Mainly because it's been so fun! Wow what a day! I just heard that in July the price for a certified death certificate will be raised from $13.00 to $17.00! Yee-owch! On a lighter side, as I continue to scratch the surface of the evolution of the Seattle Undertaking business - I'm forming the opinion that if one should need to acquire a Home Undertaking record, they might want to blanket the local funeral homes! The reason for this is that in the first quarter of the 20th century, there were a small select group of Seattle undertakers who were trying to make a business for themselves. When browsing through death certificates during this period, you can see that the funeral directors jump from one business to the next, moonlighting, I suppose - in order to make ends meet. For instance, J.J. Bleitz worked not only his own business - the J.J. Bleitz Undertaking Co. but also as a partner in Rafferty-Bleitz, the records for the sole proprietorship remained with the Bleitz Funeral Home whereas the Rafferty-Bleitz records remained with Rafferty which became Clark, Rafferty & Putnam which merged with Acacia & Home Undertaking then in 2001, was acquired by Evergreen-Washelli. Now back to the original point: In the 1920s, Bleitz began performing cremations for Home Undertaking Co., as each body came in for cremation, a record was created for the transaction. It would be safe to assume that this happened in other businesses as well. I don't know how long Bleitz performed cremations for Mr. Home (who incidently started the West Home Funeral Chapel which was later acquired by SCI, same company as for Bleitz), but the point of the point that I'm trying to make is, a cemetery may have some information in the sexton's records, but the funeral home (in my experience) has much more in regards to genealogical value. All it takes is a letter! Or a fax, if you've got it...and on that note, I've just been informed that I have two genealogy requests in my in-box...hurray! I'm back in business! Until then... Cynthia

Cynthia, Do you have any idea who would hold the Collins Funeral Home records for 1904. It was said on this list that the Collins records went to Purdy in Everett, and also that they went to Home Undertaking and then to Evergreen Washelli. Can you point me in the right direction, or should I contact both Purdy and Evergreen? Thanks, Virginia Latta Curulla Seattle WA On 6/11/03 4:50 PM, "Mike and Cynthia Baxter" <Baxter_2@msn.com> wrote: > Mainly because it's been so fun! > Wow what a day! I just heard that in July the price for a certified death > certificate will be raised from $13.00 to $17.00! Yee-owch! > On a lighter side, as I continue to scratch the surface of the evolution of > the Seattle Undertaking business - I'm forming the opinion that if one > should need to acquire a Home Undertaking record, they might want to blanket > the local funeral homes! > The reason for this is that in the first quarter of the 20th century, there > were a small select group of Seattle undertakers who were trying to make a > business for themselves. When browsing through death certificates during > this period, you can see that the funeral directors jump from one business > to the next, moonlighting, I suppose - in order to make ends meet. For > instance, J.J. Bleitz worked not only his own business - the J.J. Bleitz > Undertaking Co. but also as a partner in Rafferty-Bleitz, the records for > the sole proprietorship remained with the Bleitz Funeral Home whereas the > Rafferty-Bleitz records remained with Rafferty which became Clark, Rafferty > & Putnam which merged with Acacia & Home Undertaking then in 2001, was > acquired by Evergreen-Washelli. Now back to the original point: In the > 1920s, Bleitz began performing cremations for Home Undertaking Co., as each > body came in for cremation, a record was created for the transaction. It > would be safe to assume that this happened in other businesses as well. I > don't know how long Bleitz performed cremations for Mr. Home (who incidently > started the West Home Funeral Chapel which was later acquired by SCI, same > company as for Bleitz), but the point of the point that I'm trying to make > is, a cemetery may have some information in the sexton's records, but the > funeral home (in my experience) has much more in regards to genealogical > value. All it takes is a letter! Or a fax, if you've got it...and on that > note, I've just been informed that I have two genealogy requests in my > in-box...hurray! I'm back in business! Until then... > Cynthia >