Menominee County Death Index

Menominee County death index records are maintained by the County Clerk at 839 10th Avenue in Menominee. Records go back to 1867, covering the county's full history on the southern shore of the Upper Peninsula. Certified copies can be requested in person, by mail, or through the state vital records office. Free genealogy search tools are also available online for deaths going back to the 1860s. This page explains how to find and request Menominee County death records from the right sources.

Menominee County Clerk Death Records Office

The Menominee County Clerk holds the death index and issues certified copies of death certificates for the county. The office is at 839 10th Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. You can reach the clerk by phone at (906) 863-9968. Death records in Menominee County go back to 1867, the year Michigan began requiring statewide vital records registration. The clerk handles all requests for certified death certificates, whether made in person, by mail, or referred through the state system.

Menominee County sits at the southernmost tip of the Upper Peninsula, bordering Wisconsin along the Menominee River. The county was organized in 1863 and quickly developed a death registration system tied to the state's early vital records law. Because of this, the county's death index has solid coverage going back to the late 1860s. Researchers tracing Upper Peninsula families will find that Menominee County records are among the more complete for that region during that era. The clerk's staff can assist with requests and help identify older entries that may need manual searching in the paper files.

There is a historical note worth knowing for researchers. Death records filed before 1891 from what is now Dickinson County may have been recorded under Menominee County. Dickinson County was not separated as its own county until 1891, so pre-separation events from that area were filed here. If you are searching for deaths in what is now the Iron Mountain or Kingsford area before 1891, check the Menominee County records first.

The Michigan MDHHS vital records page covers state-level ordering options that complement the local death records held by the Menominee County Clerk going back to 1867.

How to Search Menominee County Death Records

The most direct way to get a certified copy of a Menominee County death record is to visit or contact the county clerk. In person at the 839 10th Avenue office, bring a valid photo ID and payment. The first certified copy costs $15. Each additional copy of the same record costs $5. Same-day service is typically available for in-person requests.

Mail requests work for those who cannot visit in person. Write to the Menominee County Clerk at 839 10th Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. Include a completed request form, a copy of your photo ID, a check or money order for the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The clerk will process the request and mail the certified copy back to you. Processing times can vary, so plan ahead if the record is needed for a legal deadline. Under MCL 333.2885, Michigan death records are public. You do not need to prove a family relationship to request a copy.

The state vital records office at michigan.gov/mdhhs also holds copies of Menominee County death records from 1867 onward. Ordering through the state is an option if you prefer not to contact the county directly.

Note: For deaths before 1891 in what is now Dickinson County, check Menominee County records since that area was part of Menominee County at the time.

Free Online Death Index for Menominee County

Two free online tools cover Menominee County deaths and are worth checking before contacting the clerk. The GENDIS database maintained by the state holds death index records from 1867 to 1897. This is the earliest digitized window into Menominee County death records and a good starting point for genealogy research from the late 1800s.

For deaths from 1897 through 1952, Michiganology.org has a free and searchable Michigan death index. This site covers all 83 Michigan counties, including Menominee, and allows you to search by name, year, and county. Between GENDIS and Michiganology, you have free online coverage of Menominee County deaths from 1867 to 1952 without any visit or payment required. For deaths after 1952, you will need to contact the county clerk or the state office directly.

Neither GENDIS nor Michiganology provides certified copies. They are index tools, meaning they show name, date, and basic registration data. For a legally valid document, contact the Menominee County Clerk or MDHHS.

What Menominee County Death Records Contain

A certified death certificate from Menominee County includes the full name of the deceased, the date and place of death, age at time of death, and cause of death. It also shows the attending physician or medical examiner, the informant's name, and information about burial or cremation. These details are needed for probate, estate settlement, insurance claims, and family history research.

The death index is a condensed version of this data. It shows names, dates, and registration numbers rather than the full text of the certificate. For older entries in the late 1800s, some records may be incomplete due to the state of registration practices at that time. Still, Menominee County has reasonably good coverage from 1867 onward. For deaths before formal registration in 1867, church burial records, cemetery records, and early probate filings from Menominee County are the main alternative sources. The Michiganology.org platform also offers links to county-level research collections that may help fill gaps in the older records.

Michigan Death Index Resources for Menominee County

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services holds state copies of all Michigan death records, including Menominee County, from 1867 to present. You can order through michigan.gov/mdhhs using their fee schedule, which differs from the county fee. The state office processes requests by mail and through their online ordering portal.

Under MCL 333.2843, Michigan law requires timely death registration by local registrars. This requirement has helped keep Menominee County's death index relatively complete since 1867. FamilySearch.org also has free indexed records for some Michigan counties and is worth checking for older Menominee County entries, particularly from the late 1800s when the county was more heavily populated due to the lumber industry.

Note: The pre-1891 Dickinson County area records are one of the more unusual aspects of Menominee County's history and can require extra steps to locate in the index.

Nearby Counties

Menominee County borders several other Upper Peninsula counties. If you are unsure which county holds a particular death record, check neighboring jurisdictions as well.