Necrology
Necrology includes a record of people who have passed away. For this section of the website, necrology includes a discussion on death records, burial records, obituaries, mortality schedules, funeral home record, grave diggers' records, and other similar topics.
Department resources
These records may not be complete.
- Cemetery records
- Death records
- Obituaries
- Early Obituary Abstracts
- Obituary indices
- Reading Adler death notices: selected death notices from a mid-19th century newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Death Records
Death Records Before 1908
Death records were first recorded in Ohio in 1867. The county was responsible for recording the deaths. However, the recording of deaths was not strictly enforced.
Death records from 1867 thru November 1908 seldom included parents’ names. In Wayne County, OH if the death was a young child, the possibility of finding the parents’ names on the death record increases.
Our department has the Wayne County, OH deaths from 1867 thru 1908 on microfilm. There are two volumes, and there is an index in front of each volume. The index is not in strict alphabetical order. Rather, you will find those individuals with the surname beginning in “M” together or the surnames beginning with “S” together. However, within each group, the deaths are recorded in the order they occurred. Volume 1 includes those deaths that occurred between 1867 and 1885. Volume 2 includes those deaths that occurred between 1886 and 1908. In volume 2, there are a few notes to indicate what year has been indexed.
Wayne County, OH deaths between 1867 and 1908 are entered similar to a journal entry. The following information can be found on the death records:
- Date of record
- Record number
- Complete name
- Age
- Sex (male, female)
- Color (white, black, mulatto)
- Condition (single, married, widowed, divorced)
- Occupation
- Disease
- Whether the disease was a direct or indirect cause of death
- Date of death
- Place of death
- Place of birth
- Last place of residence
- Name of parents
Although the death record requested parents’ names, the clerk very seldom recorded this information. The deaths appear to have been recorded quarterly.
Their is an online index to the Wayne County, OH Death Records 1867-1908 available online through Rutherford B Hayes Obituary Index.
Death Records After 1908
Beginning in December 1908, the State of Ohio Health Department began to more strictly enforce the recording of deaths. Forms were standardized across the state of Ohio. Parents’ names were required to be included, if the informant knew the information. Other information not previously listed on the death record includes:
- Date of birth
- Name of father
- Birthplace of father
- Maiden name of mother
- Birthplace of mother
- Name of Informant
- Informant’s address
- Length of time deceased was under physician’s care
- Time of death
- Duration of illness
- Physician’s signature and address
- Place of burial or removal
- Date of burial
- Undertaker’s name and address
Our library has a copy of the Ohio Death Certificate Index from 1908 thru 1954 on microfilm. The years from 1933 to 1937 are on microfiche and kept in the department workroom. We have a copy of the actual Ohio Death Certificates from 1908 to the beginning of 1931. The Akron-Summit County Public Library and the Stark County District Library have the Ohio Death Certificates from 1908 thru 1952. The contact information for these two libraries is as follows:
Akron-Summit County Public Library Special Collections Division 60 South High Street Akron, OH 44326 330-643-9030 Akron-Summit County Public Library
Stark County District Library Genealogy Division 715 Market Avenue North Canton, OH 44702 330-452-0665 Stark County District Library
The Ohio Death Certificate images from 1908-1953 may be found online through FamilySearch.
Certified copies of death certificates may be obtained from the following locations:
Wayne County Health Department Vital Records Administration c/o Vital Records Registrar 203 South Walnut Street Wooster, OH 44691 330-264-9590 http://wayne-health.org
Ohio Department of Health Vital Statistics 225 Neilston Street P.O. Box 15098 Columbus, OH 43215-0098 614-466-2531 http://www.odh.state.oh.us
Beginning in 2003, Ohio no longer issues non-certified copies of death records. It is necessary to have a certified copy. The current price of the certified copy of the death record is $21.50 at the Ohio Department of Health and $25.00 at the Wayne County Health Department. Other counties within Ohio may charge a slightly different charge. Contact the particular county health department to determine the most current price.
The dates 1867 and 1908 are specific for Ohio. Other states may have recorded deaths earlier or later. Do a Google search for the county and/or state health department of interest, or you can visit the website Vital Records.
Access to the Ohio Death Certificate Index may be found through the Ohio Historical Society and Ancestry database.
