How to find out how someone died?

Question

How could you find out how someone died in 1983. BESIDES typing their name in on Google, is there a different, more efficient way?

Persons name:Lynn Schramke

Answer 1

Go to the social security death index

http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

I found this

Birth Date: 11 Nov 1964

Death Date: 6 Apr 1983

Gender: Female

RESIDENCE: Bangor, Bay, Michigan

Place of Death: Bangor, Bay, Michigan

1 minute ago

Answer 2

You got three Whens and no Hows.

Her death certificate would have cause of death, but you probably would not be able to buy a copy, and I have heard that Michigan charges $38 for a copy even if you can buy one. (They started limiting death certificates to next of kin to protect the dead person's privacy.)

Her obituary might mention it, or allude to it by saying memorial donations could be made to the heart, diabetes, cancer . . . funds. (Those are not always accurate. If she was hit by a truck while on an AIDS walk, for instance, or fell off a cliff while on a hike, but AIDS babies were her special interest, they might ask for donations for AIDS research.)

There might be a newspaper article if it was a murder, accident or suicide. You can get an obit / article by visiting the library, sending the library a small donation, an SASE and a request, or by posting a request on a county-level genealogy board. The last will put you in debt to the person who looks it up for you, and you should, if you are a decent person, look one up for someone in your county to repay the debt.

While I'm giving advice, if you post again, be condiderate; mention a country at least, or a state and county if you can. That keeps the warm, wise, witty and devilishly handsome Brits who also see the questions here from wasting their time looking for your person in their data bases.

Answer 3

Is the the right Lynn?

Name: Lynn K Schramke

Birth Date: 11 Nov 1964

Death Date: 6 Apr 1983

Gender: Female  

RESIDENCE: Bangor, Bay, Michigan

Place of Death: Bangor, Bay, Michigan

Answer 4

If you know someone close to her ask them.  When someone that young dies it usually becomes common knowledge, if by gossip alone, how that person past on.

Answer 5

Record

Preview

Name: Lynn K Schramke

Birth Date: 11 Nov 1964

Death Date: 6 Apr 1983

Gender: Female

RESIDENCE: Bangor, Bay, Michigan

Place of Death: Bangor, Bay, Michigan

See more

Lynn K Schramke 11 Nov 1964 6 Apr 1983 Female Bangor, Bay, Michigan

source. ancestry.com

this is the index only to Michigan deaths, and not the certificate to show cause of death.  Normally only proven next of kin has legal access to death certs, but you might pull up an obit.