All My Ancestors

Because I’ve recently done a presentation on Vital Records and Their Substitutes, and because it’s an ongoing topic with researchers, and because Oklahoma has it’s own set of problems regarding vital records–I thought I’d share this article I encountered today in the Lawton Morning News, 23 Nov 1919.

A bit of background.  Oklahoma was not a state until November 1907.  As you can imagine, this wreaks havoc on those of us who had ancestors here early and want vital records.  Registrations was mandated early, but neither birth nor death records are consistently held until the mid 1930s.

Amy over at WeTree is one of the “victims.”  She has an ancestor who died in Oklahoma in 1919 who, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, does not have a death certificate.  (Never mind that they found one for this ancestor’s spouse who died in 1913–we don’t really expect consistency, do we?)  So I was browsing through the Lawton newspaper to see if there was an obituary.  I found this article about compliance with the Health Board Regulations.  It explains a lot:

COUNTIES REPORT BIRTHS TO STATE

One-third of Counties Complying Health Board Regulations

Oklahoma City, Nov. 22–Nearly one-third of the counties of the state are not complying with state health department regulations on reporting births and deaths to the vital statistic bureau, according to a report just made to Commissioner Arthur R. Lewis, by Ethel Hawley, state registrar.

Last month 23 counties made absolutely complete reports of all births and deaths.  In September there were only 19.  In 258 out of 399 registration districts, reports were made.  There are 46 districts with no registrars and 85 registrars who didn’t report.

Reports for October show 2753 births and 989 deaths, an increase of 244 births and 102 deaths over September.

2 Comments »