The Ohio Historical Society has an index from 1913 to 1944. You may search in two groupings: 1913-1935 or 1936-1944. You may do a basic search on the name, or there is an advanced search where you may insert other known information. Since the Ohio Historical Society used OCR (Optical Character Resolution), some errors in spellings of names may occur. The Ohio Historical Society’s website is as follows:
The actual digitized images are not available through the Ohio Historical Connection, previously Ohio Historical Society.
Some digitized images of the Ohio Death Certificate Index may be found on Ancestry Library Edition. Ancestry has a searchable database for the Ohio Deaths from 1908-2002. Wildcard search capabilities are available through Ancestry.
In recent months, Family Search Indexing has started to digitize the vast number or resources available in their granite mountain in Utah. One project that has been completed is the Ohio Death Certificates, 1908-1953. Currently, the site is in a Beta Test Mode. The website is: FamilySearch. The website is free to use; however, users must register.
Wayne County, OH Death Records 1856-1857
As discussed briefly in chapter 2 on birth records, some counties recorded deaths prior to 1867. Recently, it was discovered that Wayne County, OH recorded deaths for the year ending 1 March 1857.
Many of these early death records include the parents’ names. Other information includes the following:
- Date of death
- Age
- Place of death
- Disease or cause of death
- Sex
- Color
- Single, married, or widowed
- Occupation
- Residence
- Place of birth
In Ancestry’s Redbook, edited by Alice Eichholz, two other types of death records may exist. These may include cholera deaths registered during epidemics and veterans’ deaths. Neither of these types of death records is known to exist in Wayne County, Ohio.
Mortality Schedules
In 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 mortality schedules were taken. These schedules were designed to enumerate those people who died during the year prior to the regular U.S. census. The dates would be as follows:
01 Jun 1849 to 31 May 1850 01 Jun 1859 to 31 May 1860 01 Jun 1869 to 31 May 1870 31 Mar 1879 to 31 Mar 1880
Information in the mortality schedule includes the name of the deceased, the county of residence at the time of death, state of residence at time of death, age of individual at time of death, individual’s sex, month of death, place of birth, cause of death, and occupation.
Mortality schedules are not complete. For the 1850 mortality schedule, only the records from Hamilton thru Wyandot counties exist. Adams thru Guernsey counties are missing. The 1860 mortality schedule for Ohio is complete. In 1870, the only county in Ohio that survived is Seneca. For the 1880 mortality schedule, only the counties of Adams thru Geauga exist. Green thru Wyandot counties is missing.
The Genealogy and Local History Department of the library does own the 1850, 1860, and 1880 Ohio Mortality Schedules on microfilm. In addition, and abstract of the 1850 Ohio Mortality Schedule is available in book form. It is shelved under Ohio – Death – M841j – 1850. The “complete” version of the U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 is found through the database, Ancestry Library Edition. Other Death Record Resources
Burial Records
Many researchers believe that records have always been kept on those individuals buried. This is not the case. I am not sure when the state of Ohio first mandated the recording of burials. During the pioneer days, many individuals were buried on the family farm. Today, many of these family cemeteries no longer exist.
Through the years, many efforts have been made to publish burial records of Wayne County, OH. The first effort was made by the Wooster-Wayne Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution in the mid-20th century. They published a book, Wayne County Cemetery Records: A Partial List of Males Buried in Wayne County. This book focuses only on those males whose ages might have made them eligible for service in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, or the Mexican War. Names of the females and minor children were included for the purpose of aiding in identifying a family. The book is organized by township. Within each township, the names are listed by cemetery. The names are not in strict alphabetical order. Rather, all the surnames that begin with the letter “H” are grouped together. The surnames that begin with the letter “M” are grouped together. There is an index in the front of the book but it is not in strict alphabetical order, either. It is organized the same as the names listed within each cemetery.
The second effort was made to record those burials in the Wooster Cemetery. Thelma Ungerer compiled a list of burials in the Wooster Cemetery from 1790-1972. She later added an update for those burials from 1972 to 1980. The update is located in the back of the book. Ungerer compiled her book by placing the names beginning with the letter “A” by burial date, followed by “B” surnames by burial date, followed by “C” surnames by burial date, etc. Some of the earlier burials are not in strict burial date order. Information includes burial date, name of deceased, permit number, section number, grave number, and lot number. Many times there are notes on the right side of the page.
