ill)
- Total time (years) at this occupation: left blank (did he do this the whole time he lived in Ohio from 1930 or did he also sell fruit when he had lived in Indiana?)
- Birthplace (city or town) (state or country): Howard county, Indiana (I do not have any other documentation to prove this information)
- Father’s name: George Wilson Johnson (this has been found to be incorrect and my grandfather knew his grandfather so I don’t know how he ended up giving an incorrect answer – unless he said James Wilson Johnson and it was written down wrong)
- Father’s place of birth: Galipolis, Ohio (I have more information that places James Wilson Johnson’s birth as Byrd Township in Brown county, Ohio)
- Mother’s maiden name: Don’t know (again, I have my grandfather’s type written family history that gives his grandmother’s name as Amanda Mullis so I don’t know if he was not privy to that information prior to his father’s death.)
- Mother’s birthplace: Don’t now (see #26)
- Signature of the Informant: Glenn R. Johnson (my grandfather did not spell his name with two “n”s and it doesn’t resemble any signature I’ve seen of my his!)
- Address (of the informant): Fairfield, Ohio
- Burial, Cremation or Removal – Place: Anderson, Ind; May 31, 1939. This indicates that my great-grandfather’s body was to be taken to Anderson, Indiana three days after his death and not buried in Ohio.
- Funeral Firm: The Morris Sons Co.
- License (of the Funeral home): 1294
- Address: Osborn, Ohio
- Embalmer: Yes (my great-grandfather was embalmed before he was taken back to Anderson, Indiana)
- Filed: May 30, 1939 by Fern O. Routsoung, Registrar (it was filed two days of my great-grandfather’s death)
- Date of Death: May 28, 1939
- The physician reported that he attended the deceased from January 31, 1939 until the date of death.
- The physician last saw the deceased alive on May 27, 1939 – the day prior to his death.
- Death was said to have occurred at 10:40 a.m. (this information would come from whomever was with John Lafayette Johnson at the time of his death – probably my grandfather or grandmother)
- The principal cause of death: Carcinoma of the Pancreas (pancreatic cancer) and the date of onset is listed as six months ago (indicating that he had begun feeling the affects of the cancer in January of 1939)
- There were no contributory causes listed.
- The section for injury, etc. is left blank.
- The answer to was disease related to his occupation was no
- It was signed by T.H. Winans, M.D. on May 29, 1939 (the physician who had treated him on the day after death)
John and Katie (Blazer) Johnson before her death in 1930
John Lafayette Johnson on his birthday in March 1939 – almost 3 months before he passed away
He was already starting to show signs of illness especially the weight loss
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