Death certificates in Alabama did not start until 1908 and even then were not required by state law until 1940. Not everyone had death certificates and they were not commonplace back then. Also, everyone that died in Gadsden did not have an obituary or even a notice of death in The Gadsden Times. John Awbrey

John is correct that not all obits were listed in the Times. In producing the abstracts, however, there were lots that were very small mentions that were unfortunately not picked up in the obituary book published by the library. Obits were not always lumped together on one page but may have appeared as almost an afterthought in local news of neighboring communities or from letters or newspaper exchanges from other areas. Of course, some of the very ones I was hoping for do not appear. It is hoped, however, that some mention might appear in another paper in a nearby county, etc. Don't give up hope! Patti Martin View my genealogy queries: http://cousinconnect.com/p/a/0/u/71736/ Talk to me on line! AIM: fcspatti; MSN Messenger: fcspatti; YAHOO Messenger: fcspatti; ICQ: fcspatti Surnames being researched: MARTIN (NC, So. GA), HOUSTON (FL, SC), McDANIEL (GA), POTTER (AL, MS, GA, NC), WIGGINS (SC, AL), BROWN (AL), PARKER (GA), WES(T)COT(T) (NY, IL, AL), CORNU(E) (NY), McCLURE (AL, KY), STONE (AL, SC), NOWLAND (AL, GA), WILLIAMSON (AL, GA, SC), GOGGINS/GOGGANS (SC), HUGHES (AL, SC), BALL (AL, GA, SC), GOLDEN (AL, SC?), ROBERSON (GA), ROBERTSON (SC), TRAYLOR (SC), MOSELY (GA, SC), GRAHAM (NC, SC, PA), GIBSON (SC), RICHARDS (SC, NH), RAMSOUR (NC, PA), BOLLINGER (NC, PA), SMITH (NC), DAVIS (NC), KINNIARD (FL, WV, VA), ROLSTON (WV, VA), WORTH (PA), ALEXANDER (SC, PA)