Amanuensis Monday ~ Pennsylvania Death Certificate for Goldie Levitt

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Last winter/spring, when the state of Pennsylvania made death records from 1906-1961 available, I explored the Pennsylvania Department of Health website and learned how to obtain a death record.

I obtained many death certificates for my ancestors (see my great grandfather's at From Maine to Kentucky) and one for my husband's great grandmother, Golda Segal Levitt (see her photo) with hopes of finding her birthdate and that elusive mother's name (given name and surname).

Handwritten entries are in blue. My editorial comments are bracketed.

1. Place of Death:
    a. County: Delaware
    b. City / Borough: Marple (Broomall) Pa
    c. Length of Stay (in this place): - [I don't know how long she was at this nursing home.]
    d. Full name of hospital or institution: Rest Haven for Convalescence
 2. Usual Residence:
   a. State: NJ
   b. County: 32 [Should read Cape May. Also, 32 doesn't indicate the number of years there, as I know she was living in Woodbine since before 1900!]
   c. City: Woodbine
   d. Street Address: Woodbine, N. J. [Possibly Jackson Avenue.]
 3. Name of Deceased: Goldie Levitt
 4. Date of Death: 9-14-52
 5. Sex: Female
 6. Color or race: White
 7. Widowed
 8. Date of Birth: Unknown [darn - I was really hoping for something here!]
 9. Age (in years, last birthday): 80 [Based on other records, I think she could have been 82 or 83.]
10a. Usual Occupation: None
10b. Kind of Business or Industry: None
11. Birthplace: Russia [See 1891 passenger lists here.]
12. Citizen of What Country: U.S.A. [I don't know when she became a citizen.]
13. Father's Name: Simche Siegel [Search this blog for Simche to read what I've found for him.]
14. Mother's Maiden Name: Unknown [Disappointment here, but not surprise.]
15. Was Deceased Ever in U.S. Armed Forces: -
16. Social Security No.: None
17. Informant's own signature; Address: Morton Levitt, Pennsgrove, N. J. [one of her sons]
18. Cause of Death: Coronary Sclerosis
      Interval between onset and death: Unknown
22. Indicates that the doctor had cared for her from 5-17-1949 to 8-14-1952, had last seen her alive on 8-14-1952, and that she died at 11:55 am.
23. Doctor's Signature: George P. Crillman, MD [not sure of this signature]
23b. Address: 2193 W Chester Pike, Broomall, Pa
23c. Date Signed: 9/14/52
24a. Burial
24b. Date: 9-15-52
24c. Name of Cemetery: Woodbine Brotherhood
24d. Location (City, State): Woodbine, NJ [See her gravestone here.]