Cleveland County Obituary Records

Cleveland County obituary records are accessible through local and state sources, and this guide covers the key offices and databases for research in this south-central Arkansas county. Whether you are searching for a recent death notice or trying to trace a family line back to the 1800s, the county clerk in Rison, the historical society, and several online genealogy databases all hold relevant materials for Cleveland County obituary research.

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Cleveland County Clerk and Courthouse

The Cleveland County Clerk is located at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Rison, AR 71665. You can reach the office by phone at 870-325-6214. The clerk maintains probate records, which are a critical secondary source for obituary research. Probate filings document the death, name the deceased's heirs, and frequently include dates and details that do not appear in published obituaries.

Rison is a small county seat, and the courthouse serves as the central records office for all Cleveland County residents. If you are searching for a death that occurred in Kingsland, New Edinburg, or any other community in the county, the Rison courthouse is where the paperwork was filed. Mail or in-person requests are both accepted at this office.

For court records beyond what the clerk's office holds, Arkansas CourtConnect provides online access to probate and civil filings by name search. Recent cases are well-covered in this system, making it a good first check before contacting the courthouse directly.

Cleveland County Historical Society

The Cleveland County Historical Society is an active local research organization. Contact is through Annette Rawls at P.O. Box 192, Rison, AR 71665. You can reach her by phone or text at 870-550-8028 or by email at rlab4060@gmail.com. The society also maintains a website at clevelandcountyhistory.com.

One notable aspect of this county's history is that Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Cleveland County. The historical society has sponsored four Arkansas Historical Markers about Cash and holds 1976 Bicentennial celebration materials featuring him. While that connection may seem unrelated to obituary research, it reflects the society's commitment to documenting local lives, which extends to their genealogy collection.

The image below shows the Cleveland County info page, a regional resource with links to local records and genealogy materials for the county.

Cleveland County Arkansas obituary records county info page

Research materials for Cleveland County are also available through the Arkansas Genealogy Project website, which the historical society has contributed to over the years.

ARGenWeb and Online Obituary Resources

The ARGenWeb project maintains a Cleveland County page with links to transcribed records, cemetery lists, and volunteer-contributed obituary materials. These free resources are organized by volunteers who have worked to document the county's genealogical record for decades.

The screenshot below shows the ARGenWeb Cleveland County page, a free volunteer genealogy resource with transcribed records and obituary materials for the county.

Cleveland County Arkansas obituary records ARGenWeb page

The ARGenWeb Cleveland County page includes links to obituary indexes, cemetery records, and other locally compiled materials. It often contains records that have not made it into any commercial database.

The USGenWeb Obituary Project holds submitted Cleveland County obituaries contributed by individual researchers. Coverage is not complete, but it is worth a quick check before moving to paid sources. GenealogyTrails also hosts some transcribed Cleveland County materials at no charge.

Roy and Christine Sturgis Library

The Roy and Christine Sturgis Library is located at 203 W. Magnolia St. in Rison, AR 71665. You can reach the library at 870-325-7270. Public libraries in Arkansas counties often hold local newspaper runs on microfilm, and the Sturgis Library is the main research library for Cleveland County residents.

Newspapers are a primary source for obituaries. The Cleveland County Herald, located at 215 Main St. in Rison, has covered the county for decades. Obituary notices from local papers are sometimes indexed separately and can be found through the library's reference staff. If you have a name and an approximate year, the library staff can often point you toward the right newspaper issue or microfilm reel.

For newspapers from before the microfilm era, the CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock holds extensive newspaper collections and microfilm for Arkansas counties. The Arkansas Digital Archives also has some digitized historical papers and can be searched from home.

Note: The SW Arkansas Genealogical Society serves this region. They are located at P.O. Box 668, Magnolia, AR 71753. Contact is through Michelle Raspberry at 870-234-1991 or soweargenealogy@gmail.com. They may have additional Cleveland County obituary materials.

State Vital Records and Death Certificates

Cleveland County death certificates are on file with the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records in Little Rock. Records go back to February 1914. The fee is $10 for the first certified copy and $8 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Phone orders can be placed at 866-209-9482. Online ordering is available through vitalchek.com.

The Arkansas Department of Health provides an online death certificate search for deaths occurring between 1935 and 1961. For deaths outside that window, a form must be submitted to request records. Under Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 18, death records are restricted for 50 years, then become public. Immediate family members can access recent certificates with proper ID.

The Arkansas State Archives "In Remembrance" database covers Cleveland County deaths from 1819 to 1920, pulling from church records, mortality censuses, and newspaper obituaries. It is searchable online for free and is a useful starting point for pre-1914 research when no official death certificate exists.

Cities in Cleveland County

Rison is the county seat and largest community in Cleveland County. Other communities include Kingsland, New Edinburg, and Vick. None of these communities meets the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All records for these communities are filed through the Rison courthouse. When searching for obituary records, use the county offices in Rison as your primary point of contact.

Nearby Counties

Cleveland County shares borders with several south Arkansas counties. All have their own courthouse records and genealogy resources:

South Arkansas families often had connections across these county lines. If a Cleveland County record is missing or incomplete, checking the neighboring counties may fill the gap.