Goodhue County Death Records and Obituaries

Goodhue County obituary records and death certificates are available through the county Recorder in Red Wing and through the Minnesota Department of Health. The county has kept death records since 1870, and historical obituaries from local newspapers extend that record back even further. Whether you need a certified death certificate or want to search for a death notice tied to someone who lived in Goodhue County, this page points you to the right offices and databases.

Goodhue County Recorder Office - Death Records

The Goodhue County Recorder in Red Wing is the local office for death certificates filed in the county. Records go back to 1870. The Recorder's office keeps the original death registrations and can issue certified copies to those who qualify. Non-certified copies are public records under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225 and available to anyone who asks.

Certified death certificates cost $13 for the first copy. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $6, as set by the state under Minnesota Statutes section 144.226. These fees apply both at the county level and if you request from MDH. To get a certified copy at the county level, visit the Recorder's office in person or send a written mail request. Include the full name of the deceased, the year of death, and a copy of your ID.

The Goodhue County Recorder's page at goodhuecountymn.gov/departments/recorder lists office hours and any updated procedures for requesting records.

The Goodhue County Recorder's portal shows the current process for requesting death records and vital records in person and by mail.

The Recorder's office in Red Wing handles death certificate requests for all deaths registered in Goodhue County.

Search Goodhue County Obituaries and Death Records

The free MDH Death Search Index covers Minnesota deaths from 1997 to the present. Search by name at health.state.mn.us death search. The tool checks the statewide index and returns basic information. If the record comes up, you then contact MDH or the Goodhue County Recorder to get a certified copy. The index is a good first step when you are not sure which county a death was recorded in.

The Minnesota Historical Society holds death certificates from 1904 through 2001 and early death cards from 1904 to 1907. All MNHS records are non-certified public copies. Use the MNHS people search at mnhs.org/search/people to look up Goodhue County deaths in this collection. MNHS records are especially useful for deaths from the first half of the 20th century.

For deaths before 1904, the Goodhue County Recorder holds records going back to 1870. Older deaths may also appear in local newspapers. The MNHS Newspaper Hub at mnhs.org/newspapers/hub has digitized historical papers from across Minnesota, including papers that served the Red Wing area. These papers often published detailed obituaries for community members going back into the 1800s.

Note: Deaths before formal registration in 1870 will not appear in official county records but may be documented in church registers, cemetery logs, or early newspaper notices.

Goodhue County Historical Society Research Resources

The Goodhue County Historical Society at goodhuecountyhistory.org maintains a research collection that covers local history, obituaries, family files, newspaper archives, and other materials tied to the county. Their research page at goodhuecountyhistory.org/research describes what collections are available and how to access them. Staff can help with requests and point you to the right source for a specific person or time period.

The historical society's newspaper archives are a key resource for obituary research in Goodhue County. Local papers like the Red Wing Republican Eagle and others that served the county printed death notices for residents going back well into the 1800s. These notices often contain details about survivors, occupation, birthplace, and church membership that official death certificates omit. If you are building a family history or trying to understand more about someone's life, the newspaper files at the historical society are worth reviewing after you check the official records.

Cemetery records are also part of the society's holdings. Burial logs and sexton records for Goodhue County cemeteries list name, death date, and location of burial. These records complement official death certificates and newspaper obituaries and can help you pinpoint a burial site or confirm a date when other records are uncertain.

Goodhue County Genealogy and Online Resources

The Goodhue County MNGenWeb project at goodhue.mngenweb.net offers free genealogy records for the county. Volunteers have compiled vital records, cemetery data, marriage records, obituaries, and other materials from published and original sources. The site is a useful complement to the county and state databases, especially for older records that have not been indexed elsewhere.

FamilySearch at familysearch.org has a Minnesota vital records guide that explains how death registration worked in the state and what each collection holds. It is free and written for people at all levels of genealogy experience. The MDH county registrar directory at health.state.mn.us/registrars lists the Goodhue County Recorder as the local contact for in-person requests. For mail-in requests to the state, use the MDH vital records page at health.state.mn.us/vitalrecords/death.

Minnesota Department of Health and MNHS Records

The Minnesota Department of Health holds certified death records for the state going back to 1908. For Goodhue County deaths from that year forward, you can request a certified copy from MDH directly if you prefer not to go through the county office. MDH processes mail-in requests and also handles in-person visits at their St. Paul office. Details are at health.state.mn.us/vitalrecords/death.

MNHS holds non-certified public death certificates from 1904 through 2001 for the full state. For Goodhue County, this is a substantial collection that spans close to a century of deaths. The early death cards from 1904 to 1907 are part of the archive as well. All records are non-certified public copies and available to anyone. Search using the people database at mnhs.org/search/people. In-person visits to MNHS in St. Paul allow access to original microfilm and documents not available online.

Cities in Goodhue County

Goodhue County includes Red Wing and several other communities. Death records for all of them are kept at the county Recorder in Red Wing and at MDH in St. Paul.

Communities in Goodhue County include Red Wing, Cannon Falls, Zumbrota, Kenyon, Pine Island, Wanamingo, and Goodhue. None of the cities in Goodhue County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All death record and obituary requests for any of these communities should go to the Goodhue County Recorder or MDH.

Nearby Counties

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