Find Ralls County Obituary

Ralls County obituary records can be searched through the courthouse in New London, the Ralls County Historical Society, and state databases maintained by the Missouri State Archives. New London serves as the county seat. What sets Ralls County apart is the historical society's extensive online obituary collection, which has hundreds of transcribed obituaries going back to the 1920s. This page covers every office and database you can use for Ralls County obituary and death record research.

Ralls County Courthouse Records

The Ralls County Courthouse is in New London, MO. The County Clerk holds birth and death records from the pre-1910 registration window. The Recorder of Deeds manages marriage and land records. The Circuit Court Clerk handles court and divorce records. All of these offices are in the courthouse.

For Ralls County obituary research, the courthouse provides supporting records like marriage licenses, probate filings, and land transfers. These documents help round out a family picture when you are tracing a death or building a genealogy. The pre-1910 vital records at the County Clerk cover only a narrow time span, so state databases are needed for most death certificate requests.

Ralls County Obituary Collection

The Ralls County Historical Society (RCHS) has one of the strongest online obituary collections in the area. Their website includes hundreds of transcribed obituaries arranged A to Z by surname. Coverage runs from the 1920s to the present, with some entries going as far back as 1910. You can search the collection using CTRL+F to find a specific name on the page. The collection includes surnames from across the county, covering families like Alford, Allen, Allison, Amos, Anderson, and many more.

The RCHS obituary collection at rallscohistoricalsociety.com/obituaries is a comprehensive A-to-Z listing with dates ranging from 1910 to 2023. This is a free resource. For anyone doing Ralls County obituary research, this should be one of the first places you check. It saves time compared to searching through microfilm or paying for newspaper archive subscriptions.

The Ralls County Record Death Index, compiled by Kenneth E. Weant in two volumes published in 2005, is another valuable resource. This index covers a wide range of Ralls County deaths and can be found in genealogy libraries.

Ralls County Death Certificates

The Ralls County Health Department handles recent vital records. Contact the Missouri Department of Health for certificates. Under RSMo 193.255, you need direct and tangible interest to get a certified death certificate. For deaths before 1980, the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City is the right contact. Records more than 50 years old go to the Missouri State Archives, where copies cost $1.

Ralls County Records at State Archives

The Missouri Digital Heritage website provides free access to pre-1910 birth and death records for Ralls County. The Missouri State Archives death certificate database covers deaths from 1910 through about 1974. Each record includes a scanned image. The Missouri Death Index covers 1954 to 2024. Under RSMo 193.225, death records over 50 years old transfer to the Archives. All three are free to search.

Library Resources for Obituary Research

The Ralls County Library in New London has local history resources. The Missouri State Library genealogy guide links to key databases for death records and cemetery searches. The State Historical Society of Missouri holds newspaper collections that include Ralls County publications from past decades. Between the historical society's online collection and these additional tools, Ralls County obituary research is more accessible online than in many small Missouri counties.

Public Access to Ralls County Records

Under the Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo Chapter 610), public records are open for inspection. Recent death certificates need proof of direct interest. Death records over 50 years old are open to anyone. The RCHS obituary collection, cemetery records, and the state archives databases are all freely available for Ralls County obituary research. There are no eligibility requirements to use these public tools.

Cemetery records can fill in gaps for Ralls County obituary research, especially for deaths that predate formal vital registration. Rural cemeteries in northeast Missouri often have headstones going back to the early 1800s. Find a Grave has entries for many Ralls County cemeteries. Church burial records from local congregations may also hold information about deaths and burials from before the state started keeping formal records. The Ralls County Record Death Index compiled by Kenneth Weant is another compiled source that brings together death data from local newspapers and official records into a single reference.

Missouri Digital Heritage Search

The Missouri Digital Heritage portal provides free access to pre-1910 vital records for Ralls County and all other Missouri counties.

University of Missouri digital collections also hold materials that can support Ralls County genealogy and obituary research. Ralls County sits along the Mississippi River in northeast Missouri, and many families in the area have roots going back to the earliest days of Missouri statehood. The combination of the RCHS online obituary collection and state-level databases makes this county better covered for obituary research than many small rural counties in the state.

Cities in Ralls County

New London is the county seat of Ralls County. All obituary and vital record requests go through county offices in New London or through the state. No cities in Ralls County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Ralls County is in northeast Missouri. If the person you are researching lived near a county line, check these neighboring counties.