Search Renville County Obituary Records
Renville County obituary records and death certificates are kept at the county recorder's office in Olivia, with records generally available from the 1870s onward. Finding death and obituary records for Renville County residents involves checking several sources, including the county recorder, the Minnesota Department of Health online index, the Minnesota Historical Society, and local genealogy resources maintained by volunteers at MNGenWeb. Each source covers different time periods and types of information, so searching more than one gives you the best results.
Renville County Overview
Renville County Recorder - Vital Records Office
The Renville County Recorder in Olivia is the primary local office for death certificates and other vital records. You can request certified copies in person or by mail. The office serves as a county-level registrar for the Minnesota Department of Health vital records system.
| Office | Renville County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 500 East DePue Avenue, Olivia, MN 56277 |
| Phone | 320-523-3669 |
| Website | renvillecountymn.gov/departments/recorder |
| Records Available | Death certificates, birth records, marriage records |
| Death Records Start | General 1870s |
| Certified Copy Fee | $13 first copy, $6 each additional |
To request a death certificate, you will need to provide the full name of the deceased, the approximate date of death, and your relationship to the person. For certified copies, you must be an eligible person as defined under Minnesota law. Immediate family members and legal representatives qualify. The office can tell you exactly what documents to include when you call.
Mail requests are accepted. Send a completed request form, a photocopy of your ID, and payment to the office address. Processing time is usually a few business days for in-person requests and longer for mail. If you are not sure whether a record exists or what years are available, call the recorder's office before sending a mail request.
Renville County's position in the heart of south-central Minnesota means many families had roots that spread into neighboring counties. If you do not find a record here, the nearby Kandiyohi, Sibley, or Redwood county recorder offices may have what you need.
Minnesota Death Search Index - Free Online Search
The Minnesota Department of Health provides a free online death search index covering the entire state, including Renville County. This tool lets you look up basic information about a registered death without contacting the county or state office directly.
Search the index at health.state.mn.us - death search index. The index covers deaths registered from 1908 onward. You will see the name, date of death, and county but not the full certificate. Once you confirm the record exists, you can order a certified copy through the MDH or through the Renville County Recorder.
Full information on ordering certified death certificates from the state is at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords/death.html. The MDH page explains eligibility, fees, and accepted payment methods. For records prior to 1908, the county recorder and the Minnesota Historical Society are your main options.
The MDH death search index is free and does not require you to create an account, making it a quick first check for any Renville County death record search.
Minnesota Historical Society Records
The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) holds historical records that go well beyond what is available at the county recorder. Their collections include early death registers, church records, funeral home records, and digitized newspapers with published obituaries. For Renville County families, especially those going back to the late 1800s, MNHS is an essential resource.
The MNHS People Search at mnhs.org/search/people indexes names across a wide range of collections. It is free to search. Their guide to death records at mnhs.org - about death records explains what types of records they hold and how to access them. Some materials are available online; others require an in-person visit to the MNHS research center in St. Paul.
The MNHS Digital Newspaper Hub at mnhs.org/newspapers/hub is especially valuable for finding published obituaries from Renville County papers. Local weeklies often ran detailed obituaries that name family members, note church affiliations, and list hometowns of relatives. These details are not in death certificates and can be critical for building out a family tree.
Digitized Renville County newspapers on the MNHS hub can be searched by name, giving you direct access to published death notices and obituary columns from decades past.
Renville County Historical Society
The Renville County Historical Society keeps local records and collections that are not available through state or federal databases. Their holdings may include old newspapers, family files, cemetery records, and photographs that relate to death and family history in the county.
You can learn more about their collections and contact information at renvillecountyhistory.org. For genealogy research involving Renville County families, the historical society is worth contacting early in your search. Staff and volunteers there often have knowledge of local sources that are hard to find online.
Local churches have also been significant record keepers in Renville County. Many congregations maintained their own registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials. Some of these records have been transferred to the historical society or digitized by volunteers. If you know the church affiliation of the person you are researching, that can open a useful line of inquiry.
MNGenWeb Genealogy Resources
The Renville County MNGenWeb project at renville.mngenweb.net is a volunteer-run site with free resources for genealogy research in the county. It includes links to cemetery records, surname indexes, local history, and other databases compiled by researchers with ties to the area.
The site links out to FamilySearch at familysearch.org - Minnesota Vital Records, which holds digitized copies of many Minnesota death records. FamilySearch is free and covers a wide range of years. It is one of the best online tools for finding early Renville County death records without paying a fee.
The Renville County MNGenWeb site connects you to locally compiled indexes and links to statewide databases, making it a useful hub for free genealogy research on county residents.
How to Get Renville County Death Records
There are a few ways to get death records for Renville County, depending on what you need.
For a certified copy of a death certificate, contact the Renville County Recorder at 320-523-3669. The office is at 500 East DePue Avenue in Olivia. You can also order certified copies by mail or through the Minnesota Department of Health. The fee is $13 for the first certified copy and $6 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
For genealogy and informational use, the MDH death index, MNHS collections, and MNGenWeb are free. These sources are good for confirming dates, finding published obituaries, or checking whether a record exists before you order a certified copy. Informational copies are not valid for legal use, such as settling an estate or claiming benefits.
The statewide registrar directory at health.state.mn.us - county registrar directory lists all county vital records offices, including Renville. Under Minnesota Statute 144.225, certified death records are restricted to close relatives and authorized parties for 50 years after death. After 50 years, records become public and accessible to anyone.
The MDH vital records guide covers the full process for requesting a certified death certificate, whether you go through the county or the state office.
Nearby Counties
Renville County shares borders with several other Minnesota counties. Records for families with ties to these areas may be found in neighboring county offices.