Find-A-Grave is a wonderful site where volunteers take photos of gravestones and upload them, allowing distant researchers like myself to view them without getting in a plane and trekking across country. It is a growing site with new photos being added all the time  including, recently, my great-grandparents John Alexander and Olivia Todd.

I had the death date for my great-grandfather from his death certificate which has been made available on Ancestry.com, but my great-grandmother’s death certificate was not there. I suspected, and still suspect as I’ll detail below, that she died in New Jersey, even though she lived (nearly) her whole life in Philadelphia and was buried there.

Todd gravestone at North Cedar Hill cemetery by Find-A-Grave contributor Balvana

I knew they were buried at North Cedar Hill cemetery, along with many other Todds and related families, and had been checking Find-A-Grave regularly, but I came across their gravestone through the index on Ancestry.com and the “hints” function there. A pleasant surprise.

So, now I knew Olivia passed away in 1955. I knew that there was an index for the North Cedar Hill cemetery in the Pennsylvania Church and Town Records database on Ancestry, and by browsing to the cemetery’s records I found she was buried on December 10. With that information I was able to find her obituary that stated she died on December 7, 1955 and that her residence at the time was Taunton Lake, NJ, thus my assumption that she passed away in New Jersey.

TODD — Dec. 7, OLIVIA R. (nee Moore), wife of the late John A. Todd, Sr., of Berlin rd., Taunton Lake, N.J., formerly of 2075 E. Tioga st., Phila., aged 86 years. Relatives, friends, also members of St. Philip’s Methodist Church are invited to services Sat. 1 P.M., at her son’s residence, 4248 Griscom st. Int North Cedar Hills Cemetery. Friends may call Friday evening.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/9/1955, p.51

The next step will be to request her death certificate from New Jersey. [Received it 9/23/15] Of my great-grandparents, that leaves only the death date of my mother’s father’s father, John Samuel Garrison, unknown.

Transcriptions of my Todd birth and death registrations in Govan, Scotland,
from ScotlandsPeople website (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/).

1866 BIRTHS in the District of Govan in the County of Lanark
No. 526
Name and Surname: Ellen Todd
When and Where Born: 1866 June Twenty first 7h. P.M., Sauchie Place
Sex: F
Name, Surname & Rank or Profession of Father: James Todd, Joiner Journeyman
Name, and Maiden Surname of Mother: Elizabeth Todd M.S. Martin
Date and Place of Marriage: 1861 September 9th, Newry, Ireland
Signature and Qualification of Informant, and Residence, if out of the House
in which Birth occurred: James Todd, Father
When and Where Registered, and Signature of Registrar: 1866 July 11th, At Govan,
James Fulton, Assistant Registrar

1868 BIRTHS in the District of Govan in the County of Lanark
No. 464
Name and Surname: Robert James Todd
When and Where Born: 1868 June Sixth 8h. P.M., 27 Albert Street, Govan
Sex: M
Name, Surname & Rank or Profession of Father: James Todd, Joiner Journeyman
Name, and Maiden Surname of Mother: Elizabeth Todd M.S. Martin
Date and Place of Marriage: 1861 September 9, Newry, Ireland
Signature and Qualification of Informant, and Residence, if out of the House
in which Birth occurred: James Todd, Father
When and Where Registered, and Signature of Registrar: 1868 June 22d, At Govan,
Wm. Fulton, Registrar

1869 DEATHS in the District of Govan in the County of Lanark
No. 397
Name and Surname: Robert James Todd
Rank or Profession and whether Single, Married or Widowed: Single
When and Where Died: 1869 August Third, 11h. 30m. P.M., 9 Albert Street, Govan
Sex: M
Age: 1 year 6 mos.
Name, Surname and Rank or Profession of Father: James Todd, Joiner Journeyman
Name, and Maiden Surname of Mother: Elizabeth Todd M.S. Martin
Cause of Death, Duration of Disease & Medical Attendant by whom certified: Measles,
Diarrhoea, As cert. by Jno. Sitken M.D.
Signature and Qualification of Informant, and Residence, if out of the House
in which Birth occurred: James Todd, Father, present
When and Where Registered, and Signature of Registrar: 1869 August 4th, At Govan,
James Fulton, Assistant Registrar

