The Quest to Qualify for my Kent County Pioneer Certificate

While looking up information on the Western Michigan Genealogical Society website tying to find information on my Blakeslee relatives in Lowell, Michigan, I found a section discussing the Kent County Pioneer Project. 

This project's purpose is to "recognize pioneers and early residents who otherwise would go unnoticed in our county's history. Each builder and craftsperson brought us one step closer to the county we know today."

To qualify:

an applicant must be directly descended from an ancestor who settled in Kent County as follows:

Pioneers (Prior to 1841) Gold Seal
Settlers (Prior to 1881) Silver Seal
Early Family (Prior to 1921) Blue Seal

All of the above being said, I believe that I qualify on my Blakeslee line!

My great grandfather Floyd C Blakeslee was born in Lowell, Kent, Michigan on 22 Sep 1891.  Floyd was not the first child born to his father Charles D. Blakeslee and mother Mary Harriett Furkey in Lowell.  Floyd's sister Minnie B Blakeslee was born in Lowell on 17 Jun 1874.  Charles D. Blakeslee's mother and father, Enos Blakeslee and Deborah Rouse, are accounted for on the census of Lowell, Michigan in 1870 and 1880.  This would put me at the silver seal level.

The one roadblock that I have ran into is trying to find the death certificates for Enos and Deborah.  I sent away to Kent County, and they came back to me saying that they do not have a death record for them.  Both Enos and Deborah are buried Oakwood Cemetery in Lowell, MI.  I believe my next step will be to write to Montcalm county and see if they have a record for them.  Some family trees that I have found on-line have Enos as dying in Carson City, Montcalm, MI.  I believe that will be my next step.