On 5/12/04 (11:12:20 AM MDT), in a posting to NYBROOKLYN-L@rootsweb.com, Elizabeth (Grammagras@aol.com) asked, "From what I have seen you are the Long Island maven. From expierence I know you sent me to a very nice German restaurant. I seem to have come upon infrtomation that my mother's Aunt live in Patchogue (I think that is how you spell it). If she passed away out there where would I look for a death certificate? I know at some point she lived in Brooklyn." Elizabeth, you'll have to refresh my memory about the very nice German restaurant that I sent you to, as this recommendation may have come from some other person. If your mother's aunt's death actually occurred within the Village of Patchogue (remember, in NYS death certificates are issued by the city, town or village where the death occurred, not where the person was residing at the time of death), you'll need to contact the Patchogue Village Clerk: Village Clerk Village of Patchogue 14 Baker Street P.O. Box 719 Patchogue, NY 11772 Tel: 631/475-4300 Fax: 631/475-4314 eMail: info@patchoguevillage.org http://www.patchoguevillage.org/index.html The pertinent geography: The Village of Patchogue (incorporated in 1893) is in the southwest part of the Town of Brookhaven, in the south-center [art of Suffolk County. There are 8 villages (incorporated municipalities) and 36 hamlets (unincorporated areas) all or partly in the Town of Brookhaven. There are no cities and 10 towns in Suffolk County. There are 2 Indian reservations in Suffolk County. (I'm including after my name a NYS Geographic Glossary with the NYS definitions of county, city, town, village, hamlet and postal zone.) Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Village of Patchogue in the Town of Brookhaven is bordered on the north by the Hamlet of North Patchogue; on the east by the Hamlet of East Patchogue; on the south by the Great South Bay; and, on the west by the Hamlet of Blue Point. And, as occurs in every one of Suffolk County's 157 communities (0 cities, 31 villages and 126 hamlets), the hamlet and the postal zone that use the same name, have different borders. Places with a Patchogue mailing address may not be in Patchogue. These places with a Patchogue mailing address that are not in the Village of Patchogue are in the Hamlet of Blue Point, the Hamlet of North Patchogue, the Hamlet of East Patchogue, the Hamlet of North Bellport and the Village of Bellport. For those who have their copy of the 2003 or earlier edition of the LI Population Survey or have already downloaded the report from the Long Island Power Authority web site (eMail me directly if you need instructions on how to access and download the report), you'll find the Village of Patchogue (incorporated in 1893) in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County on pages 14 & 24 (map) and 25 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Walter Greenspan . Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Postal Zones in New York State New York State is divided into counties. County A county is a municipal corporation, a subdivision of the state, created to perform state functions; a "regional" government. All counties are divided into cities, towns and Indian reservations. City A city is a unique governmental entity with its own special charter. Cities are not sub-divided, except into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Town A town is a municipal corporation and encompasses all territory within the state except that within cities or Indian reservations. Towns can be sub-divided into villages and hamlets. Village A village is a general purpose municipal corporation formed voluntarily by the residents of an area in one or more towns to provide themselves with municipal services. The pattern of village organization is similar to those of a city. A village is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Hamlet A hamlet is an unincorporated area in one or more towns that is governed at-large by the town(s) it is in. A hamlet is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Postal Zone "City" and "Town" A postal zone "City" and "Town" is an administrative district established by the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Postal zone "City" and "Town" may not (but are encouraged to) conform to municipal or community borders. Thus, postal zone location does not always determine city, village or hamlet location. Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located.