Grant County Obituary Records Lookup

Grant County obituary records and death certificates are held by the county Treasurer in Elbow Lake, with marriage records at the separate Recorder's office. Death records in the county link back to early registration years, and the Minnesota Department of Health holds copies at the state level going back to 1908. If you need a death certificate or are searching historical obituaries tied to Grant County, this page outlines the offices, databases, and genealogy resources that can help.

Grant County Treasurer - Births and Deaths

In Grant County, birth and death records are held by the county Treasurer rather than the Recorder. This is an important distinction. The Treasurer's office in Elbow Lake is where you go to get a certified death certificate for a death that occurred in Grant County. The Recorder handles marriage records, which are kept in a separate office also located at 10 2nd Street NE in Elbow Lake.

Certified death certificates from the Grant County Treasurer cost $13 for the first copy. Each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $6 under Minnesota Statutes section 144.226. Under Minnesota Statutes section 144.225, non-certified copies of death records are public records. Anyone can request a non-certified copy without needing to show a family relationship. For certified copies, you typically need to be a close family member or show a legal need.

To request a death record, call the Treasurer's office or visit in person. Mail requests are accepted. Include the name of the person who died, the year of death if known, and a copy of your ID.

The Grant County Treasurer's office page lists contact details and confirms which vital records it holds.

The Treasurer's office in Elbow Lake is the correct contact for death records in Grant County, not the Recorder's office.

How to Search Grant County Death Records

The MDH Death Search Index at health.state.mn.us death search is a free tool that covers deaths recorded in Minnesota from 1997 to the present. Enter a name and the system searches the statewide index. If the record shows up, you can follow up with MDH or the Grant County Treasurer to request a certified copy. The index does not provide the full certificate, only basic information like name and county of death.

For deaths before 1997, the Minnesota Historical Society holds the main archive. MNHS has death certificates from 1904 through 2001, plus death cards from 1904 to 1907. These are non-certified public records. Search the MNHS people database at mnhs.org/search/people. For Grant County deaths during this period, the MNHS collection is one of the most complete sources available.

For deaths before 1904, contact the Grant County Treasurer directly. Local cemetery records and historical newspapers may also have information going back to the county's earliest years. The MNHS Newspaper Hub at mnhs.org/newspapers/hub has digitized historical papers from Minnesota, and papers serving Grant County communities may be in the collection.

Historical Obituary Resources for Grant County

Grant County is a small rural county in west-central Minnesota. Local newspapers have historically been the main source of detailed obituaries for residents of Elbow Lake and the surrounding townships. These papers printed death notices that often included personal details about the deceased, their survivors, church, and community ties. Many of these papers are not fully digitized, but the MNHS Newspaper Hub at mnhs.org/newspapers/hub is the best place to check what is available online.

Cemetery records for Grant County are another useful source. Burial logs and sexton records list names, death dates, and burial locations. These records often predate formal registration and can help confirm a death that may not show up in the official county or state system. Cross-referencing cemetery records with newspaper obituaries and the MNHS death certificate archive can fill in many gaps in older family records.

The Minnesota Historical Society at mnhs.org/search/people has records from many small counties, including Grant. An in-person visit to MNHS in St. Paul can give you access to microfilm and original documents that are not available through the online search portal.

Grant County Genealogy and Online Resources

The Grant County MNGenWeb project at grant.mngenweb.net has free genealogy records for the county. Volunteers have compiled vital records, cemetery data, and other materials over many years. The site is a useful first stop when you are beginning research on a Grant County death and want to see what is already indexed.

FamilySearch at familysearch.org has a Minnesota vital records guide that explains how death registration worked in the state. It covers the county and state record systems, when registration began, and where to find records for each period. The MDH registrar directory at health.state.mn.us/registrars confirms the Grant County contact for in-person death record requests. For mail requests to the state, use the MDH vital records page at health.state.mn.us/vitalrecords/death.

Minnesota Department of Health Death Records

MDH holds certified death records for Grant County going back to 1908 at the state level. If you prefer not to go through the county Treasurer, you can request a certified copy from MDH directly. MDH handles mail-in requests and also accepts in-person visits at their St. Paul office. The process and fees are the same as at the county level. Processing times by mail run a few weeks. Details are at health.state.mn.us/vitalrecords/death.

MNHS holds non-certified copies of death certificates from 1904 through 2001 for the full state, including Grant County. These records are public and available to anyone. The early death cards from 1904 to 1907 are also included. Use the people search at mnhs.org/search/people to query the collection. MNHS records are especially useful when you want to see the original death certificate details without needing a certified copy.

Cities in Grant County

Grant County includes Elbow Lake and several small townships. Death records for all of them are on file at the Grant County Treasurer and at MDH in St. Paul.

Communities in Grant County include Elbow Lake, Herman, Hoffman, Wendell, and Barrett. None of the cities in Grant County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All obituary and death certificate requests for any of these communities should be directed to the Grant County Treasurer in Elbow Lake or to MDH.

Nearby Counties

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