1870 BIRTHS in the District of Govan Church in the County of Lanark
No. 740
Name and Surname: Alexander Todd
When and Where Born: 1870 August Sixth [7h. 0m. P.M.] (faded, difficult to read), 9 Albert Street, Govan
Sex: M
Name, Surname & Rank or Profession of Father: James Todd, Joiner Journeyman
Name, and Maiden Surname of Mother: Elizabeth Todd M.S. Martin
Date and Place of Marriage: 1861 September 9th, Newry, Ireland
Signature and Qualification of Informant, and Residence, if out of the House
in which Birth occurred: James Todd, Father, Present
When and Where Registered, and Signature of Registrar: 1870 August 27th, At Govan,
Thomas Steel, Registrar

———–

Original Source Citation:
Scotland. Lanark. Govan. Statutory Birth and Death Registers. Digital images. ScotlandsPeople. http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

Transcribed by Alexander Conrad from a scanned image of original.

Elizabeth Todd Death Certificate. Click for full image.

Record of a Death in Philadelphia, 4149

Physician’s Certificate
Full Name of Deceased: Elizabeth Todd
18104
Sex: Female
Color: White
Single, Married: Married
Date of Birth: 1840 11 30
Date of Death: 1907 2 10
Age: 66 years 2 months 10 days
I hereby certify, That I attended deceased from Feb 16 1906 to Feb 10 1907 , that I last saw her alive on Feb 10 1907 and that death occurred, on the date stated above at 11 P.M. The cause of death was as follows: Chief, Cancer of Breast.
[Signed] John H. Lock, M.D., 2401 E Huntingdon st.

Undertaker’s Certificate
Occupation: Housekeeper
Place of Birth: Ireland
Birthplace of Father: Ireland
Birthplace of Mother: Ireland
Name of Father: [blank]
Name of Mother: [blank]
Place of Death: 2521 E Cumberland st
Ward: 31st
Buried from: 2521 E Cumberland st
Date of Burial: Feb 14th 1907
Place of Burial: North Cedar Hill

——————-
Original source citation
Pennsylvania, Department of Health, death certificate no. 4149 (1907), Elizabeth Todd; Division of Vital Records, New Castle.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Certificate of Death
File No. 10671

1. Place of Death: Phila
No. 1729 No 4th St; 19 Ward
2. Full Name: Catharine Conrad
3. Sex: F
4. Color or Race: W
5. Single, Married, Widowed or Divorced: W
6. Date of Birth: 4 23 1835
7. Age: 75 yrs 9 mos 5 ds
8. Occupation: [indecipherable possibly abbrev for  Housewife?]
9. Birthplace: Ger
10-13. Information on parents not reported
14. Informant: Geo Conrad, 1729 No 4th St. (son)
…
16. Date of Death: 1 29 1910
…
19. Place of burial: Glenwood; Date of burial: 2/1 1910
20: Undertaker: Emma L. Shelly

—-

Original Citation:
Pennsylvania, Department of Health, death certificate 10671 (1910), Catharine Conrad; Division of Vital Records, New Castle.

Place of Death
 County: Phila.   City: Phila.   Hospital: Hahneman
Usual Residence: 502 N 18th, Phila, Pa

Name of deceased: Joseph E. Carman
Date of death: 11 3 56
Sex: M
Color or Race: W
Widowed
Date of birth: 5-6-1872
Age: 84
Usual occupation: Bricklayer
Birthplace: Pa
Father’s Name: Joseph C.
Mother’s Maiden Name: Catherine Horneff
Informant’s own signature: Anna M. Peterson (daughter)
Burial: 11-7-56, New Glenwood, Del Co, Pa

—

Original Source Citation:
Pennsylvania, Department of Health, death certificate 20615 (1956), Joseph E. Carman; Division of Vital Records, New Castle.