Leigh, You might check the State of Mass website to see if you can request a death cert for John. Some states require the exact date of death - some will do it with a range of years; you culd guess the year range. Some states have death cert info online (i.e. Illinois) where you can check for the name and locate death cert numbers - then order the death cert from the state. You can also check the state of Massachusets website to see about how to order his birth certificate. Maureen N