Miller County Obituaries
Miller County obituary records are kept across courthouse offices, volunteer genealogy archives, and historical collections tied to the Texarkana area. Because Miller County sits on the Arkansas-Texas state line, many families here had ties to both states, and obituary research sometimes crosses that border. This page covers the main sources for death notices, probate records, and historical obituary collections in Miller County. Official records start in 1875, and volunteer archives add coverage both before and after that date.
Miller County Clerk and Circuit Clerk
The Miller County Clerk's office is located at 400 Laurel Street, Texarkana, AR 71854. The phone number is (870) 774-1501. The Circuit Clerk shares this address and phone number. Both offices maintain records that are important to obituary and genealogy research.
Marriage records in Miller County go back to 1875. Probate records also begin in 1875. Land records start from 1875 as well. Court records go back to 1874. These are among the older record sets in southwest Arkansas, which makes Miller County a useful resource for researchers tracing families in this region.
Probate records accessible through FamilySearch include probate records from 1875 to 1918, will records from 1875 to 1931, and guardian records from 1875 to 1918. These are indexed and free to search. Divorce records are maintained among the circuit court equity records. For current filings, AOC CourtConnect provides online access to Miller County court records by name or case number.
The Texarkana area spans two states, so some families that appear in Miller County obituaries may have official records on the Texas side. Bowie County, Texas, is the mirror county on that side of the line. If Miller County records are thin for a particular person, checking Bowie County resources is worth the effort.
Texarkana Historical Society and Museum
The Texarkana Historical Society and Museum is a primary resource for obituary research tied to the Texarkana area. The museum is located at 219 State Line Avenue, Texarkana, AR 75504. Staff and volunteers there maintain historical collections covering both sides of the state line, including newspaper archives, photograph collections, and local history publications.
Museum collections often include obituary clippings, funeral home records, and death notices from local papers that were never digitized. For researchers tracing families in the Texarkana metro area, a visit or a contact inquiry can open access to materials that do not appear in any online database.
The screenshot below shows the Texarkana city resource page, which includes links to local history and government resources for the Texarkana area.
The Texarkana city and county resources page provides contact details and links for historical and records offices serving the Arkansas side of the metro area.
Online Obituary Archives for Miller County
GenealogyTrails hosts Miller County obituary transcriptions contributed by volunteers. These records are free to search and cover a range of years. The depth of the collection varies, but it is a solid free starting point before moving to paid genealogy databases.
The FamilySearch wiki has a Miller County Genealogy page with links to county-specific collections. FamilySearch holds probate records, will records, and guardian records for the county that are free to browse. These secondary sources for obituary research are among the best free options available for Miller County.
For newspaper archives, the Arkansas Digital Archives has digitized historical publications from across the state. Local Texarkana papers may be included in that collection. The CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock holds microfilm of additional Arkansas newspapers that have not been digitized. Both are worth checking before making formal record requests.
Probate Records and Estate Filings
Probate filings are a strong secondary source for Miller County obituary research. When someone died with property in the county, an estate case was opened. Those case files name the deceased, give the date of death, list heirs, and often include other details that do not appear in a published obituary. For the period from 1875 to 1918, FamilySearch holds indexed probate records that are free to search.
Will records from 1875 to 1931 are also available on FamilySearch. These wills sometimes include personal statements, burial wishes, and family relationships that provide context for obituary research. Guardian records from 1875 to 1918 can help trace family structures where a parent died and children were placed under guardianship.
Note: Because Miller County straddles the state line, estate cases for Texarkana residents sometimes appear in Texas court records rather than Arkansas ones. If a Miller County probate search comes up empty, try Bowie County, Texas records through FamilySearch or the Texas State Library.
Arkansas Death Certificates
Death certificates for Arkansas residents are filed with the state, not with Miller County. The Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records office maintains certificates from 1914 forward. Older records may have gaps.
Death certificates are restricted for 50 years under Arkansas law. After that restriction lifts, they are open to the general public. Immediate family members can request recent certificates with valid identification. For research purposes, older certificates often contain cause of death, place of burial, and next of kin information that is not in a newspaper obituary.
Texas residents who died in Texarkana may have their certificates filed with the Texas Department of State Health Services. If the Arkansas side comes up empty, check with the Texas vital records office. The state line matters for these filings even when both sides share a community name.
Statewide Genealogy Resources
The Arkansas Genealogical Society is a statewide resource with a member network, publication archive, and research contacts in each county. Membership gives you access to their library and index collections. For Miller County research, they can point you toward local contacts and materials.
The Arkansas State Archives holds historical collections from across the state. Research requests can be made by mail or email. If you need records that are not online, staff there can locate and copy them. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas has county-level articles that provide context useful for placing obituary records in time and place.
Cities in Miller County
Miller County's main city is Texarkana, which meets the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Texarkana straddles the Arkansas-Texas state line, with the Arkansas portion sitting in Miller County. Most county courthouse records are accessed through the 400 Laurel Street location in Texarkana.
Other communities in Miller County include Fouke and Garland City. Records for these smaller towns route through the Miller County Clerk's office in Texarkana.
Nearby Counties
Miller County sits in the southwest corner of Arkansas. Neighboring counties are useful when Miller County records are incomplete or when families lived near county lines.
Families in far southwest Arkansas often had roots across both state and county lines. Checking Hempstead and Lafayette Counties can fill gaps left by incomplete Miller County records.