Columbia Obituary Records
Columbia obituary records are held through the Boone County health department, local libraries, and the State Historical Society of Missouri on the University of Missouri campus. Columbia is the county seat of Boone County and sits in the center of the state. The Genealogical Society of Boone County has an online catalog with over 430 entries tied to local records, and the Columbian Missourian newspaper index from 1908 to 1929 is one of the few indexed collections for early Columbia obituary research in this part of Missouri.
Columbia Quick Facts
Boone County Handles Columbia Records
Columbia is in Boone County. All vital records for Columbia residents go through the county system. The Boone County Recorder of Deeds at 801 E. Walnut, Room 132, Columbia, MO 65201 holds marriage records from 1821 and land records. Call 573-886-4345. While death certificates come from the health department, the recorder's office can help with related records like burial deeds and property transfers that come up in Columbia obituary research.
Columbia Death Certificates
The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services office issues death certificates for Missouri deaths from 1980 forward. Call 573-874-7355 or email VitalRecords@CoMo.gov. Death certificates cost $13 per record. Each extra copy of the same record is $10. Birth certificates run $15. You can order in person, by mail, or online through VitalChek, though online orders carry an $11.25 handling fee on top of the state cost.
The Columbia/Boone County health department vital records office handles death certificate requests for the city and county.
Under RSMo 193.255, you must show direct and tangible interest to get a certified copy. Close family, legal guardians, and official representatives qualify. For Columbia obituary research on records older than 50 years, death certificates become available to anyone through the State Archives at $1 per copy. Records from 1910 to 1979 can also be requested through the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City.
Columbia Library and Genealogy Resources
The Daniel Boone Regional Library at 100 W. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65203 serves Columbia and Boone County. Call 573-443-3161. Their local history and genealogy section is a good starting point for obituary research in the area. The Missouri State Library genealogy guide links to key databases for death records, cemetery searches, and veteran burial information.
The Genealogical Society of Boone County and Central Missouri runs the Wilson-Wulff Library at the Boone County History and Culture Center at 3801 Ponderosa in Nifong Park, Columbia, MO 65205. Call 573-443-8936 or email info@BooneCoMoGen.org. The library is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 12 to 4 PM. Their online catalog has over 430 entries tied to Boone County records. The collection includes cemetery and tombstone records from 1821 to 1870, marriage records from 1821 to 1870, land ownership maps from 1875, 1898, and 1917, city directories, and Savitar yearbooks from the University of Missouri going back to 1897.
The card catalog name and subject index to the Columbian Missourian from 1908 to 1929 is one of the few indexed newspaper collections for early Columbia obituary research. Surname files with family group sheets round out the collection.
State Historical Society in Columbia
The State Historical Society of Missouri sits on the University of Missouri campus at 605 Elm St., Columbia, MO 65201. Call 573-882-7083. This gives Columbia residents easy access to a major collection of Missouri newspapers, manuscript collections, photographs, maps, and county records. The newspaper collection is one of the best places to find Columbia obituary notices and death announcements from the 1800s and 1900s. Their research room is open for in-person visits.
The University of Missouri Libraries Special Collections at 510 Ellis Library also holds manuscripts and genealogical materials. Between the university library and the historical society, Columbia has more obituary research tools than most cities its size in Missouri.
Columbia Records at State Archives
The Missouri Digital Heritage website has free pre-1910 birth and death records for Boone County. The Missouri State Archives death certificate database covers Columbia-area deaths from 1910 through about 1974 with scanned images. Under RSMo 193.225, records over 50 years old transfer to the archives. Copies cost $1 per certificate. The Missouri Death Index covers deaths from 1954 to 2024.
Note: All three of these state databases are free to search for Columbia obituary information.
How to Search Columbia Death Records
If you need a recent death certificate, start at the Columbia/Boone County health department. You can apply in person, by mail, or online through VitalChek. Online orders carry an extra $11.25 handling fee. Bring your photo ID and proof of family connection when applying in person. For older records, the free state databases do not need any relationship proof for records past the 50 year mark.
For Columbia obituary research beyond death certificates, the Columbian Missourian newspaper index at the Genealogical Society library covers 1908 to 1929 and is one of the few indexed collections for that time period. The State Historical Society of Missouri on the MU campus has broader newspaper collections. Between the university library, the historical society, and the Boone County genealogy group, Columbia has more research tools per capita than most cities in the state for obituary and death record work.
Public Access to Columbia Obituary Records
Under Missouri's Sunshine Law (RSMo Chapter 610), most public records are open. Vital records have limits under RSMo 193.245. Recent death certificates need proof of family ties. Death records over 50 years old can be shared with anyone. A listing of people who died on a given date can also be shared, though it only includes name and date of death. For Columbia obituary research, the historical society collections, library resources, and state archive databases are all open to the public with no special requirements.
Nearby Cities
Columbia is in central Missouri. No other qualifying cities are immediately nearby, but the state capital in Jefferson City is about 30 miles south, and Kansas City is roughly 125 miles west.
Boone County Records
Columbia is the county seat of Boone County. For full county-level obituary records and additional research tools, visit the Boone County page.