Franklin County Ohio Death Index 1867-1908

The majority of my nearest relations lived in Franklin County, Ohio. I have used RootsMagic to organize the information from my family. I have used FamilySearch.org connect to other family trees as well as researching records they have made available (for free). After exhausting their records, I've paid for a membership to Ancestry.com research more records for these individuals.

Microfilm reader similar to the model
available at my local Family History Center

For individuals who died between 1867 and 1908 in Franklin County, Ohio, their death records are not currently available on either website. However, the Family Search catalog has a listing for the index to the Death records, 1867-1908. They have an index split between two microfilm reels and death records split between two other reels.

I ordered one index reel to look for death records. Perhaps I should have ordered the death records and bypassed the index. Since I haven't done microfilm research in this area before, I thought an index search would be best. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention to the fact that I really needed both index films to cover all the years in this series. When I loaded the index film, I only saw the years 1899-1908 and didn't know where the 1867-1908 years were. Oops! I'll have to order the first part of this series. But I've learned the lesson of paying close attention to what the films actually will contain. 

In any case, I was searching for the following individuals who I believe died in Columbus, Ohio based on other information that I have on these individuals.

• Ludwig Pusecker b. 1844 d 1905
• Conrad Grener b 1822 d 1899
• Conrad Grener b 1853 d 1905
• Samuel Curtis Brown b 1821 d 1900
• Martha Gordon Brown b 1827 d 1901
• Christian Christopher Hoppe b 1859 - 1900

Results:

I was able to locate both Conrad Greners in the death index. I'll want to look up their death records on the film from Salt Lake City. I might have found the record for Samuel Curtis Brown. I will look that record up as well.

I was unable to find Ludwig Puescker (possible alt. Lewis Pusicker), Martha Gordon Brown or Christian Christopher Hoppe.

I decided to take a peak into the final three. Ludwig Puescker's death date of 14 May 1905 was obtained through FamilySearch's OhioDeaths and Burials, 1854-1997. This index was derived from some county and church records but also from individual submissions to the LDS Church. Since his death doesn't appear in the death record index, I'm curious as to why. I suspect several possible reasons a) he didn't die on that date or in Franklin County or b) it wasn't reported to the proper officials. It's possible the name was indexed as something else. So, I'm a bit stuck with verifying this person's death.

Martha Gordon Brown... Martha's death date was recorded in a family bible. When church or government records are not available, a family bible can represent a primary source. I'm still not sure why her death was not recorded in the Franklin County death index. I'll have to see if the Samuel I found (her husband) is truly the Samuel I seek. Perhaps that may or may not give me clues.

Finally, Christian Christopher Hoppe. He is a tricky young man to track down. I received his death information from the family records of a cousin who also does genealogical research. I'll have to ask for the source information next time I think of it. I also have found Mr. Hoppe (he used both names as first names without consistency, so I'm not sure which one to refer to him as) on a website that lists the names of people who are buried at Green Lawn Cemetery. It's not the official cemetery record, so I'll have to see what the cemetery actually has on Mr. Hoppe.

I have seven more names to look at in the 1867-1899 film. At $5.50 a film, that's kind of pricey on a per name basis. So perhaps I'll just order the full records and hunt rather than spend $11 for the index and then the actual records. Hmmm... decisions, decisions.