Carol: You won't get a death certificate for 1888, but the County Records do record date of death, cause of death, and survivors. I found my information at the LDS (Morman) Family History Library here in Salt Lake City. Mason County must have the originals. You can also get (from County records) dates of birth, if born in Mason County, and marriage and divorce records. Lewis county was once part of Mason county and some records are kept in that set of County records. The information is probably there, but in a county ledger book. Good luck Carol. Richard O'Brien