Bentonville Obituary Search
Bentonville obituary records are supported by some of the best local genealogy institutions in Northwest Arkansas, including the Benton County Historical Society, the Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society, and the Bentonville Public Library. The Benton County Historical Society holds obituaries of Benton County from 1884 to 1933, making it one of the most specific local archives for death record research in the county seat. Whether you are looking for a recent death notice or a record from a century ago, Bentonville offers several well-organized resources to start your search.
Benton County Historical Society Archives
The Benton County Historical Society is located at 306 NW 2nd St., Bentonville, AR. Phone is 479-273-3561 and email is bentoncountyarhs@gmail.com. Hours run Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 3pm. For obituary research in Bentonville, this is one of the most direct local sources available.
The society's special collections include obituaries of Benton County from 1884 to 1933. That nearly 50-year span covers the period when Bentonville grew from a small county seat into a more established city. The archives also hold obituaries of Washington County from 1841 to 1912, useful when a Bentonville-area ancestor had family ties across the county line.
Beyond obituary files, the society's archives include local deeds, newspapers, real estate records, and tax lists. These records can help establish timelines and identify property that would have generated a probate case when someone died. The combination of obituary files and land records makes the Historical Society a strong first stop for Bentonville genealogy research.
The screenshot below shows the Bentonville Public Library, which houses the Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society and provides access to local history and genealogy collections for Bentonville and Benton County researchers.
The Bentonville Public Library Downtown location houses the Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society and provides access to local papers, passenger lists, maps, and family histories covering the Bentonville area.
Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society
The Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society is housed at the Bentonville Public Library Downtown, 405 S. Main Street, Bentonville, AR 72712. The genealogy desk can be reached at 479-271-6820 or by email at genealogy@bentonvillear.com. The society holds local papers, passenger lists, maps, and family histories specific to Northwest Arkansas.
The society's collection overlaps with the Benton County research area and is particularly useful for families who lived in or around Bentonville during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Members and volunteers often know which local sources hold specific types of records and can help you navigate between the Historical Society, the library, and the state archives.
The Benton County, Arkansas Obituary Collection at GenealogyBuff.com covers funeral homes in Rogers, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, Lowell, Gentry, Gravette, Little Flock, and Pea Ridge. This free online resource is a good early check if you are searching for someone who died in Bentonville and used a local funeral home. The collection is searchable by name and covers multiple funeral home ledgers from the area.
Note: The Bentonville History Museum, located across from the library, has collections and displays covering Bentonville's history that can provide context for obituary research from the late 1800s onward.
Benton County Clerk and Probate Records
Bentonville is the county seat of Benton County. The Benton County Clerk is located at 215 E. Central, Suite 217, Bentonville, AR 72712. Phone is 479-238-0120. The clerk maintains marriage records from 1861 and probate records from 1859. Probate files are an important secondary source when a published obituary cannot be found.
Every time someone in Bentonville died with property in Benton County, an estate case was opened at the courthouse. Those cases name the deceased, note the date of death, and list heirs. Some also contain affidavits that mention the cause of death or burial location. CourtConnect lets you search Benton County probate filings by name online. For older records not yet in the system, a visit to the courthouse or a written request to the circuit clerk is the next step.
Benton County Daily Record newspaper archives and Arkansas Online Historical Newspapers provide additional sources for Bentonville obituaries. The Benton County Daily Record covered local deaths and frequently published detailed notices. Microfilm copies may be available at the Bentonville Public Library or through interlibrary loan.
Online Databases for Bentonville Obituaries
FamilySearch is free and holds the Arkansas Death Index 1914 to 1950 with roughly 594,000 indexed deaths. The Arkansas Deaths and Burials collection covers 1882 to 1929 and 1945 to 1963. Digitized Arkansas death certificates from 1914 to 1969 are available at no cost. For Bentonville, the Benton County records in these collections are a good place to confirm a death date and certificate number before ordering a certified copy.
The Arkansas Digital Archives has digitized historical newspapers and provides access to the In Remembrance database. This database covers deaths from 1819 to 1920 and is searchable by name. For Bentonville-area deaths before state registration began in 1914, In Remembrance may be the only indexed source that exists.
The Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock maintains printed death certificate indexes for 1914 to 1948 and 1967 to 1971, mortality schedules from 1850 through 1880, and roughly 3,000 newspaper titles. For researchers who cannot travel, the Archives accepts requests by mail and email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Death Certificates and Access Rules
Arkansas death certificates are held by the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office at 4815 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205. Phone is 800-637-9314. Records run from February 1, 1914 through the present.
The fee is $10.00 for the first certified copy and $8.00 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. A $10.00 non-refundable search fee applies if no record is found. Walk-in service provides same-day issuance Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Online ordering is available at VitalChek at www.vitalchek.com with additional service fees. Phone orders go to 866-209-9482.
Under Arkansas Code Ann. ยง 20-18-304, death certificates are restricted for 50 years and only accessible to immediate family, legal representatives, and those with a direct and tangible interest. After 50 years, records become public. The online index through the Department of Health covers 1935 to 1961.
Statewide Research Resources
The Arkansas Genealogical Society is based in Little Rock and maintains a network of county-level volunteers. The society publishes the Arkansas Family Historian quarterly and can connect you with Benton County researchers who know local archives well. The CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock holds newspaper microfilm for many Arkansas papers including Northwest Arkansas titles that covered Bentonville news.
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas provides county and city articles that can help place names and organizations from old obituaries in context. If an obituary mentions a local institution or organization that no longer exists, the Encyclopedia may have an entry that explains what it was and where records went.
Nearby Cities
Other qualifying cities in Northwest Arkansas with obituary pages on this site include:
For courthouse resources and county-level archives in the Bentonville area, the Benton County page covers the clerk offices, local genealogy organizations, and records going back to the county's early years.