Find Obituary Records in Drew County
Drew County obituary records are available through multiple sources, from the county clerk's office in Monticello to volunteer genealogy sites with extensive contributed collections. Whether you need a recent death notice or are digging into family history that goes back to the Civil War era, Drew County has documented records that researchers can access. This page covers where to look, what records exist, and how to request copies when you find what you need.
Drew County Clerk and Court Records
The Drew County Clerk's office in Monticello handles marriage records, probate records, and county court filings. These records support genealogy and obituary research across the county. The courthouse is the central records office for any formal requests tied to deaths, estates, and family matters in Drew County.
Probate records are one of the strongest secondary sources for obituary research. When someone died with real property or personal estate, the heirs typically filed for probate. Those filings name the deceased, note the date of death, identify surviving family members, and sometimes include inventories or sworn statements that mention burial details. For older Drew County deaths where no newspaper obituary survives, probate records may be the only detailed account of the death.
The Circuit Clerk maintains court and chancery records that can also be useful. Guardianship cases, estate disputes, and trust filings all generate records that reference death dates and family relationships. Certified copies are available for $5.00 per document; uncertified page copies run $0.25 per page. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
ARGenWeb Drew County Page
The ARGenWeb project at http://www.argenweb.net/drew/ maintains a free Drew County page with transcribed records, cemetery indexes, and contributed genealogy materials. This is a volunteer-run resource with content added over many years by researchers familiar with the county.
The screenshot below shows the ARGenWeb Drew County page, a free volunteer genealogy database for the county covering cemeteries, families, and historical records.
The ARGenWeb Drew County page links to cemetery listings, family histories, and indexed obituaries contributed by researchers. It often surfaces records that do not appear in major commercial databases, making it worth checking early in any research project.
GenealogyTrails Drew County Resources
GenealogyTrails maintains an extensive Drew County section at genealogytrails.com. This database has seen regular updates and includes obituaries, biographies, and military records for Drew County. Volunteers have contributed transcriptions from local newspapers, church registers, and family papers that are not available anywhere else online.
The biography collection at GenealogyTrails Drew County is particularly useful. These entries often contain family details, dates of death, and burial locations that go well beyond what a standard obituary column would include. For researchers working on Drew County genealogy from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, this site can fill significant gaps.
Military records in the GenealogyTrails Drew County collection are also worth checking. Many death records from wartime were processed separately from civilian vital records, and the military index at GenealogyTrails may document service members from Drew County who died in the field or after returning home.
FamilySearch Drew County Collections
FamilySearch holds several specific collections for Drew County. Will Books A through C cover 1846-1926 and are available free at FamilySearch.org. These volumes include the full text of wills filed in Drew County during that period. A will often names all surviving family members, describes the burial wishes of the deceased, and can help establish the date of death when no obituary exists.
The Drew County Civil War Amnesty List is another unique FamilySearch collection for the county. This list documents individuals who took loyalty oaths after the Civil War, and it can be a useful reference for placing ancestor deaths in historical context. If an ancestor appears in an 1860 or 1870 census but not in the 1880 census, the amnesty list and probate records together may explain what happened.
A World War II publication titled "Men and Women in Armed Forces from Drew County" is also available through FamilySearch. This resource documents county residents who served during WWII and can be useful for tracking deaths during that period, including those who died in service or shortly after returning home.
Note: The Arkansas Death Index 1914-1950 on FamilySearch covers all counties including Drew and lets you search by name with results showing certificate numbers and dates.
Historical Newspapers and Archives
Drew County's local newspaper history includes the Advance-Monticellonian and other publications that ran obituary columns as a standard feature. Back issues may be on microfilm at the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock. The Archives maintains approximately 3,000 newspaper titles published across the state, and staff can assist with research requests by mail or email for researchers who cannot visit in person.
The Arkansas Digital Archives has digitized a number of historical Arkansas publications. It is worth searching there for any Drew County newspaper titles that may have been included in the digitization project. If issues are not online, the Arkansas State Archives is the next best source for microfilm.
The CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at 401 President Clinton Ave in Little Rock holds newspaper microfilm for many Arkansas counties and provides access to Ancestry and Newspapers.com. The Butler Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM and Saturday from noon to 4 PM.
Arkansas Vital Records and Death Certificates
Death certificates for Drew County are filed with the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office. State records go back to February 1914. Under Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 18, certificates are restricted for 50 years, after which they become public records open to anyone.
The first certified copy costs $10.00. Each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $8.00. A $10.00 non-refundable search fee applies if no record is found. Processing time for mail requests is 4-6 weeks; walk-in service at the state office provides same-day results. An online search tool at the Arkansas Department of Health covers deaths from 1935 to 1961. For deaths outside that range, a form must be submitted.
Genealogy Organizations Serving Drew County
The Arkansas Genealogical Society serves the whole state and publishes the Arkansas Family Historian quarterly. The society has member volunteers familiar with Drew County records who can sometimes assist with research questions that databases cannot answer. The Southeast Arkansas Regional Library also serves Drew County and may have local history materials and microfilm not available elsewhere.
For broader research context, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas has articles on Drew County communities and history. Understanding which towns existed at a given time, which churches operated, and when local institutions were established can make a real difference when interpreting older death records and obituaries.
Cities in Drew County
Monticello is the county seat and the largest community in Drew County. The city is home to the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Other towns in the county include Wilmar, Dermott, and Jerome. None of these communities reach the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All records for Drew County communities are maintained at the Monticello courthouse under the county clerk and circuit clerk.
Nearby Counties
If your research takes you beyond Drew County, these neighboring counties each maintain their own records collections:
Families in this part of southeast Arkansas often had connections across county lines. Checking neighboring counties is especially useful when Drew County records are incomplete or when an ancestor appears to have moved between communities.