How to decipher codes on death certificate
Hello! I am researching an ancestor who died in Skagit County, Washington in 1931. I see her ICD index code for her cause of death, but she also has a 3 digit code next to her name. In poking around, I saw that all of the other people who passed away in various other hospitals, or at home also had a 3 digit code next to their names. This was the case in other counties during that time as well. Can anyone tell me what this 3 digit code refers to?
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@TChelsea1, I believe that you may find the answer to your question by visiting the FamilySearch Catalog entry for, "Death certificates (Washington (State), 1907-1960 ; Index to death certificates, 1907-1979." Based on the information provided in the Notes, I believe that the 3 digit code is the Soundex for the deceased individual.
The construction of the Soundex Code is described in the 5th paragraph. Only the numeric part of the code is penned, adjacent to the deceased name. Using other examples found in the above catalog entry, I have verified that these numbers numbers are consistent with a Soundex for the Surname.
Try it and see if it works for the individual whose death certificate you have provided.
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@TChelsea1, because your question has to do with historical records that can be found in FamilySearch, we have moved this discussion to the FamilySearch Help : Search category.
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Can anyone tell me what this 3 digit code refers to?
Emailing this image to Washington State Board of Health would be your best bet. Their point of contact: https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/vital-records
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