• A death card from 1900. Written in cursive.
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Death Record Research Request - 1904 and Earlier

Death Record Research Request - 1904 and Earlier

$ 12.00

Get 10% off with a membership

$ 12.00

Get an additional 10% off with a membership

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For this research service, library staff will search for the death record of one person. A specific location and a specific year must be supplied.

This service is ONLY for requesting a death record from 1904 or before. If you're looking for a death record from after 1904, please use Minnesota People Records Search or check with the Minnesota Department of Health.

The availability of death records from 1904 and earlier depends on when and where the death occurred:

  • If the individual died between 1899 and 1904: we hold statewide registers for those years, and can search for deaths that happened anywhere in Minnesota.
  • If the individual died before 1899: we have access to a limited set of death records from counties and localities around the state. We do not have a statewide index of deaths from before 1899. Click here to see our detailed list of pre-1900 Minnesota Death Records organized by county to determine if we hold records from the area that you're interested in.

For more information on these records, see our Minnesota Death Records Research Guide. You can also call the library for research assistance at 651-259-3300 (please leave a voicemail and staff will return your call).

The fee for this service covers research and digitization. If no records are found, staff will send you research notes as well as any information that we have to help you locate the record, if it exists. In some cases, counties have retained these early vital records. No refunds will be issued once staff have started work on your request.





There is no statewide index to death records prior to 1899, so this search is limited to two specific locations (townships, cities, etc.) within the county where the individual died. Please provide the county and two locations within it. Without this information, we may not be able to complete research. Click here for a detailed list of pre-1900 death records organized by county.

Note: While Minnesota law required the recording of births and deaths beginning in 1870, compliance and enforcement was sporadic during the 1800s, so the record that you are looking for may not exist. Additionally, in some cases counties have retained these early vital records.

For this research service, Library Staff will search for the Minnesota death record of one person, in a specific year and location. This is only for records created before 1904.

Price
$12.00

Digital delivery via email and scanning fees are included in the price.
MNHS Members receive 10% discount at checkout.
Processing fee
The price of this service includes a non-refundable processing fee of $5. This is not an additional charge; however, if your order is cancelled for any reason, the Minnesota Historical Society will retain that fee.

Turnaround
Research is usually completed and sent within three to four weeks. In some circumstances it may take up to twelve weeks to complete work.


About This Research Service
Library staff will search for one death record from 1904 or earlier:

  • Minnesota county death records (see example)
  • Death records from a specific city, town, or township (see example)
  • Minnesota State Death Record Cards, available for 1900 to 1904 only (see example)

Please note that pre-1900 vital records were the responsibility of counties and municipalities, rather than being a state duty. These original records are usually in the form of a ledger, and are organized by the creating entities, often the township/city, but some are county-wide. Unlike more modern birth and death certificates, ledgers contain minimal information, and are not considered official documents. 

Your search will be customized by staff based on the information you provide, in order to maximize the potential for locating records. If you are unsure of how to best place your order, please contact the Gale Family Library for assistance.

Records are not available for all MN counties and townships. If we do not have the records covering the location/date you specify, we will provide information on contacting the appropriate government office, if applicable.

For More Information:

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