<prompt> Human: Hi all!Not sure if this is better asked somewhere else, but I figured someone in here probably has some experience with my issue.I have a paper Series EE bond for 10k that a family friend took out in his name about 17 years ago before he took his own life some years later. Ive fallen on some financial difficulty as of late, and have decided it makes sense for me to redeem my bond now.I took it to my bank US bank and they told me that because the bond is payable on death to me, theyd need to see a death certificate of the original bond holder, and that my multiple forms of ID dont cancel out the need for a death certificate.The policy is totally understandable, but the issue is that I dont have a way of contacting the family of my deceased friend not to mention it would be a pretty heartbreaking conversation even if I managed to get in contact with them. Im wondering if any of you folks have some suggestions about what to do in these instances?I know you can supposedly request a death certificate from the vital records office of California which is where his death occurred, but it seems like its a lengthy and complicated process, particularly since I dont live in California anymore and cant physically go to the office.Any suggestions or advice about what to do here are greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance for your help!  <response>: You dont need to contact the family. You can get a death certificate from the records department of the county in which he died. It will cost 10-20. You may be able to do this via internet or mail if you are patient. 