Find Obituaries in Roscommon County

Roscommon County death records and obituaries are held at the County Clerk's office in Roscommon. The county began keeping local death records in 1875. You can request copies in person or by mail. For older records and genealogy research, the Roscommon County Historical Society and state-level resources through MDHHS are both useful. This page outlines where to search and what each source covers.

Roscommon County Clerk Office

The Roscommon County Clerk maintains death records filed locally since 1875. Staff can look up records by name and year of death. You can get certified copies in person or by mail. The fee is $15 per certified copy. Bring as much detail as you have: full name, date or year of death, and any other identifiers that might help narrow the search.

Mail requests should include a written note with the name of the deceased, approximate date of death, your name and address, and a check or money order for $15 made out to the Roscommon County Clerk. Under MCL 333.2882, death certificates in Michigan are considered public records. Any person may request a copy. You do not need to be next of kin or explain why you need the record. The office is open Monday through Friday during standard business hours.

Roscommon County Genealogy and Death Research

Roscommon County has a genealogy page through the MIGenWeb network. The Roscommon MIGenWeb site may be temporarily unavailable at times, but it has historically hosted transcribed cemetery records, obituary indexes, and family history data for this county. When the site is active, check roscommon.migenweb.org for compiled local resources. If the site is down, try caching tools or contact MIGenWeb coordinators directly.

FamilySearch maintains a county genealogy wiki page that is reliably available. The Roscommon County Michigan Genealogy page on FamilySearch lists record types, date ranges, and links to available databases. It is a good starting point for understanding what has been digitized or indexed for this county. FamilySearch itself has microfilmed records and indexed data sets that include some Roscommon County deaths from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Roscommon County Historical Society holds local records that go beyond what official vital records cover. Their collection may include old newspaper clippings, funeral home records, and family histories. The county's lumbering past drew workers from many states, and the resort character of the area around Houghton Lake means records sometimes involve people from outside Michigan who retired or died here.

Note: For deaths before statewide registration took hold in the late 1800s, local church records and cemetery indexes may be your only option. The Historical Society can point you to these sources.

Roscommon County Death Records via MDHHS

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services holds statewide death records from 1897 forward. Michigan's statewide death registration system traces back to Public Act 194 of 1867, which required local officials to record all deaths. Roscommon County deaths from 1897 onward are part of this statewide system. Certified copies cost $34 for the first and $16 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

You can order through VitalChek online, which adds a $12.95 service fee. Phone orders also go through VitalChek. Mail orders go directly to the Vital Records office in Lansing. The MDHHS phone number is 517-335-8666. Staff can answer questions about what records are available and how to submit your request.

Public Act 73 of 2006 limits online access to death record images less than 75 years old. Records older than 75 years are fully open and can be viewed through genealogy databases. The free Michiganology site at michiganology.org covers death records from 1897 to 1952 and is searchable at no cost. GENDIS at michiganology.org/gendis covers even earlier indexed data.

Michiganology is a project of the State of Michigan. Its database is one of the most useful free tools for researchers looking at deaths from the late 19th and early 20th centuries in counties like Roscommon.

The GENDIS interface lets you search by name, county, and year to locate early Michigan death records, including those filed in Roscommon County before modern digital records existed.

Roscommon County Obituaries

Newspaper obituaries for Roscommon County residents have been published for many decades. The Houghton Lake Resorter and other local papers have carried death notices and full obituary write-ups for the area. Obituaries often include details not found in death certificates: church membership, club affiliations, and the names of children and grandchildren who still live in the area.

For recent obituaries, local funeral homes in Roscommon County post notices on their websites. These are searchable and often include links to guest books. For older obituaries, the Library of Michigan in Lansing holds microfilm collections that cover many county newspapers. Staff there can help you find the right roll and locate an obituary by date.

The Roscommon County area around Houghton Lake draws residents from across the state, especially retirees. This means obituaries sometimes list previous counties or states of residence, which can help researchers who are unsure which county to search first.

Cities in Roscommon County

Roscommon County is a rural northern Lower Peninsula county. Roscommon is the county seat. No cities in this county meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page.

Communities in Roscommon County include Roscommon, Houghton Lake, Prudenville, and St. Helen. All death records for this county are filed at the Roscommon County Clerk's office.

Nearby Counties

These counties surround Roscommon County. Death records are filed in the county where the person died or lived, so check nearby counties if you do not find the record here.