Find Obituaries in Frederickson
Frederickson obituary and death records fall under Pierce County's records system, with certified death certificates issued through the Washington State Department of Health. If you need to look up a death in Frederickson or get a copy of a death certificate, the state vital records office is your primary contact. Historical obituary notices for Frederickson area residents can be found through the Pierce County Library System and the Washington State Digital Archives, which indexes deaths statewide from 1907 onward.
Frederickson Overview
Frederickson Death Certificates
Frederickson is an unincorporated community in Pierce County. Deaths that occur here are registered through the state system under Pierce County. Certified death certificates are issued by the Washington State Department of Health for deaths that happened from July 1, 1907 forward.
The Washington State Center for Health Statistics handles all official death certificate requests. You can reach them by phone at 360-236-4300 or order through VitalChek online. Mail requests go to the Olympia address. The Pierce County Auditor's office may also have some older local death registration records. For deaths going back before 1907, other archive sources are your best option.
| Agency | Washington State Dept. of Health, Center for Health Statistics |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 9709, Olympia, WA 98507 |
| Phone | 360-236-4300 |
| Order Online | doh.wa.gov/death-record |
| VitalChek | vitalchek.com ($40.50 online) |
Only eligible individuals may order a certified copy. These include spouses, parents, children, legal representatives, and government agencies with official need. Anyone can request an informational copy, though it cannot be used for legal identification.
Pierce County Library and Frederickson Obituaries
The Pierce County Library System is a key resource for finding Frederickson obituary notices. Their branches hold historical newspaper collections and offer access to genealogy databases that include obituary indexes.
The Pierce County Library at piercecountylibrary.org provides access to Ancestry Library Edition and other genealogy databases at branch locations. These tools include newspaper archives that hold obituary notices for Frederickson and surrounding Pierce County communities. Branch cards are free to county residents.
The state vital records portal at doh.wa.gov is where you start for certified death certificates. The site explains current ID requirements and links to the online order form.
Washington Digital Archives Death Index
The Washington State Digital Archives holds the statewide death index covering deaths from 1907 to 2020. This is a searchable free index. It covers all Pierce County deaths, including those in Frederickson and the surrounding unincorporated areas. The index is useful for confirming death dates and getting details needed to order a certified copy.
Search the death index at digitalarchives.wa.gov. The collection has over two million records. You can search by name, year, and county. Images of actual death certificates for deaths more than 25 years ago may also be available through the DOH death certificates collection in the same archive system.
Pierce County also has records available online through their county records portal. Visit piercecountywa.gov for details on what is searchable without a formal records request.
Historical Obituary Research
Frederickson's records merge into the broader Pierce County archive for historical research. Newspaper obituaries for area residents appeared in The News Tribune (Tacoma) and other regional papers. Digitized newspaper archives through ProQuest Historical Newspapers and Newspapers.com include Pierce County coverage going back well over a century.
FamilySearch holds Washington death certificates from 1907 to 1960 and county death registers from 1881 to 1979. These are free to search and view at familysearch.org. For more recent obituary notices, the News Tribune maintains an online obituary section that is searchable for current and recent years.
Note: Older Pierce County records, including some pre-1907 burial and death registers, may be held at the Washington State Historical Society in Tacoma.
Who Can Get a Frederickson Death Certificate
Washington State law under RCW 70.58A sets out who can request a certified copy of a death certificate. Not everyone qualifies for the certified version. The state issues two types of death certificate copies: a certified copy and an informational copy. The certified version has legal standing and can be used for insurance claims, estate proceedings, and government benefit requests. The informational copy says "not a legal document" on the face and cannot be used for official purposes.
Those who can receive a certified copy include the deceased's spouse or domestic partner, parent, child, grandchild, sibling, grandparent, legal guardian, or authorized representative. Attorneys acting on behalf of an eligible person can also request certified copies. A government agency acting in an official capacity can request records as well. If you don't fall into one of those categories, you can still get an informational copy, which is useful for family history and genealogy purposes but not for legal use.
VitalChek is the state's approved online vendor. Orders placed through VitalChek for Frederickson death certificates cost $40.50 and ship within 3 to 7 business days. Mail orders sent to the Olympia office cost $25 per copy and take 8 to 10 weeks. In-person appointments are available at the Tumwater office by scheduling through the DOH line.
Pierce County Obituary Records
Frederickson is in Pierce County. Death certificates and vital records for Frederickson are processed through the Pierce County and Washington State systems. For county-level resources, search tools, and office details, see the Pierce County obituary records page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Frederickson and share the Pierce County records system for death certificates and obituary research.