As a supplement to the first Wooster Cemetery book, Edna K. Conrad compiled a book, Wooster Cemetery Burial Permits. Book 1 includes permit numbers 2 through 413. Book 2 includes permit numbers 414 through 836. Some of the information includes the name of the deceased, birth place, death date, place of death, disease, name of parent(s), whether married or single, name of undertaker, who signed for the application, occupation, lot number, cost to dig grave, date of permit issued, and who issued the permit.
In 2003, the Wayne County Genealogical Society completed a revised and updated version of those burials in Wooster Cemetery. The burials go through 2003. The book is organized by section number and within each section number, by lot number. There are two indexes in the rear of the book. One is a general index, giving the section and lot number of the deceased. The second index is by maiden name.
In 1975, the Genealogy Section of the Wayne County Historical Society compiled a list of burials throughout Wayne County, OH with the exception of the Wooster Cemetery and Sherwood Memorial Gardens. There is an index in the back of the book but it is only by surname. The book is organized alphabetically by township and within each township, by cemetery. Most of the cemeteries have the individuals listed in alphabetical order. Congress Township is one exception. Most of the burials are listed by row. One other exception is in Mt. Eaton, Paint Township. Abstracts from the “Mt. Eaton Death Records” are included. The Rittman Cemetery in Milton Township is organized differently, too. The new part of the Knupp’s Cemetery includes the burials between 1909 and 1931. These are organized by burial date. Between 1931 and 1961, there is a list of “Memorandum of Burials.” There is a separate section for “Old Babyland” and “New Babyland.” Sections C included the old section of the Catholic burials. The burial entries continue to be organized by Section C, Section D, and Section E. These are not organized alphabetically. There is a listing of “Memorandums of Burials 1961-1973.”
Near the back of the book, there is a listing of those veterans buried in Wayne County, OH. They include soldiers from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War.
The book was revised and reprinted in 1980. The revision includes “Corrections and Additions to First Edition of Wayne County Ohio Burial Records.” In addition, several inserts are included.
Through the years, it has been discovered that the Wayne County, OH Burial Records has many errors. Information was incorrectly read from tombstones, markers were missed, markers were illegible, and some typographical errors exist. It is an excellent guide to those burials in Wayne County, OH but do not treat the book as the Gospel. If there was no stone, then there is no record of the burial. The object of the volunteers who spent countless hours grazing cemeteries was to record those tombstones in existence and those that were legible. Little research was done through other records to verify or complete missing information.
In 2001, the Wayne County Cemetery Preservation Society was established. There was a great concern among several individuals about the disappearance of cemeteries, one stone at a time. In an effort to preserve the cemeteries, the society was formed. Within the Society, there is a group of dedicated members who have taken on the awesome responsibility of rereading the smaller cemeteries in Wayne County, OH. They do additional research to verify the information and fill in missing information. There goal is to make as accurate a record as possible about the burials. Some of their current publications include:
- A Location Guide for the Cemeteries of Wayne County, Ohio
- Blachleville Cemetery
- Canaan Center Cemetery
- Canaan Lutheran Cemetery
- County Line Mennonite Cemetery
- Crown Hill Mennonite Cemetery
- Fountain Hill Cemetery
- Fredericksburg East Cemetery
- Fredericksburg West Cemetery, old part
- Fredericksburg West Cemetery, new part
- Kidron Mennonite Cemetery
- Kope Cemetery
- Lucas Cemetery
- Madisonburg Cemetery
- Millbrook Cemetery
- Mohican Church of the Brethren Cemetery
- Moreland Cemetery
- Newkirk Cemetery Records: A short history of the cemetery with row by row listings followed by a separate alphabetical list
- New Pittsburg – Rice Cemetery, Chester Township, Wayne County, Ohio
- Oak Grove Mennonite Cemetery, Green Township, Wayne County, Ohio
- Oak Grove Cemetery, Shreve
- Old Dutch Reformed Cemetery
- Old Edinburgh Presbyterian Cemetery
- Paradise Church of the Brethren Cemetery
- Plain Lutheran Cemetery
- Pleasant Hill Cemetery
- Reedsburg Cemetery
- St. Anne's Catholic Cemetery, Milton Township, Wayne County, Ohio
- St. Michael’s Mennonite Cemetery
- Salem Lutheran Church Cemetery
- Tracy Cemetery
- Union Cemetery
- Wayne Presbyterian Cemetery, Wayne Township, Wayne County, Ohio
- West Lebanon Lutheran Cemetery
These were compiled by Bonnie Knox and others were compiled by both Bonnie and Larry Knox. Much assistance has been provided to Bonnie Knox by staff member Christina Walton.
