Reynolds County Obituary Search

Reynolds County obituary records present a unique challenge because multiple courthouse fires destroyed early records. The county seat is Centerville, and the current courthouse sits on the town square. Fires in 1863, 1871, and 1872 wiped out nearly all records before 1872. Despite that, the Reynolds County Genealogy and Historical Society has built a strong research collection with about 1,200 volumes. This page covers every office and database you can use for Reynolds County obituary and death record research, along with workarounds for the missing pre-1872 records.

Reynolds County Courthouse Records

The Reynolds County Courthouse is on the square in Centerville, MO 63633. The Recorder of Deeds keeps land records and marriage records from 1872 to the present. The Clerk of the Circuit Court handles court records from 1872 forward. The Probate Court manages probate records from 1872. All earlier records were lost in a series of courthouse fires.

The first fire came in 1863 when Confederate forces destroyed the courthouse during the Civil War. A second fire in 1871 burned the replacement building and wiped out all the records that had been rebuilt. In 1872, a third fire hit temporary quarters during construction of what was supposed to be a fireproof courthouse. The result is that Reynolds County has virtually no public records before 1872. This makes obituary research for early Reynolds County families much harder than in most Missouri counties.

Reynolds County Pre-1872 Research

If you need to find Reynolds County obituary or death information from before 1872, you will need to use alternate sources. The following can help fill in the gaps left by the courthouse fires:

• Federal Census records from 1850, 1860, and 1870
• Federal land patent records through the Bureau of Land Management
• Civil War pension files for veterans and their families
• Cemetery and church records from area congregations
• Records from the parent county, Shannon County
• Neighboring county records from Iron, Wayne, Carter, and Dent counties

These sources will not give you a death certificate, but they can help confirm that a person lived and died in the Reynolds County area. Cemetery headstones and church burial records are especially useful for deaths that predate any kind of official vital registration in Missouri.

Reynolds County Genealogy Society

The Reynolds County Genealogy and Historical Society (RCGHS) has built a remarkable collection to help fill the gap left by the courthouse fires. Their genealogical library has about 1,200 volumes covering family histories, county histories, census records, cemetery and marriage records, church and school histories, and an Obituary Index that is currently in development. You can reach them through their website.

The RCGHS is the best local resource for Reynolds County obituary research. They are actively working on a cemetery directions guide, a microfilm collection, and photograph archives. For families with roots in Reynolds County, this society can connect you with records and other researchers that you would not find through state databases alone.

Reynolds County Obituary Resources Online

The Genealogy Trails site for Reynolds County has resources including biographies, birth records, cemeteries, census records, church histories, death records, family Bibles, marriage records, military records, newspaper gleanings, and obituaries and death notices. This is a free volunteer-run project that gathers Reynolds County genealogy materials in one place. It is especially useful for a county where so many early records were lost to fire.

The Missouri Digital Heritage site has pre-1910 birth and death records for Reynolds County. Keep in mind that the 1883 registration effort was spotty in rural areas, so coverage may be limited.

Reynolds County Death Certificates

The Reynolds 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 copy. For deaths before 1980, the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records is the right contact. Records over 50 years old go to the State Archives at $1 per copy.

Reynolds County Records at State Archives

The Missouri State Archives death certificate database covers Reynolds County deaths from 1910 through about 1974. The Missouri Death Index covers 1954 to 2024. Under RSMo 193.225, records over 50 years old transfer to the Archives. The Missouri State Library genealogy guide and the State Historical Society of Missouri offer more tools for Reynolds County obituary research.

Public Access to Reynolds County Records

Under the Missouri Sunshine Law (RSMo Chapter 610), public records are open for inspection. Recent death certificates are limited to authorized parties. Records over 50 years old are open to anyone. The RCGHS library, cemetery records, and state archives databases are all publicly available. The Reynolds County Library in Centerville also has limited genealogy materials.

Note: Because of the courthouse fires, Reynolds County obituary research for pre-1872 families requires creative use of federal, church, and neighboring county records.

Missouri State Archives Search

The Missouri State Archives holds death certificates from 1910 to about 1974 for all Missouri counties, including Reynolds County.

For Reynolds County, the state archives are especially important since local records before 1872 were destroyed in multiple courthouse fires.

Cities in Reynolds County

Centerville is the county seat of Reynolds County. Ellington and Bunker are other communities in the county. All vital record and obituary requests go through county offices in Centerville or through the state. No cities in Reynolds County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Reynolds County is in the Ozark region of south-central Missouri. Check neighboring counties for records, especially given the courthouse fire losses.