Access Strongsville Obituary Records
Strongsville obituary records are managed through Cuyahoga County offices and the state of Ohio. The city has about 46,000 residents and sits in the southwest corner of Cuyahoga County, south of Cleveland. If you need to find an obituary or death record for someone who lived or died in Strongsville, you will search through the same county and state systems that serve Cleveland and the rest of Cuyahoga County. The Cleveland Department of Public Health issues death certificates for most of the county, including Strongsville. The Cleveland Public Library and its Necrology File are the top resources for finding newspaper obituaries in this area.
Strongsville Overview
Cuyahoga County Obituary Records
Strongsville is in Cuyahoga County. All death records and vital statistics for the city run through the county or state system. The Cleveland Department of Public Health at 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 122, in Cleveland handles death certificates for 57 of the 59 cities in Cuyahoga County, and Strongsville is one of them. Call 216-664-2315 for help.
For deaths after December 20, 1908, the Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics is another source for certified copies. The fee is $21.50 per certified copy as of January 2025. You can order online, by mail, or in person at the state office in Columbus. Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, the state maintains vital records for all of Ohio. This law sets out who can get copies and what fees apply.
The Cuyahoga County Archives at 2905 Franklin Boulevard in Cleveland hold death records from before December 19, 1908. The first 40 copies are free, and additional copies cost 25 cents each. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 AM to 3 PM, with the last hour by appointment. You can reach them at archive@cuyahoga.oh.us. These pre-1908 records are probate court ledger entries, and they can be useful for tracing Strongsville families from that era.
Strongsville Death Certificates
The Cleveland Department of Public Health issues death certificates for deaths in Strongsville. Their Bureau of Vital Statistics is at 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 122, in Cleveland. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM. The fee is $21.50 per certified copy.
Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.23 spells out who can get a certified copy of a death certificate in Ohio. Close family members, legal representatives, and those with a direct and tangible interest qualify. If you are doing genealogy research or searching for a Strongsville obituary, an informational copy may work for your needs. These copies are not valid for legal use but contain all the same details. The state registrar sets the fees under Section 3705.24.
The Ohio History Connection in Columbus has death certificates from 1908 to 1970 for non-legal research. They can provide copies stamped to show they came from the archives. For deaths before 1908, the Cuyahoga County Archives hold probate court death registers going back to 1867. Before that year, Ohio had no formal death record requirements.
Strongsville Library Obituary Resources
The Strongsville Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library serves local residents and provides access to genealogy databases and research tools. The branch can connect you to the broader Cuyahoga County library network, which includes the Cleveland Public Library and its outstanding genealogy collection.
The Cleveland Public Library maintains the Cleveland Necrology File, a comprehensive database of cemetery records and newspaper death notices from 1833, 1847 to 1848, and 1850 to 1975. This file has the full text of death notices from the Plain Dealer and Cleveland Press. Strongsville deaths are covered because these papers reported on all of Cuyahoga County. For 1976 to 2014, the Cleveland News Index has citations for obituaries from the Plain Dealer. The library offers up to three free scans of death certificates per month by email and has Ohio death certificates from 1908 to 1953 on microfilm.
The Ohio Obituary Index at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center has over 3.7 million obituary entries from Ohio newspapers. Strongsville obituaries are included through Cuyahoga County partner libraries that feed into the index. You can search for free online and request copies from the library that contributed each listing.
The Cuyahoga County Public Library system also offers access to Ancestry Library Edition and FamilySearch at branch locations. Card holders can use HeritageQuest from home for census records and other genealogy materials that support Strongsville obituary research.
Strongsville Obituary Search Tools
The City of Strongsville website provides information about city services and departments, and can point you to county offices for vital records requests.
Vital records for Strongsville are processed through Cuyahoga County, so the city site directs residents to the Cleveland Department of Public Health and other county resources.
The Ohio Death Record Index at the Ohio History Connection covers state death certificates from 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1963. This free tool lets you search by name and find a certificate number. You can then order a copy from the Ohio History Connection for research or from the state health department for a certified version. It is a strong starting point for Strongsville death records from the early to mid 1900s.
FamilySearch has digitized Ohio death certificates from 1908 to 1953 and made them available for free online with a registered account. These include Strongsville and all of Cuyahoga County. The certificates show cause of death, place of burial, family details, and other information from the original documents. For records after 1953, you will need to contact the Cleveland Department of Public Health or the Ohio Department of Health.
Getting Strongsville Obituary Copies
Getting copies of Strongsville obituary and death records depends on the date of death and what you need. Here is a breakdown of options.
For certified death certificates from 1908 to present, contact the Cleveland Department of Public Health or the Ohio Department of Health. The fee is $21.50 per copy. Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24 governs the fee structure for certified vital records.
- Online ordering through the Ohio Department of Health portal
- In person at 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 122, Cleveland
- By mail with a completed application form
- Cuyahoga County Archives for pre-1908 death records
For newspaper obituary copies, the Cleveland Public Library is the best resource. Their Necrology File covers 1850 to 1975, and the Cleveland News Index picks up from 1976 to 2014. You can get up to three free digital scans per month. The Strongsville Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library can also help with local research and connect you to databases for finding obituaries from the Strongsville area. In-person visits to the Cleveland Public Library give you access to microfilm readers and databases not available from home.
Note: For deaths before 1867, there are no official Ohio death records for Strongsville, and church records, cemetery logs, and newspaper obituaries may be the only sources.
Nearby Ohio Cities
Strongsville is in the southwest part of the Cleveland metro area. Many nearby cities share Cuyahoga County resources for obituary research. If the person you are looking for lived in a different city, their records may be in the same county system or a neighboring one.
Cleveland • Parma • Lakewood • Euclid • Elyria • Lorain • Akron • Cuyahoga Falls • Mentor • Canton
Cuyahoga County Obituary Records
Strongsville is in Cuyahoga County, and all death records filed in the city go through the Cuyahoga County system. The Cleveland Department of Public Health handles death certificates for Strongsville, while the county archives hold pre-1908 records. The Cleveland Public Library is the main research hub for obituary searches across the entire county. For more about county-level resources, visit the Cuyahoga County page.