Crittenden County Obituary Records
Crittenden County obituary and death records connect to one of the most densely populated areas in Arkansas, with West Memphis sitting across the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee. Obituary research here often crosses state lines, and records from Crittenden County tie into one of the most active genealogy zones in the mid-South. This page covers the county health unit, online databases, probate records, and genealogy resources available for Crittenden County. Whether you need a death notice from 1900 or a recent record tied to West Memphis, the resources here will help you find what you are looking for.
Crittenden County Health Unit
The Crittenden County Health Unit at 901 North 7th Street, West Memphis, AR 72301 handles vital records services for the county. You can reach the office at (870) 735-4334. The health unit can direct you to the correct state office for death certificate requests and assist with questions about obtaining vital records for Crittenden County residents.
Official death certificates for Arkansas are issued by the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office, not by the county. The state holds certificates for deaths from 1914 forward. For deaths before that year, other sources like church records, probate files, and funeral home logs are your best options. The county health unit can clarify which office to contact for your specific request.
Note: Death certificates are restricted for 50 years from the date of death under Arkansas law. After that period, records become available to the general public.
Crittenden County Website and Circuit Clerk
The Crittenden County government website is the gateway to county offices and contact information. Court records, probate filings, and land records all connect back to county offices that are accessible through the county website.
The screenshot below shows the Crittenden County government website, which links to county offices and online services.
The Crittenden County website provides contact information for county offices, including the circuit clerk and county clerk, which maintain court and probate records relevant to obituary research.
The circuit clerk handles probate cases, estate filings, and court records. When someone died in Crittenden County and left property, a probate case was typically opened. Those cases name the deceased, record the date of death, list heirs, and often include supporting documents that contain more detail than a newspaper notice. The Arkansas judiciary's public access portal, CourtConnect, allows online searching of Crittenden County court and probate cases by name or case number.
Circuit Clerk and Court Records
The screenshot below shows the Crittenden County Circuit Clerk office, which maintains court and probate records for the county.
The circuit clerk is the office to contact for probate records, estate cases, and court filings that tie directly to obituary and death research in Crittenden County.
Probate records from Crittenden County are one of the most valuable sources for genealogy research. FamilySearch has digitized Crittenden County Probate Records from 1826 to 1946, a broad collection that covers the county's early decades. Those records are free to search and include wills, administration bonds, letters testamentary, and guardian records. Browsing FamilySearch before filing a formal records request can help you figure out exactly what to ask for and where.
Free Online Obituary Databases
Several free databases hold Crittenden County obituary content. The ARGenWeb project maintains a Crittenden County page with links to transcribed records, cemetery surveys, and local genealogy resources. Volunteers have contributed obituary transcriptions and other material to that archive over the years.
GenealogyTrails has a Crittenden County page with transcribed obituaries and death notices drawn from local newspapers and other sources. The USGenWeb Archives project also holds contributed records for Crittenden County. These volunteer-run sites vary in completeness, but they are free and often contain material that does not appear in commercial databases.
A Genealogy Records Search is also available that covers birth, cemeteries, census, death, marriage, and obituary records for Crittenden County. That tool pulls from multiple indexed sources and is a useful starting point before diving into physical records at the courthouse.
Note: Because West Memphis sits adjacent to Memphis, Tennessee, researchers should also check Shelby County, Tennessee records when searching for Crittenden County families who may have crossed the river for services or burial.
Newspaper Archives and Historical Records
Newspaper obituaries are a key source for Crittenden County death research. Local papers from West Memphis and the surrounding area have published obituary columns for well over a century. The Arkansas Digital Archives has digitized historical Arkansas newspapers and may include Crittenden County papers from the early and mid-1900s.
The CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock holds newspaper microfilm for many Arkansas counties. If a specific issue of a Crittenden County paper is not available digitally, the Butler Center may have it. Staff can assist with research requests by phone or in person.
For researchers working on African American family history, which is highly relevant in a county with Crittenden's demographics, the Genealogy Records Search system and USGenWeb African American records project are both worth checking. Records for Black residents in this part of Arkansas were often maintained separately or inconsistently during the 19th and early 20th centuries, so multiple sources need to be checked.
Genealogy and Historical Society Resources
The Arkansas Genealogical Society maintains resources and a network of county-level volunteers across the state. If you hit a wall with Crittenden County research, the society can point you to local contacts who know the county's records well. Membership provides access to their library and publication indexes.
GenealogyTrails Arkansas and Arkansas Genealogy both host free transcribed records contributed by volunteers. These sites fill gaps between major subscription databases and are worth checking for Crittenden County material.
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas has a Crittenden County article with historical context that can help you place your research in the right time period and understand how the county's records were organized over time.
Cities in Crittenden County
West Memphis is the county seat and the largest city in Crittenden County. It does not currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Other communities in the county include Marion, Earle, and West Memphis suburbs. Records for all of these communities are held at the county level. When contacting the county clerk or circuit clerk, note the city or community where your ancestor lived to help staff direct you to the right records.
Nearby Counties
Crittenden County borders several Arkansas counties as well as Tennessee and Mississippi across the river. The following neighboring Arkansas counties maintain their own records collections:
Cross-river research in Shelby County, Tennessee is also common for Crittenden County families, given the historical and economic ties between West Memphis and Memphis.