Greene County Obituary and Death Records
Greene County has strong genealogy infrastructure for obituary research, anchored by the Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society in Paragould. Records here go back to 1876, with the clerk holding marriage, probate, court, and land records from county formation. The society serves as a FamilySearch affiliate library and maintains 14 binders of county records, indexed marriage records, cemetery transcriptions, and a wills collection. This page lays out the offices, databases, and local resources that hold Greene County death notices, probate filings, and historical obituary material.
Greene County Clerk Office
The Greene County Clerk is located at Room 102, 320 West Court Street, Paragould, AR 72450. Phone is (870) 239-6311 and fax is (870) 239-6320. The Greene County Clerk's website is available for online information. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
The Clerk maintains marriage licenses from county formation, probate records including decedent estates, adoptions, and guardianships, county court records, voter registration records, and DBA certificates. Marriage records and probate files both connect directly to obituary research. Marriage licenses identify families and spouses. Probate filings name the deceased and list heirs, providing a record of death even when no newspaper obituary was published.
To make an in-person request, visit Room 102 at the courthouse during business hours. Bring a written request that includes names, dates, and the type of record you need along with a valid government-issued photo ID. Payment is accepted by cash, check, or money order. Certified marriage license copies cost $5.00, uncertified copies cost $1.00, and probate record copies are $0.25 per page. Staff will help you locate files but does not conduct research on your behalf.
Note: Mail requests must include written request details, fees, and the required identification information. Staff response times for mail requests may vary.
Greene County Circuit Clerk
The Greene County Circuit Clerk is located at Room 124, 320 West Court Street, Paragould, AR 72450. Phone is (870) 239-6330 and fax is (870) 239-3550. The circuit clerk maintains civil, criminal, and juvenile court records and acts as ex-officio recorder for deeds, mortgages, conveyances, plats, and liens.
Probate cases are searchable online through the Arkansas judiciary's public access system. Go to CourtConnect, accept the disclaimer, and select Greene County from the dropdown. You can search by party name with last, first, and middle names, case number, filing date range, case type, attorney name, or judge name. Court divisions available include Civil, Criminal, Domestic Relations, Juvenile, and Probate. That last division covers estate cases, which are the most directly relevant to obituary research.
Certified copies of court records cost $5.00 each. Uncertified copies are $0.20 per page. Faxed records are $1.00 per page. Full case files are available in-person at the courthouse for cases not fully displayed through CourtConnect.
Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society
The Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society is located at 212 W. Court Street, P.O. Box 121, Paragould, AR 72451. Phone is 870-240-8944 and email is gchgs@sbcglobal.net. The society is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, which means members have expanded access to FamilySearch digital collections on-site.
The society maintains Greene County records from 1834 to 2009 in 14 binders, marriage records indexed from 1834 to 2004, articles of incorporation from the 19th century, lists of ministers, probate records, a wills collection, and cemetery transcriptions. That combination of indexed records and original-source material makes this society one of the stronger local genealogy resources in northeast Arkansas. If you are looking for a Greene County obituary from any period covered by those records, the society is worth contacting directly.
Research services are available at the society for a copy fee of $0.25 per page. Publications are available for purchase. Staff can assist you in identifying which binders or collections are most likely to hold the records you need.
Greene County Public Library
The Greene County Public Library is located at 121 W. Court Street, Paragould, AR 72450. Phone is (870) 239-1955. The library's website is at greenelibrary.org. The genealogy department includes an Arkansas history collection, local newspaper archives, census microfilm, family history books, and online database access.
Local newspaper archives at the library can be a direct path to historical obituaries for Paragould and the surrounding area. Newspapers published obituary columns for most of the 20th century, and microfilm holdings at the library may include issues not available through any digital archive. Staff can tell you what newspapers are available and what years are covered.
For researchers who cannot visit in person, calling the library before planning a trip can help you confirm whether specific newspapers or dates are available. Some libraries will assist with limited obituary lookups by mail or email as a public service, though this varies by staff capacity.
FamilySearch and Online Databases
FamilySearch is a strong free resource for Greene County obituary research. Their Arkansas Probate Records collection spans 1817 to 1979 and includes material from Greene County. Those records cover wills, administration bonds, letters testamentary, and guardian records. Searching FamilySearch by name before making a courthouse visit can tell you what probate material survives and where to find it.
The ARGenWeb project has a Greene County page with free genealogy resources contributed by volunteers. Cemetery listings, transcribed records, and county-specific links are available through that page. The USGenWeb Archives also holds contributed Greene County material including obituary transcriptions and local records that may not appear in commercial databases.
The Arkansas Digital Archives has digitized historical Arkansas newspapers and may include papers from Paragould and the Craighead County region that covered Greene County news and obituaries. For issues not available digitally, the CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock holds microfilm that may fill in gaps.
Death Certificates and Vital Records
Arkansas death certificates are filed with the state, not the county. The Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office processes all death certificate requests. Certificates for deaths from 1914 forward are on file at the state level. Deaths before 1914 were not systematically recorded by the state, so church records, funeral home logs, and probate filings are your best sources for that earlier period.
Death certificates are restricted for 50 years from the date of death under Arkansas law. After that period, records become available to the public. Immediate family can request certificates for recent deaths with valid photo ID. Fees vary based on the number of copies ordered.
For Greene County research, combining the clerk's probate records, the Historical Society's indexed collections, and the state vital records system usually gives you a complete picture for any death after the mid-1800s.
Cities in Greene County
Paragould is the county seat and the main population center in Greene County. It is also a qualifying city for a dedicated page on this site. If your research is specifically focused on Paragould, visit Paragould for city-specific resources. Other communities in Greene County include Lafe, Marmaduke, and Walcott, none of which meet the qualifying threshold. Records for all communities in the county are held at the Greene County Courthouse in Paragould.
Nearby Counties
Greene County sits in the northeast corner of Arkansas. Research in bordering counties can fill gaps when Greene County records are incomplete:
Northeast Arkansas families often had ties across county lines. Checking adjacent counties is a standard step in thorough research for this part of the state.