Gladwin County Vital Records

Gladwin County Clerk
401 West Cedar Avenue
Gladwin, Michigan 48624-2023
(517) 426-7351

The county clerk holds birth, marriage, death, burial, divorce and civil court records from 1880.

The Probate Court holds all probate records.

The Register of Deeds holds all land records.


 Records Available from the State Archives of Michigan

State Archives of Michigan
Bureau of History/Department of State
717 W. Allegan
Lansing, Michigan 48919
(517) 373-1408

BIRTHS
In 1867 (PA 194) the Michigan legislature passed a law requiring a state-wide system for the important information relating to births and other vital data. This law required the township supervisors to collect facts pertaining to all births that occurred in their jurisdiction, noting date, name of individual, gender, race, place of birth, and the names, birthplaces, occupations and residences of the parents. In 1925 the authority for maintaining these statistics was transferred from the Secretary of State to the Department of Public Health, where control remains today. In 1978, by authority of PA 368, the legislature restricted access to all birth registers and indexes. Consequently none of the birth records listed can be examined by researchers. Birth certificates must be obtained from the Michigan Department of Public Health.


MARRIAGE
In 1867 the state legislature passed Act 194 requiring every justice of the peace, minister of the gospel, and all other persons authorized to solemnize marriages in Michigan to make note of each marriage performed by them and to deliver to the clerk o the county in which such marriage took place documentary evidence that the ceremony had been performed. Information to be recorded was date , names of parties, ages, race, residence, birth places, occupations, number of times previously married, pace of marriage, the couple's parents' names, the name of the presiding official, plus the names and residences of the witnesses. These facts were to be recorded by the county clerk and then forwarded to the Secretary of State. In 1921, by virtue of Act 170, the duties of the Secretary of State with respect to marriage records were transferred to the Department of Public Health. The are no listed registers specific to Montcalm County in the Archives.



DIVORCE
The Michigan Legislature, under authority of Act 9 of 1897, required all circuit court clerks to notify the Secretary of State of all petitions for divorce filed in their respective counties. These reports were to include the names and ages of the parties involved, names and ages of any children in the family, date and place of petition for divorce and county where the marriage took place. In 1923 (PA 27) the law was changed, directing the circuit court clerks to submit their reports to the Department or Public Health.



DEATH
The Act of 1897 (PA 194) required township supervisors to collect date on the deaths occurring within their jurisdiction. The statue mandated that the name of the deceased, date and place of death, gender, race, marital status, age, nativity, cause of death, plus names and occupations of parents be submitted to the county clerks who then forwarded the information to the Secretary of State. In 1925, (PA 343) these duties were transferred to the Department of Public Health


Michigan Department of Public Health

Michigan Department of Public Health
Office of the State Registrar
3423 North Logan Street
P. O. Box 30195
Lansing, Michigan 48909


The Department of Public Health is required by Act 368 of 1978, to collect the statutory fee before a search may be made for any record. Checks and money orders are to be made payable to the STATE OF MICHIGAN.
Minimum fee for one certified copy is $13.00. Additional copes of the same record are $4.00 each. Additional years searched over 3 years are an additional $4.00 for each year searched over the 3 year search limit. FEES PAID TO SEARCH THE FILES ARE NOT REFUNDABLE, When a record is not found, the applicant will receive notification that the record requested is not on file in the office.


Med-Access - where to write for vital records

Social Security Death Index - find the date of birth, date of death and last known address by zip code of individuals that filed for social security death benefits and died between 1935-1995.


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Please feel free to share comments, suggestions, etc. Jan Cortez

This page last updated April 05, 2008 10:34 AM