What source do I use if an ancestor is not on FamilySearch.com for birth & death records?

Question

My uncle Jerry N. Hawkins, died as a toddler from the measles in 1937. He was born in 1936. I need a birth & death source to prove he was born. He will not show up in any census. Where do I go for a source, He is not on FamilyResearch.com. I have looked.

Answer 1

When do they release those records for Tennessee?  Some places will not release birth and death records until after 100 years but you might find an obituary in a newspaper for the area he died in through a general search on google or whatever you use.  Or you might contact the vital statistics dept for Tennessee and they may take your request for a copy of his death certificate due to circumstances.

Comments

There is a photograph of his tombstone on FindAGrave. The details of his death and birth as well as info about his parents is engraved on the stone.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33484537/jerry-n-hawkins#

I will look to see if I find anything else on Ancestry.com or Newspapers.com. If I do, I will let you know.

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There is an image of his death certificate at Ancestry.com. This is the shareable link:

https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/24520551?h=8562d2&utm_campaign=bandido-webparts&utm_source=post-share-modal&utm_medium=copy-url

This is the information you will need to construct a source citation...

Source Citation 

Tennessee State Library and Archives; Nashville, Tennessee; Tennessee Death Records, 1908-1958; Roll Number: 6

Description

Year: 1937

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Tennessee, U.S., Death Records, 1908-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Original data:Tennessee Death Records, 1908-1965. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Tennessee City Death Records Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis 1848-1907. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Source Description

This database contains death certificates, as well as indexes to those certificates for the state of Tennessee from 1908 to 1965.

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Thank you so much! This is the correct one. Misspelling are abound in the Document, ie., Harrie is Harry. Grandpa's name was always 'Harry.' I believe the H stands for his grandfather's name: Horace. Horace Atkins, Lula's dad was a minister in Tellico and very well respected. A very fine person. Your help is greatly appreciated! I'm wondering how I can find his birth certificate? Any suggestions? KWL

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I have that source. Thank you. KWL

Answer 2

I often use the site findagrave.com.  In fact, with a quick search of what you provided, I believe I found the headstone and burial for your uncle: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33484537/jerry-n-hawkins

Comments

Thank you. I have that source.

Answer 3

There is a birth certificate reachable from FamilySearch for the person I believe you are looking for.  Here is why you may be overlooking this death certificate.   1.  The Death certificate has him as Jerry H. Hawkins, not N. as you indicate.  (Sometimes detail got miss-documented.   2.  While it has the mother as who you have, for your Jerry in the profile, it has the father as Harry Hawkins...which was the middle name of the father you have.  3.  It has his cause of death on the death certificate as Colitis and not Measles.  If you can't find it let me know and I'll try to help more.

Comments

Thank you for looking and helping me. I looked and looked and still could not find the death certificate. I want to find his birth certificate as a source too. Maybe I'm not using FamilySearch.com correctly. Can you help me with that? Thank you in advance. KWL

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Kimberly, here is the source citation for the death certificate from FamilySearch...

"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSPK-BB2 : 1 March 2021), Jerry H. Hawkins, 5 Jun 1937; Death, Tellico Plains, Monroe, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.