Find Meigs County Obituary Records

Meigs County obituary and death records are held by the local health department in Pomeroy and at the state level in Columbus. If you are trying to find an obituary or death record for someone who lived in Meigs County, the health department is where you start for recent files. The probate court has older death registers from the 1800s. Online search tools from the Ohio History Connection and FamilySearch give you a way to check records from home. The Meigs County Historical Society also offers genealogy help for those tracing family lines through this part of southeast Ohio along the Ohio River.

Meigs County Death Records and Obituaries

The Meigs County Department of Health handles death certificates for deaths in the county. The office is at 112 East Memorial Drive, Suite A, in Pomeroy. Call 740-992-6626 if you have questions. They can also be reached by fax at 740-992-0836. The health department has death records from 1908 to the present for deaths that took place in Meigs County.

Certified copies of death records cost $27.00 each as of August 2025. You can get them in person, by mail, or through VitalChek online. For mail requests, send a written letter with the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and your photo ID. Include a check or money order for the fee. The health department also provides genealogy help, which is a nice bonus if you are doing obituary research and need someone to point you in the right direction. Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, local health departments act as registrars for vital events, making this office the official source for Meigs County death records.

Meigs County Probate Court Death Registers

The Meigs County Probate Court holds birth and death records from 1867 to 1908. These handwritten registers include names, dates, and basic details about each death recorded in the county before the state system started. The probate court also keeps marriage records, wills, estate files, and guardianship records.

Estate papers from the probate court can help with obituary research since they sometimes include lists of surviving family, the date of death, and property details. If you are trying to trace a family through Meigs County, the probate court records go back over 150 years. For deaths before 1867, you may need to check church records, family bibles, or local cemetery records since there was no official registration system in Ohio before that date.

Note: FamilySearch has Meigs County death records from 1867 to 1908 available for free online viewing.

Ohio Obituary Search Tools

The Ohio Department of Health keeps death records from 1971 to the present at their office at 4200 Surface Road in Columbus. The state fee is $21.50 per record. The Ohio Death Record Index covers 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970, and you can search it for free online.

The Ohio History Connection archives hold the original death certificates from 1908 through 1970. You can order copies through their website. These are not certified for legal use but work well for genealogy. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Fremont has the Ohio Obituary Index with over 3.7 million newspaper obituary entries from across the state, going back to the 1810s. If a Meigs County newspaper ran an obituary, there is a good chance it shows up in their index.

Meigs County Genealogy and Obituary Sources

The Meigs County Historical Society offers genealogy resources and local history archives for researchers. They can help you find obituary records, cemetery transcriptions, and family files that are specific to this part of Ohio. Cemetery records are especially useful in Meigs County where many rural burial sites along the Ohio River have markers dating back to the early 1800s.

The Meigs County library system has local history and genealogy collections that include newspapers on microfilm. Older issues often have detailed death notices with family details you will not find in official records. OHGenWeb also has Meigs County research pages with links to transcribed vital records and other free genealogy databases that cover the county.

Meigs County Obituary Record Sources

The Meigs County Historical Society genealogy page provides resources for finding obituary records and family history in Meigs County.

This site connects you to local archives, cemetery records, and other tools for Meigs County obituary research.

How to Get Meigs County Death Records

Where you search for a Meigs County death record depends on the date of death. Recent deaths are at the health department. Mid-century records are at the Ohio History Connection. Anything before 1908 is at the probate court. Newspaper obituaries can be found through the Ohio Obituary Index or the local library.

Here is a breakdown of where to look:

• Deaths 1971 to present: Meigs County Health Department or Ohio Department of Health ($21.50 to $27.00)
• Deaths 1908 to 1970: Ohio History Connection archives in Columbus
• Deaths 1867 to 1908: Meigs County Probate Court ledgers
• Newspaper obituaries: Ohio Obituary Index at the Hayes Presidential Library
• Online search: Ohio Death Record Index (free, 1913-1944, 1954-1970)

Death records more than 50 years old may be sent to the Ohio History Connection under state law. Section 3705.23 of the Ohio Revised Code gives local registrars the power to issue certified copies of death records when you show proper ID. Be truthful on all request forms since Section 3705.29 covers penalties for false statements on vital record applications in Meigs County and across Ohio.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Meigs County. Check neighboring county records if the person lived near a county line.