Brown County Death Records and Obituaries
Brown County obituary records and death certificates go back to 1870 and are held at the county recorder's office in New Ulm. The county has a strong German immigrant heritage and a deep local newspaper tradition, which means published obituaries often contain detailed family information not found in official death certificates. You can search for recent death records through the MDH online index, access historical records through the Minnesota Historical Society, and explore local genealogy materials through MNGenWeb and the Brown County Historical Society. Certified death certificates are available from the New Ulm office in person or by mail.
Brown County Overview
Brown County Recorder
The Brown County Recorder in New Ulm handles death certificate requests and vital records for the county. The office is at 14 South State Street and accepts requests in person during business hours and by mail. The recorder's office can help you identify whether a record is held locally and assist with the request process.
Brown County death records date to 1870. For deaths from 1997 forward, you can order a certified copy from any Minnesota county recorder's office, not just Brown County. If New Ulm is far from where you live, another county office can still process your request. For older Brown County records, the New Ulm office is the right starting point. The county holds a long history of rural and small-town death records that reflect the area's German immigrant roots.
| Office | Brown County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 14 South State Street New Ulm, MN 56073 |
| Phone | 507-233-6657 |
| Website | browncountymn.gov - Recorder |
The fee for a certified death certificate is $13 for the first copy and $6 for each additional copy ordered at the same time, set by Minnesota Statutes section 144.226. Under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225, non-certified copies of death records are public and available to anyone who requests them.
Minnesota Vital Records Guide
The Minnesota Department of Health provides a complete guide to vital records at health.state.mn.us, covering death certificates, ordering options, and what to expect when requesting records for Brown County or any other Minnesota county.
The MDH vital records guide shows how to order death certificates by mail, in person, or online for Brown County deaths going back to the county's earliest records in 1870.
Search Brown County Obituaries and Death Notices
The MDH Death Search Index at health.state.mn.us covers deaths from 1997 to the present. You can search by name and year to see whether a record is on file in Minnesota. If you find a result, follow the steps on the MDH death page to order a certified copy. The MDH vital records page covers all ordering options including mail and online services.
For Brown County deaths before 1997, the MNHS People Search at mnhs.org is one of the best free online tools available. The index covers statewide deaths from 1908 to 2001. MNHS also holds older death cards from 1904 to 1907 that are not in the online index. Their death records help page explains how to access these physical materials. For newspaper obituaries, the MNHS Newspaper Hub holds digitized Minnesota papers going back many decades.
MNGenWeb lists several historical Brown County newspapers at brown.mngenweb.net, including papers from Aberdeen, New Ulm, and Sleepy Eye. These local papers ran regular obituary columns that provide detailed family and community information. For deaths in the 1870s through 1940s, a newspaper search often turns up more useful information than the official death record alone.
Brown County Historical Society
The Brown County Historical Society at browncountyhistorymn.org operates a museum and research library in New Ulm. The society holds local records, cemetery indexes, obituary files, and other materials that go beyond the official state vital records system. Their research library is open to the public and serves both genealogists and family historians looking for Brown County death information.
New Ulm's history as a major German immigrant settlement means the historical society holds materials in both English and German. Church records from the area's many German Lutheran and Catholic congregations can be especially useful for deaths in the late 1800s and early 1900s, before statewide registration was fully in effect. The society can help you navigate these older sources. The county library also maintains a digital archive at browncountymn.gov with some historical materials.
Note: Some Brown County records from the 1800s may exist only in German; the historical society staff can help with translation and identification.
Cities in Brown County
Brown County includes New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Springfield, and several other communities. No city in Brown County meets the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site. Death records for all communities in Brown County are processed through the county recorder in New Ulm.
Nearby Counties
These counties share borders with Brown County in southern Minnesota. Each has its own recorder or vital records office.