Edina Obituary Records

Edina obituary records and death certificates are maintained by Hennepin County, which is the local registrar for all deaths that occur within the city. This page covers how to find death records for Edina residents through Hennepin County vital records, the free MDH online death index, the Edina Historical Society, published newspaper obituaries, and Hennepin County Library genealogy collections.

Hennepin County Vital Records

Edina is in Hennepin County. Death records for the city are filed with Hennepin County Vital Records. The Southdale service center at 7001 York Ave South, Edina, is the most convenient Hennepin County office for Edina residents. The main county office is at 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis. Both can issue certified death certificates. The county phone number is 612-348-8240.

Certified copies cost $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Bring valid photo ID when requesting records in person. The county handles both in-person and mail requests. Current forms and hours are at Hennepin County Vital Records. For deaths before 1908, check historical archives and church records. Call 612-348-8240 before visiting to confirm hours and what to bring.

The Minnesota Department of Health free death index at MDH Death Search Index lets you confirm a death record exists before you travel to the Southdale office. It covers deaths statewide from 1997 forward and returns the decedent's name, date of death, and county.

Running a quick search through the MDH index first saves time and confirms you have the right person before making a formal certificate request at the Hennepin County Southdale office.

Minnesota Death Search Index

The Minnesota Department of Health provides a free online death index covering deaths registered statewide from 1908 through 2001. You search by name and see the date and county of death. The index confirms that a record exists before you place an order. It does not provide the certified certificate itself, but it gives you the key details needed to request one.

The index is at MDH Death Search Index. After finding the entry, order a certified copy from Hennepin County or MDH. MDH charges $13 per certified certificate. Full ordering instructions are at MDH Vital Records. The MDH County Registrar Directory lists all county offices. The index is free and requires no account.

Edina Historical Society

The Edina Historical Society maintains local history collections for the city. Their website is at Edina Historical Society. Local historical societies hold obituary clippings from area newspapers, cemetery records, church registers, and photographs that go well beyond what official county records contain. For Edina residents who died many decades ago, the historical society may have materials that fill in gaps left by official records.

Staff and volunteers at local historical societies can suggest cemeteries, churches, and other community sources specific to the Edina area. For deaths before 1908, when statewide death registration began, the historical society's collections are particularly important. They may hold records going back to when the Edina area was first settled that are not available anywhere else.

Newspaper Obituaries for Edina

Edina residents are covered primarily by the Star Tribune, which serves the full Twin Cities metro including the inner-ring south suburbs. Current obituaries are at Star Tribune Obituaries. The website Newspaper Obituaries for Edina aggregates local Edina obituary notices and can be a useful quick reference. For historical notices from decades past, the MNHS Digital Newspaper Hub at MNHS Newspapers provides free access to digitized Minnesota papers including Minneapolis-area publications going back to 1867.

Newspaper obituaries carry detail that certified death records do not. They name surviving family members, describe where the person lived and worked, list the funeral home, and may note cause of death. Checking newspaper archives alongside official records is the most thorough approach for Edina genealogy research.

Hennepin County Library Genealogy

Hennepin County Library branches provide free access to genealogy databases for all cardholders. The full genealogy collection is described at Hennepin County Library Genealogy. At any branch you can use Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3, and ProQuest Obituaries at no cost. These databases hold published obituaries, death index records, and historical newspapers that cover Edina and the broader metro area.

Library branches also hold microfilm for newspapers not yet fully digitized online and local history materials including city directories. City directories help confirm where residents lived at specific times and can be key to narrowing down which records to look for. Reference staff can guide you toward the right collections for your research question. It is a free resource available to any Hennepin County library cardholder.

Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society holds statewide collections with strong coverage of Hennepin County and the south Minneapolis suburbs. Their People Search at MNHS People Search queries cemetery records, church registers, and digitized newspapers simultaneously. For Edina deaths before 1908, MNHS is typically the most comprehensive source available. Church records and cemetery ledgers at MNHS can document deaths in the area going back to when Edina was first settled in the mid-1800s.

How to Get Edina Death Records

Here are the steps to get a certified death certificate for an Edina resident.

• Check the index first: Use the free MDH Death Search Index to confirm the record exists (1908-2001).
• Visit Hennepin County in person: The Southdale office at 7001 York Ave South, Edina, is most convenient. Bring photo ID and $13 for one certified copy.
• Request by mail: Get the form from MDH Vital Records and mail it with payment and a copy of your ID.
• Call for help: Reach Hennepin County at 612-348-8240 to confirm current hours and documentation requirements.

Certified copies are issued to immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with a direct and documented need under Minnesota Statute 144.225. The county office can explain eligibility rules when you call. Mail requests typically take one to three weeks to process.

Nearby Cities

These nearby qualifying cities also have obituary record pages.

Hennepin County Records

Edina is in Hennepin County. All Edina death records are filed with Hennepin County Vital Records. Visit the county page for full details on countywide records and access.