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.
Vital Rec- can order vital records online.
Social Security Death Index - from Ancestry, where you 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. Danice Ryan
This page last updated April 05, 2008 10:34 AM