Hello to the list

Patti -
Birth and death reporting was mandatory in 1853 - 1896, then discontinued
until ca 1912; there was never 100% compliance in the older records.

I was a medical records professional at the former Blue Ridge Sanatorium,
later, Blue Ridge Hospital, now defunct...My experiences in this position might
be relative (no pun intended) to your question.

I tried hard to save the old records, especially the admission/discharge
cards (remember this was way before computerization and everything was hand
written on these cards).  About 1988 all discharge summaries were to be microfilmed
by UVA Hospital (which was to preserve at least this much).  All of the rest
of the records were destroyed.  I left in 1990 and do not know if they were
filmed.  Space was at a premium and there was no need for these older records.
All the Blue Ridge docs were gone...the san had been acquired by UVA and we all
answered to UVA...so I will stop here before I say more than I should.
 I can't imagine that any detail will be found on your ancestor in the
Eastern State records, as they just didn't record like is done now-a-days.  If you
are lucky, possibly a ledger with his/her name or a death record or just a one
page summary...

Now whose death certificate are they asking for?  I suggest you contact the
Director of Medical Records at that institution and ask specific questions
about the nature of records that were kept and are still extant - that might give
you an idea of whether to pursue further.

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