No official death records exist prior to 1878. This is a listing of the people that died between 1 June 1859 and 31 May 1860, the census year, as collected by the census takers. If a family moved away since a member died, the information was given by a neighbor who still lived there, and although they guessed their best, some deaths were probably forgotten, others could be off a few years in age, etc. Writing was difficult to transcribe, so as always, check for several spellings, especially the phonic spelling. Spellings were left as written on the microfilm. Even more than usual, use with a grain of caution. But it beats nothing.

Columns are:

1. Name of every person who died during the year ending 31 May 1860, whose usual Place of Abode at the Time of His Death was in his family.
2. Age
3. Sex
4. Color – black or mulatto, remainder were white
5. Free or slave – all listed were free, no column included here
6. Married or widowed, remainder were supposed to be single. This schedule looks suspiciously like the census taker missed marking that column for the most part.
7. Place of birth, Naming the State, Territory, or Country
8. The Month in which the Person died
9. Profession, occupation or trade
10. Disease or cause of death
11. Number of Days Ill

** Entry seems to be in error

*** Probable abbreviations are: W. Fever = winter fever; Infl. Brain/etc. = Inflammed brain/etc.; Int. Chills = intermittent chills.

Source: State of Illinois Microfilm, I312.2 MORT, Reel 31-88.

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