Many other books focusing on one cemetery exist. Some of these records are in book form while other information on the cemeteries may be found in our lateral files. In addition, we have started several township notebooks including cemetery information gathered by the members of the Wayne County Cemetery Preservation Society but not organized in book form, yet.
- St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery Records, Baughman Township, Wayne County, Ohio by Martin Frase
- This book includes an index. It has a layout of the cemetery by lot number and includes the name of the deceased and death date.
- St. Mary’s Cemetery: Burials from 1973 to present (1997), edited and index by Virgil Thomason
- The burials prior to 1975 can be found in Wayne County, Ohio Burial Records. There is an index in the book. It is organized by the year of burials. Within each year, they are organized by burial date. Information may include the name of the deceased, place of residence, death date, age, parents’ names, burial date, and section number.
- Overton Church of God Cemetery Records, copied by Wendy Murray
- There is a surname index in the back of the book. The names are listed by row number.
- Emanuel “High Church” Church Cemetery, compiled by Cal and Kay Tritt
- There is not index in this book. It is organized by Row and Grave. Other information includes the name of the deceased, date of death, age, sex and some additional notes.
In 1996, Marvin R. Oswald compiled a listing of the grave sites of Veterans buried in Wayne County, OH. The book, In Memoriam: A compilation of the locations of the grave sites of Veterans buried in Wayne County, Ohio, is organized by townships. Information includes the name of the deceased veteran, the birth and death year of the veteran, which war he or she served in, and the name of the cemetery he or she is buried in. The book is available electronically at the website:
Grave Diggers Records
On the rare occasion, researchers find journals compiled by grave diggers. These records include the name of the deceased, age, death date, and place of burial. Several years ago, our department was given a copy of one such journal. Sherry O’Dell, Genealogy Assistant at the time, abstracted and indexed the information. The book is called, Burial Records from January 1943 through June 1967. It was completed in October 2000. The index is by surname. Information includes the name of the deceased, the year of burial, the place of burial, which cemetery (when known), and the page in the journal. Most of the burials occurred in the Burbank-Lodi vicinity. The information was verified by using several resources including Ashland County, Ohio Cemeteries; county directories; 1920 Wayne County, Ohio Census; Tombstone Inscriptions from the Cemeteries in Medina County, Ohio; Wayne County, Ohio Burial Records; and the Wooster Daily Record newspaper.
Obituaries
Not everyone who died has an obituary. In Wayne County, Ohio the early newspapers provide very few death notices or obituaries. You may occasionally find a notice if an estate is in Probate. Near the end of the nineteenth (19th) century, death notices and obituaries appear more often. However, most of them contain little information. Their could be a separate section for the death notices and obituaries but more times than not, mentions of deaths may be found in the social news or personal mention. In present day, most newspapers require payment to place an obituary notice in the newspaper.
WCPL Activity on this Topic
For many years, we have had volunteers abstracting obituaries from the newspapers. He would include the name of the deceased, date of death, newspaper, date of newspaper, and page number. Several other volunteers took the abstracted information and entered it into the computer. Obituary index books were printed and bound. The books were divided by decades. Within each book, the list of obituaries is in alphabetical order by surname. In bound form, we have the following years:
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No comprehensive obituary index in book form exists for the years prior to 1890 or after 1970.
We have copies of the actual obituaries in binders for the 1970s and 1980s. A separate index exists for each year.
The index to the obituaries from 1989-1999 are in two notebooks. Each year is divided by a tab. These obituaries had been entered into the computer. We do have a third notebook that includes maiden names of those deceased from 1989-1991 and 1995-1998.
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center State Wide Obituary Project
In 2003, we found out about an organization trying to implement a statewide obituary index. Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Freemont, OH was the group attempting the project. At the time, we would have needed to rekey all our entries into the RB Hayes obituary index. We did not have the staff hours to undertake such a project so I politely declined the invitation.
In October 2004, RB Hayes approached us again. They had just received a LSTA grant to form partnerships to make the statewide obituary project a reality. Any non-profit organization was invited to join the effort. After some communication, our library agreed to partner with RB Hayes on one condition – our obituary index could be converted to a format allowable for the obituary index so we would not need to rekey the information. In December 2004, we sent our obituary index to WGTE of Toledo, Ohio for conversion. We officially became a partner with the RB Hayes in January 2005. Nearly 105,000 records were converted. About 10,000 of them needed cleaned up but we did not have the staff time to undergo such a project and be able to keep up with answering queries.
