Orleans County Obituary Records
Obituary records in Orleans County are held by local town clerks, the Orleans County Clerk in Albion, and the Orleans County Historical Association. This small, rural county in western New York has a county seat in Albion and a population that makes personal visits to local offices the most practical approach for records research. The county clerk maintains deeds, mortgages, census data, naturalization files, divorce decrees, and military discharges. The historical association has microfilmed county newspapers, which are a primary source for Orleans County obituaries going back generations.
Orleans County Clerk's Office
The Orleans County Clerk, Nadine Hanlon, is at 3 South Main Street, Suite 1, Albion, NY 14411. The phone number is (585) 589-5334. Office hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5 PM, with summer hours of 8 AM to 4 PM. The clerk serves as the recording officer for deeds, mortgages, census records, naturalization files, divorce decrees, and military discharges.
The clerk's office does not supply forms or give legal advice. It does not issue death certificates. Death records in Orleans County are held by the town clerk where the death occurred. However, the records at the clerk's office can help with obituary research. Divorce decrees may reference a deceased spouse. Military discharge records can contain death information for veterans. Census data helps place individuals in Orleans County at certain dates.
Death Certificates in Orleans County
Death certificates are filed with the local town clerk where the death took place. Under Public Health Law § 4140, each clerk in Orleans County acts as the local registrar. Towns in the county include Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby, and Yates. Each has its own clerk.
The New York State Department of Health also holds copies of Orleans County death certificates. Certified copies cost $30 under Public Health Law § 4174. You must be a qualified applicant. This means a spouse, parent, child, or legal representative of the deceased. Uncertified copies for genealogy use are available for older records. Mail requests to the state take several weeks to process.
Orleans County Historical Association
The Orleans County Historical Association (OCHA) was founded in 1977. The association has microfilmed county newspapers, published historical books about Orleans County, and funded historical markers across the county. Newspaper microfilm is one of the most important resources for finding Orleans County obituaries, as local papers carried death notices for community members going back to the 1800s.
OCHA does not maintain a physical archive. This means you cannot visit a reading room to search their materials. However, the microfilmed newspapers they created may be available at local libraries or through interlibrary loan. Contact the association directly to find out where their newspaper microfilm can be accessed. The books they have published include local history content that sometimes references deaths and burials in Orleans County.
Searching for Orleans County Obituaries
Library resources are important for Orleans County obituary searches. The Hoag Library in Albion and the Community Free Library in Holley hold local history materials. These libraries may have Orleans County newspapers on microfilm and can provide access to genealogy databases like Ancestry Library Edition for in-person visitors.
Online databases cover Orleans County to some extent. FamilySearch has digitized New York vital records indexes that include Orleans County deaths. These indexes are free to search. Ancestry has similar indexes plus some newspaper collections. FindAGrave contains burial records from Orleans County cemeteries with dates, locations, and in some cases headstone photos. Fulton History, a free website, has digitized newspapers from western New York that may include Orleans County publications.
The New York State Archives in Albany maintains statewide death indexes on microfiche. These cover Orleans County along with all other New York counties. For recent deaths, funeral homes in Orleans County post obituaries on their websites and on Legacy.com. The Daily News in Batavia covers some Orleans County news and carries local obituaries.
Church and Cemetery Records
Church records in Orleans County date back to the early 1800s when the area was first settled. Many churches maintained their own death and burial registers independent of civil registration. These records are held by individual congregations, and some have been collected by the historical association or deposited at regional archives. For deaths before civil registration became consistent, church records may be the only written source.
Cemetery records from Orleans County burial grounds are available through FindAGrave and through individual cemetery offices. The Orleans County Surrogate's Court holds probate records that include death dates and family information. Wills and estate files are public records. For obituary researchers, probate files can provide names of surviving family members, death dates, and last known addresses that may not appear in a published obituary.