Tuscarawas County Obituary Records

Tuscarawas County obituary and death records are managed by the county health department in Dover, the New Philadelphia City Health Department, and the probate court. If you need to find a death record or obituary for someone who lived in Tuscarawas County, the first thing to know is that death certificates are split between two offices depending on where the death took place. The county health department covers most of the county, but deaths within the New Philadelphia city limits go through a separate office. Online tools like the Ohio Death Record Index and FamilySearch let you search older records from home, and the county library system has newspaper archives with obituary notices going back many decades.

Tuscarawas County Health Department Obituary Records

The Tuscarawas County Health Department is at 897 East Iron Avenue in Dover. Call (330) 343-5555 ext. 1250 or email vitalstats@tchdnow.org. They have death records from 1908 to the present for deaths in Tuscarawas County outside of New Philadelphia city limits. Certified copies cost $25.00 each, with an extra $5.00 service charge for online orders.

Office hours are Monday through Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Thursday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can order in person, by mail, or through their online ordering system on Permitium. Bring a photo ID for in person visits. For deaths that happened inside the New Philadelphia city limits, you need to contact the New Philadelphia City Health Department instead. This split can trip people up, so check where the death took place before you go.

Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, local health departments serve as registrars for vital events in their area. Both the county and city offices act as official registrars for their parts of Tuscarawas County.

Tuscarawas County Probate Court Death Records

The Tuscarawas County Probate Court holds death records from before 1908. These are the oldest official death records in the county. The handwritten registers include names, dates, and basic facts about each death. The probate court also keeps marriage records, wills, and estate files.

Estate papers can be a good source for obituary-related details in Tuscarawas County. They sometimes list surviving family, the date of death, and property. The Tuscarawas County Clerk of Courts also keeps court records that can occasionally be useful for genealogy work. For deaths before 1867, you may need to look at church records, family bibles, or cemetery markers since there was no official recording system in Ohio before that year.

Tuscarawas County was formed in 1808, so some probate records stretch back over two centuries. The county has a strong connection to early Ohio settlement history, and many families have deep roots here. Cemetery records from across the county can confirm death dates and show family ties that you will not find in official death registers or newspaper obituaries. FamilySearch has Tuscarawas County death records available for free online, which can save you a trip to the courthouse in New Philadelphia.

Tuscarawas County Obituary Genealogy Sources

The local library system in Tuscarawas County has genealogy collections and newspapers on microfilm that include obituary notices from past decades in Dover, New Philadelphia, and other communities. These are some of the best sources for finding detailed death notices that include family information beyond what appears on a death certificate. The county's Amish and German heritage communities also keep their own records that can supplement official sources.

FamilySearch has Tuscarawas County vital records from the probate court era available for free. You can view digital images of many original records with a registered account. The Ohio Genealogical Web Alliance has additional Tuscarawas County records online. Cemetery transcriptions from local historical and genealogical groups cover many rural burial sites in the county where markers date back to the early 1800s.

Ohio Obituary and Death Record Search

The Ohio Department of Health in Columbus keeps death records from 1971 to now. The fee is $21.50 per record. The Ohio History Connection archives hold original death certificates from 1908 through 1970. The Ohio Death Record Index is free to search online and covers 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970.

The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Fremont runs the Ohio Obituary Index with over 3.7 million newspaper entries. If a Tuscarawas County newspaper ran an obituary, it likely shows up there. FamilySearch also has Tuscarawas County death records available for free online viewing with a registered account.

Tuscarawas County Obituary Record Sources

The Ohio Department of Health vital statistics portal handles statewide death record requests for records from 1971 onward, including those for Tuscarawas County residents.

Use this site to order certified death certificates online or download mail-in application forms for Tuscarawas County and all other Ohio counties.

How to Get Tuscarawas County Death Records

Getting a death record in Tuscarawas County depends on when and where the person died. Check whether the death was in New Philadelphia or elsewhere in the county, since different offices handle different areas.

• Deaths 1971 to present (outside New Philadelphia): Tuscarawas County Health Department ($25.00)
• Deaths within New Philadelphia city limits: New Philadelphia City Health Department
• Deaths 1908 to 1970: Ohio History Connection archives in Columbus
• Deaths before 1908: Tuscarawas County Probate Court
• Newspaper obituaries: Ohio Obituary Index at the Hayes Presidential Library

Social Security numbers are blacked out on death certificates for five years after death unless you can prove a close family tie. Death records over 50 years old may be sent to the Ohio History Connection for archival storage. Section 3705.29 of the Ohio Revised Code covers penalties for false statements on vital record request forms.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Tuscarawas County. If the person you are looking for lived near a county line, check the neighboring records.