St. Joseph Obituary Database

St. Joseph obituary records can be searched through the Buchanan County health department, the St. Joseph Public Library, and the Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society. The city sits in Buchanan County in northwest Missouri and has deep historical roots as a frontier town. The public library holds an obituary database with death notices from St. Joseph newspapers going back to the 1950s, and the library also has newspapers on microfilm from the 1840s. Whether you need a recent death certificate or a very old obituary from St. Joseph, this page covers the main places to search.

Buchanan County Handles St. Joseph Records

St. Joseph is in Buchanan County. The Buchanan County Recorder of Deeds at 411 Jules St., Room 121, St. Joseph, MO 64501 holds marriage records from 1839 and land records. Call 816-271-1432. The county courthouse is in St. Joseph, making it easy to access county records without leaving the city.

All vital records for St. Joseph residents go through the county system. Death certificates come from the health department, while the recorder handles marriage licenses and property records. For St. Joseph obituary research, the recorder's files can help confirm family ties through marriage and property records connected to the person you are researching.

St. Joseph Death Certificates

The St. Joseph-Buchanan County Health Department is on the second floor of the Patee Market at 904 South 10th, St. Joseph, MO 64503. Call 816-271-4636. They issue birth certificates from 1920 for $15 and death certificates from 1980 for $13. Online search is available. You must be the person named on the certificate or a family member to apply. Under RSMo 193.255, direct and tangible interest is required for certified copies.

For older St. Joseph death records, contact the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City. They hold statewide certificates from 1910. Under RSMo 193.225, records over 50 years old transfer to the Missouri State Archives, where copies run $1 each. Pre-1910 records for the St. Joseph area are free on Missouri Digital Heritage.

St. Joseph Library Obituary Resources

The St. Joseph Public Library downtown branch is at 927 Felix Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501. Call 816-232-7729. The library has St. Joseph newspapers on microfilm from the 1840s to the present. They maintain an obituary database of deaths listed in St. Joseph newspapers from the 1950s to the current day, with more years being indexed all the time. This is the best local tool for St. Joseph obituary research.

The library system has four branches. The Downtown Library is the historic main branch, opened in 1902 and restored in 2004. The Carnegie Library opened in 1902 and was renovated in 2002. Washington Park Library opened in 1910 and was renovated in 2002. East Hills Library opened in 2004. The downtown branch holds the strongest genealogy and local history collection. They also have family histories, yearbooks, and American Civil War materials.

Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society

The Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society at P.O. Box 382, St. Joseph, MO 64502 serves St. Joseph and the Buchanan County area. Call 816-233-0524. They hold genealogical resources for northwest Missouri and can help with obituary research for the region.

The Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society offers research tools and assistance for St. Joseph obituary research across the Buchanan County area.

The Black Archives Museum in St. Joseph covers African American history in the city. The Patee House Museum at 1202 Penn St. and the St. Joseph Museum also keep historical archives. These collections may hold records, photos, or clippings that fill gaps in standard St. Joseph obituary sources.

St. Joseph Newspaper Obituary Indexes

The St. Joseph Public Library's obituary database covers the 1950s to the present. In addition, the library has the St. Joseph Daily Gazette's Index of Deaths. Deaths from the Catholic Tribune have been indexed in multiple volumes covering 1900 to 1942. These indexes break down into two to five year spans, making it easier to search for a specific time period when looking for a St. Joseph obituary from the early 1900s.

• Catholic Tribune death indexes: 1900-1905, 1905-1910, 1911-1915, 1916-1921
• Catholic Tribune continued: 1921-1925, 1925-1928, 1929-1931, 1932-1934
• Catholic Tribune final volumes: 1935-1937, 1938-1940, 1941-1942
• St. Joseph city directories searchable on Ancestry.com

The Missouri Death Index also covers St. Joseph deaths from 1954 to 2024 and is free to search.

St. Joseph Cemetery Records

St. Joseph has several major cemeteries with burial records. Ashland Cemetery, Mount Mora Cemetery, Mount Olivet Cemetery, and several Jewish cemeteries all maintain records. You can get burial information through the cemetery offices or through the historical society. The Missouri State Library genealogy guide links to Find a Grave and the Military Gravesite Locator. These free tools help fill out St. Joseph obituary research with burial dates, plot details, and family member names.

Under Missouri's Sunshine Law (RSMo Chapter 610), most public records are open. Vital records have limits under RSMo 193.245, but death records over 50 years old are available to anyone. The state archive databases and the library's obituary database are both free to the public.

Note: Under RSMo 193.145, all deaths in Missouri must be filed with the local registrar within five days.

Nearby Cities

Kansas City is about 55 miles south of St. Joseph. It is the nearest qualifying city with additional obituary research resources.

Buchanan County Records

St. Joseph is the county seat of Buchanan County. For full county-level obituary records and research tools, visit the Buchanan County page.