Hillsdale County Death Records and Obituaries

Hillsdale County death records date back to 1867 and are maintained at the County Clerk's office in Hillsdale. This page covers how to search for Hillsdale County obituaries and death certificates, what the county's marriage and death indexes include, and how to access records through the state, Hillsdale College archives, and genealogical databases. Hillsdale County borders Indiana, making cross-state research common for many families here.

Hillsdale County Clerk Death Records Office

The Hillsdale County Clerk at 29 N. Howell St. in Hillsdale handles all death record requests for the county. Under MCL 333.2882, Michigan death records are public documents. You do not need to be related to the deceased to get a copy. The fee ranges from $10 to $13 per copy. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM. The county's official site is at co.hillsdale.mi.us.

Death registration in Hillsdale County began under Public Act 194 of 1867. Records from that year are part of the county's official archive. The county also holds a marriage index from 1835 to 2000, which is notable for researchers who need to trace family lines using both marriage and death records together. The MichiganGenWeb Hillsdale County page at hillsdale.migenweb.org provides death indexes and other genealogy resources compiled by volunteers. The FamilySearch Hillsdale County wiki lists archives and repositories.

The Hillsdale County MichiganGenWeb site maintains death indexes, genealogy resources, and links to records compiled by local volunteers familiar with the county's Quaker and Underground Railroad history.

The Hillsdale County MichiganGenWeb page covers death indexes and genealogy resources specific to this border county, including links to Indiana records that may be relevant for cross-state family research.

Hillsdale County Genealogy: Quaker Heritage and Border Research

Hillsdale County has a distinct Quaker heritage dating to the early 19th century. Quaker meeting records, including burial registers and minutes that document deaths, are held at several repositories including Earlham College in Indiana and some materials at Hillsdale College. These records predate the official state registration system that began under Public Act 194 of 1867, so Quaker records can provide death information going back to the 1830s and 1840s for families in the county.

The county's role in the Underground Railroad also means that some historical records related to African American residents may exist in church archives and abolitionist organization records rather than in official government files. Hillsdale College, which was founded by abolitionists in 1844, holds archives that may touch on the deaths of community members connected to the college and its early history. The college archives are accessible to researchers by appointment.

Because Hillsdale County borders Indiana, many families in the county's southern townships had relatives across the state line. It is not unusual for a person who died in Hillsdale County to have obituaries published in both Michigan and Indiana newspapers. Checking Indiana county records and newspapers, especially for families in Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben counties in Indiana, can complete the picture for border-area genealogy research.

State Death Records and Online Tools

MDHHS holds certified death certificates for all Michigan counties. For Hillsdale County, call 517-335-8666. Certified copies cost $34 for the first copy and $16 for each additional copy. Online orders go through VitalChek with a $12.95 service fee added. Public Act 73 of 2006 limits online image access to records more than 75 years old, so recent deaths require a direct request to the clerk or state office.

For older records, the free GENDIS database on Michiganology covers Hillsdale County deaths from roughly 1897 to 1952 at no cost. The Michigan State Archives holds microfilm of Hillsdale County newspapers including the Hillsdale Daily News, which has published local obituaries for well over a century. The county's marriage index from 1835 to 2000 is a useful companion to death records for tracing family lines.

VitalChek processes certified death certificate orders for Hillsdale County through the state MDHHS system and is the fastest online option for getting official copies.

Cities in Hillsdale County

Hillsdale is the county seat and largest city in Hillsdale County. Jonesville, Litchfield, and Waldron are other incorporated places in the county. None meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. All death records for Hillsdale County residents are filed with the county clerk in Hillsdale.

Nearby Counties

Hillsdale County borders four Michigan counties and shares a border with Indiana. For families living near any of these county lines, check neighboring county records as well.