Vital Records

What are Vital Records?  Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses (or marriage certificates), separation agreements, divorce certificates and death certificates.  In some jurisdictions vital records may include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships.  Herrick District Library has some vital records, mostly for Ottawa and Allegan counties.  There are some records also for other counties, but not as many.  In Michigan you can look for Vital Records at your county clerk's office.  Some are available to view, some are not.  Birth Certificates have more restrictions than Marriage or Death Certificates.  To see a list what information Herrick has for births, deaths, and marriages in various Michigan counties, see below.    

If you are looking for Michigan death records a good website to search is Michiganology.org.  They host death records from the microfilm collections at the Library of Michigan and the Vital Records Office of the Department of Health and Human Services.  Images of death certificates are available for records older than seventy-five years old. Other websites contain great information, too.

Here are the vital records available at the Herrick District Library.

MICHIGAN

ALLEGAN COUNTY

Births

Marriages

  • Written Document

             47 Marriages in Allegan County Michigan 1837-1873.  Contributed by Mrs. C.A. Monteith, Martin, MI 

                       Archive Area Folder 977.414 Allegan County Marriages

Deaths

ANTRIM COUNTY

BERRIEN COUNTY

CALHOUN COUNTY

CASS COUNTY

CHEBOYGAN

KALAMAZOO

KENT

MASON

MIDLAND

MUSKEGON

Births

Marriages

Deaths

Naturalizations

  • Microfilm (CABINET 1 DRAWER 1)
    • Index to Declarations of Intent 1859-1941
    • Naturalizations – 1898-1906
    • Declarations of Intent 1885-1906

NEWAYGO

OCEANA

OTTAWA

Births

Marriages

Divorces

Deaths

VAN BUREN

WAYNE