Montmorency County Obituary Records
Montmorency County obituary and death records are available from 1881, when the county was formally organized and separated from Alpena County. The County Clerk office in Atlanta handles certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Montmorency County since that year. For deaths before 1881, when this area was part of Alpena County, records must be sought through the Alpena County Clerk. The Montmorency County Historical Society and local genealogical resources provide supplemental obituary and death information for this small northern Michigan county.
Montmorency County Overview
Montmorency County Clerk Death Records
The Montmorency County Clerk office in Atlanta handles certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in the county from 1881 forward. Under MCL 333.2882, Michigan death records are open public records and any person can request a copy. The fee is $10 per certified certificate, which is among the lower fees in Michigan. The office is open Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Requests can be made in person or by mail.
Montmorency County was part of Alpena County until 1881. This is an important fact for genealogists. If you are researching a death that occurred before 1881 in what is now Montmorency County, those records will be held by the Alpena County Clerk, not in Atlanta. The boundary change is a common source of confusion for researchers who do not know this county's history. Michigan's statewide death registration mandate under Public Act 194 of 1867 was already in effect when Montmorency was organized, so formal record-keeping began right away in 1881.
Atlanta is one of Michigan's smallest county seats. The county as a whole has a very small population, which means the clerk's office handles a relatively modest volume of records. That small scale can actually be helpful for researchers, since staff may have more time to assist with specific questions. Atlanta sits in the Thunder Bay River watershed, a region dominated by forests and lakes, and the county's history reflects the seasonal workers and year-round residents who have lived in this environment for well over a century.
| Office | Montmorency County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 12265 M-32, Atlanta, MI 49709 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, standard business hours |
| Fee | $10 per certified death certificate |
Note: Pre-1881 death records for the area now known as Montmorency County are held by the Alpena County Clerk, since this territory was part of Alpena County before the 1881 separation.
Pre-1881 Records in Alpena County
Researchers looking for deaths that occurred in the Montmorency County area before 1881 need to contact the Alpena County Clerk. That is where the records from this territory were kept before the county boundary change. Michigan's death registration system was already in operation by 1867 under Public Act 194 of 1867, so deaths from the 1867 to 1881 period in what is now Montmorency County should appear in Alpena County's records if they were reported at all. Alpena County is the neighboring county to the east and holds the historic records that cover the early settlement period in this region.
For deaths before 1867, the only documentation may be in church records, cemetery inscriptions, or family papers. Northern Michigan in the 1850s and 1860s had sparse settlement, and record-keeping was inconsistent. The Michigan Archives in Lansing may hold microfilmed materials for early Alpena County records that predate the formal registration era. Contacting the archives is worth doing if you are trying to trace a death from the territorial or early statehood period in this part of Michigan.
The Montmorency County Historical Society holds records and materials related to the county's own history from 1881 forward. For the pre-1881 period, the Alpena County Historical Society may have materials relevant to the region that is now Montmorency County, since those communities were administratively connected for the first decades of settlement.
Searching Montmorency County Obituaries and Death Records
Free online death record searching for Montmorency County starts at GENDIS on Michiganology, which indexes Michigan deaths from 1897 to 1952. Given that Montmorency County's records begin in 1881, GENDIS covers the bulk of the county's 19th and early 20th century records.
GENDIS is a free statewide index of Michigan death records. Searching by county allows you to filter results specifically for Montmorency County deaths from 1897 to 1952, which is a practical way to confirm basic information before ordering a certified copy.
The FamilySearch wiki for Montmorency County describes available record sets and how to access digitized materials. Public Act 73 of 2006 limits online access to death certificate images less than 75 years old. Deaths from after 1952 require a formal request to the county clerk or MDHHS. For very recent deaths, the county clerk in Atlanta is the most direct route.
The MIGenWeb project has historically maintained county pages for most Michigan counties, including Montmorency. Check the MIGenWeb network for any available volunteer-contributed records, cemetery transcriptions, and obituary data for the county.
MDHHS and Statewide Records for Montmorency County
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) holds statewide death records that include Montmorency County from 1881 onward. MDHHS charges $34 for the first certified copy and $16 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. You can call the vital records office at 517-335-8666 or order online through VitalChek, which adds a $12.95 service fee. Given the small size of Montmorency County, the MDHHS option may be more practical than traveling to Atlanta if you are not already in the area.
The Michigan Archives in Lansing holds microfilmed vital records for both Montmorency and Alpena counties. This is the place to look for older records, including those from the Alpena County period before 1881. The free Michiganology death database covers Montmorency County deaths from 1897 to 1952 and is a practical starting point for historical research before ordering a formal certificate.
Cities in Montmorency County
Montmorency County is one of Michigan's smallest counties by population. Atlanta is the county seat and main community. No cities in Montmorency County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.
Other communities in the county include Hillman and a number of rural townships. All death records for Montmorency County are handled through the county clerk in Atlanta or through MDHHS in Lansing.
Nearby Counties
Montmorency County borders four counties in northeastern Michigan. Remember that pre-1881 records for this area are held in Alpena County to the east.