Fillmore County Obituaries and Death Records

Fillmore County obituary records and death certificates are kept at the county Recorder office in Preston and at the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul. The county began recording births and deaths in 1870, and historical death notices extend further back through local newspaper archives. This page covers where to find death records for Fillmore County, how to request certified copies, and what other sources exist for historical obituary research.

Fillmore County Recorder Office

The Fillmore County Recorder in Preston handles death certificates for events that occurred within the county. The Recorder's office holds records going back to 1870 and is the first place to contact when you need a certified death certificate or want to look up a death record in person. Staff can search by name and year of death.

Certified death certificates cost $13 for the first copy. Each extra copy ordered at the same time is $6, as set by the state under Minnesota Statutes section 144.226. Under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225, non-certified copies of death records are public records. You do not need a family relationship to request a non-certified copy. Certified copies, which carry legal weight, are typically issued to close family members and others who show a legal need.

To request a record, visit the office in person or send a written request by mail. Include the name of the person who died, the approximate year of death, and a copy of your photo ID. Call ahead to confirm office hours and what forms of payment they accept.

The Fillmore County Recorder's page at co.fillmore.mn.us/departments/recorder shows hours and more detail on the request process.

The Recorder's office in Preston is the local source for certified death certificates and official death records filed in Fillmore County.

Search Fillmore County Death and Obituary Records

The MDH Death Search Index is a free statewide tool that covers deaths recorded in Minnesota from 1997 to the present. You can look up a name at health.state.mn.us death search. The index returns basic information like the person's name and county of death. To get the actual certificate, contact MDH or the Fillmore County Recorder after confirming the record exists.

For deaths before 1997, the Minnesota Historical Society is the primary source for official records. MNHS holds death certificates from 1904 through 2001 and death cards from 1904 to 1907. These are non-certified public copies. Search the MNHS people database at mnhs.org/search/people to check what is in the collection for Fillmore County. Many years of Fillmore County deaths are included.

Deaths before 1904 that were formally registered will be in the county Recorder's office for records going back to 1870. Earlier deaths show up mainly in church records, cemetery logs, and local newspaper obituaries. The MNHS Newspaper Hub at mnhs.org/newspapers/hub has some digitized Fillmore County papers, and those archives include death notices going back into the 1800s.

Note: If you are searching for someone who died in a small rural township in Fillmore County, the county Recorder in Preston is the right starting point regardless of the year.

Fillmore County Historical Resources

The Fillmore County Historical Society at fillmorecountyhistory.org runs a local history center with records from the county's past. The society holds obituary files, local newspaper clippings, cemetery records, and other materials that span many decades. Staff can help with research requests, and some collections are available for in-person review at the center.

Local newspapers have long been the primary source of detailed obituaries in rural Minnesota counties. Papers serving Preston, Spring Valley, Harmony, and other Fillmore County communities published death notices that include personal details about survivors, occupations, and church membership that official death certificates do not contain. For deaths in the 1800s and early 1900s, a newspaper obituary may be the only detailed record that exists.

Cemetery records are another valuable source. Sexton logs and burial records for Fillmore County cemeteries list name, date of death, age, and often the section and lot of burial. These records tie directly to obituary research and can confirm details when you are not sure a person's death was formally registered.

Fillmore County Genealogy and Online Databases

The Fillmore County MNGenWeb project at fillmore.mngenweb.net has volunteer-compiled records including vital records, military history, cemetery data, and genealogy materials specific to the county. This free site is a practical starting point when you are not sure where to look. Volunteers have indexed records from original sources and published documents over many years.

FamilySearch has a detailed Minnesota vital records guide at familysearch.org. The guide covers the full history of death registration in the state and explains what each collection holds. It is especially useful for understanding which records exist for each time period and where they are held. The site is free and updated by experienced genealogy researchers.

The MDH registrar directory at health.state.mn.us/registrars lists all county offices, including Fillmore County, where you can get local death records in person. The MDH vital records page at health.state.mn.us/vitalrecords/death covers mail-in requests for certified copies from the state.

Minnesota Historical Society Death Certificate Collection

The MNHS death certificate archive covers all Minnesota counties from 1904 through 2001. For Fillmore County, this is a deep collection of records spanning close to a century. Early death cards from 1904 to 1907 are included. All records in this collection are non-certified public copies. No family relationship is required to access them. Use the people search at mnhs.org/search/people to look up Fillmore County deaths in the MNHS holdings.

MNHS also holds a large collection of historical newspapers from across Minnesota. For Fillmore County research, these papers are a key source for death notices published during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many obituaries from that era include lengthy write-ups about the person's life, family connections, and community ties. Access the newspaper collection through the MNHS Newspaper Hub at mnhs.org/newspapers/hub. Some papers are fully digitized and searchable; others require an in-person visit to the MNHS library in St. Paul.

Cities in Fillmore County

Fillmore County includes Preston and several other communities. Death records for all of them are on file at the county Recorder in Preston and at MDH in St. Paul.

Communities in Fillmore County include Preston, Spring Valley, Harmony, Rushford, Chatfield, Peterson, and Canton. None of the cities in Fillmore County reach the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All obituary and death record requests for any of these communities should go to the Fillmore County Recorder or MDH.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Fillmore County. Each keeps its own death records at the county office and at the Minnesota Department of Health.