David WITHERELL (spelling varies) is my 4 times great-grandfather. Rumor is he died in Genesee County (specifically Flint, but I can't verify that) in 1863. His wife was Martha (Walcott) and he lived in New York until at least 1857, which is when his son, my 3 times great-grandfather, was born in Flint according to census and death records (a daughter followed so I know he was still around after 1857).

The family later moves on to Saginaw but sans David. I've looked through Fold3 for records in case he died in the Civil War but the only David Witherell that semi-matched was married to a Sarah.

I have marriage records for his first marriage (followed by her death in 1847 and then their son's death) and his second marriage from New York. I can find him in the 1850 census and that is all.

Flint death records don't go back to 1863 and neither do their newspaper records. So, I'm looking for help on where to go next. How do I find out where (maybe even how) he died?