Big Stone County Death Records
Big Stone County obituary records and death certificates date back to 1881 and are held at the county recorder's office in Ortonville. Located along the South Dakota border in western Minnesota, Big Stone County has a small but well-documented vital records history. If you need to search for a death notice, request a certified death certificate, or trace family history, the county recorder and state resources are your main starting points. The MDH online index covers recent deaths, while MNHS and local genealogy archives cover the county's older records.
Big Stone County Overview
Big Stone County Recorder
The Big Stone County Recorder in Ortonville handles death certificate requests for the county. The office is located at 20 Second Street SE and accepts requests in person and by mail. The recorder's office keeps local death records and can help you determine what is available for a given time period. Staff can also direct you to state resources when a record is not held locally.
Death records from 1997 forward are available at any Minnesota county recorder or vital records office. You do not have to travel to Ortonville if another county office is more convenient. For deaths before 1997 in Big Stone County, the Ortonville office is the right place to start. Their earliest death records date to 1881, which gives researchers more than a century of local history to work with.
| Office | Big Stone County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 20 Second Street SE Ortonville, MN 56278 |
| Phone | 320-839-6390 |
| Website | bigstonecounty.gov - Recorder |
Under Minnesota Statutes section 144.226, the cost for a certified death certificate is $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Non-certified copies are public records under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225 and can be requested without showing a relationship to the deceased person.
Big Stone County Recorder Page
The Big Stone County recorder page at bigstonecounty.gov provides current information on hours, fees, and how to request death certificates from the Ortonville office.
The Big Stone County recorder page shows the process for requesting death records and vital records from the county office in Ortonville.
Search Big Stone County Obituaries Online
The MDH Death Search Index is the quickest online tool for locating deaths from 1997 to the present. Go to the MDH Death Search Index and search by name and year. If the death is on file, you will see a result that tells you how to order a certified copy. The MDH vital records death page walks you through all the ways to order a certificate, including by mail and online.
For deaths before 1997, the Minnesota Historical Society is the best online resource. The MNHS People Search indexes Big Stone County deaths from 1908 to 2001. MNHS also holds physical death cards from 1904 to 1907 that predate the online index. Their death records help page describes how to request these materials. Newspaper obituaries are searchable through the MNHS Newspaper Hub, which holds digitized copies of many Minnesota papers over the decades.
Big Stone County History and Archives
The Big Stone County Historical Society at bigstonecountyhistory.org maintains a museum and archives with materials specific to the county. The society holds local records including obituary files, cemetery listings, and historical documents that are not part of the state vital records system. For researchers tracing families in Ortonville or the surrounding townships, the historical society is a useful resource.
Big Stone County's small population means that records can be sparse but also more focused. Many families lived in the same communities for generations, so local records often have a richness of detail that broader state indexes do not capture. The historical society staff can help you work through partial names, uncertain dates, or gaps in the official record.
Note: Contact the Big Stone County Historical Society in advance to confirm their current research hours, as small county organizations often have limited staffing.
Big Stone County Genealogy and State Resources
MNGenWeb volunteers maintain a genealogy site for Big Stone County at bigstone.mngenweb.net. The site includes local records and links that volunteers have compiled from a variety of sources. It is free to use and a good starting point for anyone who is new to researching Big Stone County records.
FamilySearch holds historical Minnesota records that include materials relevant to Big Stone County. Their guide at familysearch.org explains what is digitized and available for free search. The MDH county registrar directory at health.state.mn.us is also a useful reference for identifying the right local office to contact when you are not sure who handles a specific type of record.
Cities in Big Stone County
Big Stone County includes Ortonville and several small townships. No city in Big Stone County meets the population threshold for a dedicated records page. Death records for all communities in the county are handled through the county recorder in Ortonville.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Big Stone County in west-central Minnesota. Each has its own recorder or vital records office.