Conway County Arkansas Obituary Records
Conway County obituary records are held at the county courthouse in Morrilton, along with local libraries and state archives that cover deaths in this central Arkansas county going back to the mid-1800s. This page is about Conway County, whose county seat is Morrilton. Note that the city of Conway, which is a larger city in nearby Faulkner County, is a separate jurisdiction. All county-level records for this area are maintained in Morrilton, AR 72110.
Conway County Clerk Office in Morrilton
The Conway County Clerk is located at 117 South Moose Street, Morrilton, AR 72110. You can reach the office at 501-354-9621. The clerk maintains marriage records going back to 1858 and probate records that span the full history of the county. If you are searching for a death in Conway County, probate records are often the most detailed secondary source available for deaths that occurred before 1914 when statewide vital records registration began.
Probate filings document the death, name the estate's heirs, and often include affidavits that mention the date and place of death. They can confirm details not found in a published obituary or provide information when no obituary was ever published. The Morrilton courthouse is a single-location office, unlike some Arkansas counties that split records between districts.
The screenshot below shows the Conway County Circuit Clerk website, a primary portal for accessing court and land records for Conway County residents.
The Conway County Circuit Clerk handles court filings separate from the county clerk. For probate cases, estate filings, and other court records tied to deaths in the county, this is the relevant office to contact in addition to the county clerk.
County Clerk Records and Funeral Home Collections
Local funeral homes in Morrilton have long been a source of death records for Conway County. Bob Neal and Sons, Harris Funeral Home, Larry G. Acklin Funeral Homes, and Vance-Wilson and Jarrett Funeral Directors have all operated in the Morrilton area. Funeral home logs typically include the full name, date of death, cause of death, age, and next of kin. That level of detail makes funeral home records a key source when published obituaries are short on information.
The screenshot below shows the Conway County Clerk website, which provides access to contact information and records services for the county.
The Conway County Clerk office in Morrilton processes marriage licenses, probate filings, and other records relevant to obituary research. The clerk's office can assist with record requests by phone, mail, or in-person visit.
The Faulkner County Museum, located in the historic jail built in 1896 on the grounds of the Faulkner County Courthouse in downtown Conway, also holds relevant collections. While it is in neighboring Faulkner County, its holdings include Doolin Funeral Home records, Roller-McNutt Funeral Home records, obituary files, family history publications, and surname and subject files. For families who lived near the Faulkner-Conway County border, this museum can be a useful cross-county resource.
Online Databases for Conway County Research
Several online databases cover Conway County obituary and genealogy records. The GenealogyTrails site for Faulkner County, which borders Conway County to the south, sometimes includes records from the broader region. The Faulkner County ARGenWeb page is another free resource with transcribed records that can cover families who moved between the two counties.
The Log Cabin Democrat newspaper, based in the city of Conway in Faulkner County, has historically covered communities in the broader region including areas of Conway County near the border. If you are looking for a death notice from the mid-to-late 1900s, checking that paper's archives may be productive. Online newspaper archives for this area are available through subscription services like Newspapers.com and Ancestry.com.
For genealogy research specifically focused on Conway County, the Faulkner County Administrations and Estates 1880-1904 database provides records from the neighboring county that may include families with connections to Conway County. Research in border areas often benefits from checking both counties at once.
Note: FamilySearch holds Arkansas Probate Records and Death Certificates for Conway County. The Arkansas Death Index 1914-1950 covers roughly 594,000 deaths statewide and includes county, certificate number, age, and gender for each entry.
State Archives and Vital Records
The Arkansas State Archives "In Remembrance" database indexes Conway County deaths from 1819 to 1920. This database pulls from church records, cemetery records, mortality censuses, and newspaper obituaries held in the archives. It is free and searchable online, and can turn up records for Conway County residents who died before statewide death registration began in 1914.
For official death certificates, the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records in Little Rock handles all requests. Records go back to February 1914. The fee is $10 for the first certified copy and $8 for each additional copy ordered together. Walk-in service at the Little Rock office runs Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with same-day issuance.
Under Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 18, death records are restricted for 50 years from the date of death. After that period, records are open to the public. For deaths in the restricted period, immediate family members with proper ID and documentation of relationship can request certified copies. The state's Freedom of Information provisions under Arkansas Code Section 25-19-105 govern access to most court and probate records once their restriction periods end.
Genealogical Resources for the Region
The Arkansas Genealogical Society covers research across all 75 Arkansas counties. Their publications and member network can help with Conway County research, particularly for periods before online databases became available. Members also have access to the society's library and research indexes.
The CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock holds newspaper microfilm, county records, and subscription database access for in-library use. If your Conway County research requires going through old newspaper issues page by page, the Butler Center is well-equipped for that kind of work. They maintain the Arkansas Gazette historical archive from 1867 to 1991 and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette from 1992 to 1994.
The Arkansas Digital Archives hosts digitized historical newspapers and other records from across the state. Checking there for Conway County or Morrilton-area papers from the early and mid-1900s can surface obituary notices without needing to travel to a physical archive.
Cities in Conway County
Morrilton is the county seat of Conway County and the main population center. It does not meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Other communities in the county include Atkins, Menifee, and Solgohachia. All records for these communities are filed through the Morrilton courthouse. When searching for obituary records, use the county offices in Morrilton as your primary contact point. Remember that the city of Conway, which shares the county name, is located in neighboring Faulkner County and is a completely separate jurisdiction.
Nearby Counties
Conway County borders the following Arkansas counties, all of which maintain their own records collections:
Families in this part of central Arkansas often had ties across these county lines. Checking neighboring courthouse records can be productive when Conway County records alone do not tell the full story.