Vinton County Obituary Records

Vinton County obituary and death records are kept by the local health department, the probate court, and at the state level in Columbus. McArthur is the county seat and the main place to start your search for death records and obituaries in Vinton County. As Ohio's least populated county, Vinton has a small but well-maintained set of vital records. The probate court holds death registers going back to 1867. One thing to note is that the Ohio History Connection does not have indexed records for Vinton County, so you may need to rely more on local offices and FamilySearch for older records. The Ohio Death Record Index and the Ohio Obituary Index are still good tools for searching from home.

Vinton County Health Department Obituary Records

The Vinton County Health Department handles death certificates for deaths in the county from December 1908 to the present. Certified copies cost about $25.00 each. You can visit in person with a photo ID during regular business hours.

Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3705, local health departments serve as registrars for vital events in their area. The Vinton County Health Department is the official source for recent death records. If you cannot visit in person, VitalChek online ordering may be an option. For deaths before December 1908, the probate court has the older registers. The health department staff can help guide you to the right office if they do not have the record you need.

Note: Vinton County is Ohio's least populated county, so the office may have limited hours compared to larger counties.

Vinton County Probate Court Death Records

The Vinton County Probate Court holds birth and death records from 1867 to 1908. These are handwritten registers with names, dates, and basic facts about each death. The probate court also keeps marriage records, wills, estate files, and guardianship records.

Estate papers can contain obituary-related details like surviving family members and the date of death. Vinton County was formed in 1850, so probate records do not go back as far as some other Ohio counties. One important difference with Vinton County is that the Ohio History Connection does not have indexed records for this county, unlike many other Ohio counties. That means you cannot search Vinton County probate records through their online index. You need to contact the local office directly or use FamilySearch, which has Vinton County genealogy records available for free.

Ohio Obituary Search Resources

The Ohio Department of Health in Columbus keeps death records from 1971 to now. The state fee is $21.50 as set by Ohio Revised Code Section 3705.24. The Ohio Death Record Index covers 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970 and is free to search online.

The Ohio History Connection archives have original death certificates from 1908 through 1970. While they do not have indexed probate records for Vinton County specifically, they do have the statewide death certificates that include Vinton County deaths from that era. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library has the Ohio Obituary Index with over 3.7 million newspaper obituary entries. OHGenWeb also has Vinton County research pages with free genealogy resources.

Vinton County Genealogy Obituary Sources

FamilySearch is one of the best free tools for Vinton County obituary and death record research. They have genealogy records for the county that include death records and other vital records you can view online. Since the Ohio History Connection does not have indexed Vinton County probate records, FamilySearch fills an important gap for researchers looking at pre-1908 deaths.

Local cemetery records are also a valuable source for Vinton County. Many rural burial sites in this part of southeast Ohio have markers going back to the mid-1800s. These can confirm death dates and family ties that official records might miss. The Vinton County library system has local history collections and newspapers on microfilm that sometimes include death notices not found in other sources.

Vinton County Obituary Record Sources

The Ohio Death Record Index lets you search for death records online for free, covering the years 1913 to 1944 and 1954 to 1970 for all Ohio counties including Vinton County.

Use this free search tool to find death certificate entries for Vinton County residents who died during the covered time periods.

Getting Vinton County Death Records

Where to search for a Vinton County death record depends on when the person died. Recent deaths are at the health department. Mid-century records are at the Ohio History Connection. Pre-1908 records are at the probate court.

• Deaths 1971 to present: Vinton County Health Department or Ohio Department of Health ($21.50 to $25.00)
• Deaths 1908 to 1970: Ohio History Connection archives in Columbus
• Deaths 1867 to 1908: Vinton County Probate Court or FamilySearch (free)
• 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 prove a close family relationship. Section 3705.29 of the Ohio Revised Code covers penalties for false statements on vital record forms. Death records over 50 years old may be transferred to the Ohio History Connection under Ohio law.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Vinton County. If the person lived near a county line, check the neighboring county records too.