Hi Dori, Chester Hospital is in the city of Chester in Delaware Co., PA but what county did he die in? Could it have been Chester Co.? Gail was great in finding the info below & it mentions Irvin RAFF was b. in Cape May -- now is that Cape May Co.? He died in Chester -- now is that Chester Co.? If you send for a death certificate & give the correct date but the WRONG county they will not be able to find the death certificate. Was there a West Chester Hospital in West Chester? What about a hospital in Wilmington, DE? Of course, search for a will or administration & from it you will get the date of Irvin's death. Search these cemetery websites & you might be able to find out where he is buried: Cemetery Records | Find A Grave** - Millions http://www.findagrave.com/ Cemetery Records & Online Memorials Find a grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSfn=&GSmn=&GSln=FOUSE& GSbyrel=all&GSby=&GSdyrel=all&GSdy=&GSst=40&GSob=n Cemetery -The Association for Gravestone Studies - Home http://www.gravestonestudies.org/ Cemetery *The USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Ecemetery/ I don't know if all this helps but I thought I would mention it. Irvin Raff Born:  Cape May, [county], New Jersey, USA   Died:  Chester, [county], Pennsylvania, USA I suggest you tell your cousin that, rather than repeated asking for a lookup for the same year, he/she try instead asking for other years like 1936, 1938, 1939, since a child's memory is quite often cloudy.  If a record existed for 1937, it would have been found by now.  In a message dated 8/7/07 10:13:16 PM, DoriParsons@aol.com writes: > Hello listers - - - - > > A relative has run into a dilemma I hope someone can help with. > > We have the death date of IRVIN RAFF (a cousin's step father) who apparently > died at Chester Hospital following surgery for a brain tumor.  Though cousin > was very young she thinks she has a vivid memory of the event, and Chester > would seem to be the location, and from somewhere she got the date of July > 17, > 1937. > > She has written for the death certificate to PA Dept. Vitals at New Castle > about once a year several times (in case there's a change of personnel which > might make a difference), and each time they keep the check and send back a > "no > record found" form letter.  Cousin would like to have a copy of  the > document, > and with it discover his parentage and place of burial.  Her biological > father > died before cousin was born, so Irvin was the only father she had in her > young life and very important to her line. > > Does anyone have a suggestion? > Many thanks for any and all help !! > > Dori in So. Calif > > > ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour