Shiawassee County Obituary Records
Shiawassee County obituary and death records are held by the County Clerk in Corunna. Records go back to 1837. What makes Shiawassee County stand out for genealogical research is the Shiawassee County Genealogical Society's comprehensive online obituary index, which spans from 1862 to the present and is one of the most complete county-level obituary indexes in Michigan. This page explains how to use that index along with official death certificate sources.
Shiawassee County Overview
Shiawassee County Clerk Office
The Shiawassee County Clerk in Corunna maintains local death records going back to 1837. The fee for a certified copy of a death certificate is $25. Staff can search records by name and year of death. You can request copies in person at the courthouse or by mail. For mail requests, include the full name of the deceased, year of death, your name and return address, and a check or money order for $25 payable to the Shiawassee County Clerk.
Michigan law under MCL 333.2882 classifies death certificates as public records. Any adult may request a copy. You do not need to be a family member or explain your reason. The office is open Monday through Friday during standard business hours. If you have questions about older records or are looking for records from the earliest years of the county, call ahead to find out what the staff can access and how long a search might take.
| Office | Shiawassee County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | Corunna, MI 48817 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, standard business hours |
| Fee | $25 per certified copy |
| Records Start | 1837 |
Shiawassee County Genealogical Society Obituary Index
The Shiawassee County Genealogical Society maintains what is widely regarded as one of the best county-level obituary indexes in Michigan. Their online index covers obituaries from 1862 to the present, drawn primarily from local newspapers including the Owosso Argus-Press. This is a tremendous resource for anyone researching a death in Shiawassee County at any point in the past 160 years.
The index is searchable and gives you the name, date of death, and the newspaper source for each entry. You can then look up the full obituary text through microfilm at a library or request a copy from the society. Many genealogy researchers start here before going to the clerk's office because the obituary index often confirms whether a death occurred in this county and gives you the approximate date needed to request a formal death certificate.
The Owosso Argus-Press has been the county's main daily newspaper for well over a century. Its obituary archives, indexed by the genealogical society, represent a continuous record of community deaths that goes back further than most newspaper archives in mid-Michigan. The Argus-Press holdings at local libraries can be accessed on microfilm for detailed obituary text.
Note: The genealogical society's online index is a separate resource from the clerk's office. If you find an entry in their index, you still need to contact the clerk or MDHHS to get a certified copy of the official death certificate.
The Shiawassee MIGenWeb site connects to the genealogical society's resources and includes additional compiled death and cemetery data for the county.
Shiawassee County Death Records via MDHHS
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services holds statewide death records from 1897 forward. Michigan began requiring statewide death registration under Public Act 194 of 1867. Shiawassee County deaths from 1897 onward are part of that statewide system. Certified copies cost $34 for the first and $16 for each additional in the same order. Call MDHHS at 517-335-8666 for ordering information.
You can order online through VitalChek with a $12.95 service fee added. For genealogy research, the free Michiganology database at michiganology.org covers deaths from 1897 to 1952. Public Act 73 of 2006 restricts full image access to records more than 75 years old. The GENDIS index at michiganology.org/gendis covers earlier data and can be searched for free.
For Shiawassee County, the genealogical society's obituary index is often the better starting point than the state database because it covers a longer period and links directly to specific newspaper sources. Use both tools together for the most complete picture.
The FamilySearch Shiawassee County genealogy wiki also lists available records and databases, including some that are fully indexed and searchable online at no cost.
The Shiawassee County MIGenWeb site includes volunteer-compiled indexes that add to what the genealogical society and state records provide.
Cities in Shiawassee County
Shiawassee County sits in mid-Michigan between Lansing and Flint. Owosso and Corunna are the two main cities in the county.
Communities in Shiawassee County include Corunna, Owosso, Perry, Durand, and Morrice. No cities in this county meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All death records are filed with the Shiawassee County Clerk in Corunna.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Shiawassee County. Death records are filed based on where the person died or had permanent residence, so check adjacent counties if needed.