About the same time, there was a decision at our library to implement a volunteer program. The search for a Volunteer Coordinator was started and Mary Ann Chupp was selected to fill the new position. In March 2005, we had our first volunteer begin entering information on the obituary index. In May 2005, we had 2 additional volunteers begin entering data. With the implementation of the Volunteer program, staff could focus on the daily operations of the department, including assisting researchers from near and far.
Our decision to partner with RB Hayes was based on several factors. The obituary index was live – meaning that as soon as a new entry or a correction was made, it was effective immediately. Volunteers could do data entry from home rather than coming to the library. Many more fields could be completed. These included the age, place of death, birth date, marriage date, maiden names, nicknames, titles, place of burial, military service, and much more. These fields are searchable. The online obituary index is not restricted to only Wayne County, OH obituaries.
The RB Hayes obituary index, complemented with the implementation of the WCPL Volunteer Program, opened up many doors. In addition to obituaries and death notices found in our local newspapers dating back to 1822, the following records have been entered on the online obituary index:
- Index to Probate Court Records, Wayne County, Ohio (1812-1917)
- Wayne County, OH Burial Records (abt 1812-1974)
- Wayne County, OH Grave Registration Cards (American Revolution-World War I Veterans)
- Wayne County, OH Will Abstracts, Estates and Guardianships 1812-1851
- Wayne County, OH Will Abtracts, Estates and Guardianships 1852-1900
Funeral Home Records
Funeral home records are another resource for finding information on the deceased. We do not have any Wayne County, OH funeral home records in our collection. In most cases, the funeral homes in Wayne County, OH are very cooperative when researchers visit them to inquire information. Keep in mind that funeral homes are private companies and they have the right to restrict access to their records.
Other Sources for Necrology
Two other state-wide resources for deaths in Ohio exist in the collection. The first is Ohio Veteran’s Home Death Records January 3, 1889 through December 31, 1983. This publication includes the name of the deceased, the age at the time of death, the date of death, the place of burial, and the registration number of the deceased while a resident at the Veteran’s home in Sandusky, Ohio. It was compiled by the Erie County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society and copied from the death books at the Ohio Veteran’s Home. The call number is Ohio – Death – Oh3e.
A second resource is titled, A Partial Death Record of over 2,000 of Holmes, Wayne, Stark, and Tuscarawas Co’s and Other Amish Communities. It was compiled by Eli Mast of Millersburg, Ohio. Information includes the name of the deceased, date of death, and age. With many of the entries, some additional information such as spouse, parents, condition (single, married, widow), and occupation is given. Some of the deaths date to the 1870s and go forward to the 1980s. The call number is Ohio – Death – M39p. Social Security Death Index
Another resource that may be use to determine birth and death dates is the Social Security Death Index. This is available through two different websites. Ancestry Library Edition has a simplified version of the SSDI. It is searchable. Information that is provided includes:
- Name of deceased
- Date of death
- Date of birth (sometimes only month and year)
- Last place of residence
- Social Security Number
- State (year) when the number was issued
The second website that provides access to the SSDI is FamilySearch This website provides additional information. The zip code is given in addition to the residence localities.
External links
Cemetery records
- Association of Gravestone Studies
The Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) was founded in 1977 for the purpose of furthering the study and preservation of gravestones. AGS is an international organization with an interest in gravemarkers of all periods and styles. Through its publications, conferences, workshops and exhibits, AGS promotes the study of gravestones from historical and artistic perspectives, expands public awareness of the significance of historic gravemarkers, and encourages individuals and groups to record and preserve gravestones. - Burial and Memorial Benefits for Veterans
The VA National Cemetery Administration honors the military service of our Nation's veterans. We provide a dignified burial and lasting memorial for veterans and their eligible family members and we maintain our veterans' cemeteries as national shrines. - Find a Grave
Find A Grave is a free resource for finding the final resting places of famous folks, friends and family members. With millions of names, it's an invaluable tool for genealogist and history buffs. Find A Grave memorials are rich with content, including dates, photos and bios. - Nationwide Gravesite Locator
Search for burial locations of veterans and their family members in VA National Cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries, various other military and Department of Interior cemeteries, and for veterans buried in private cemeteries when the grave is marked with a government grave marker. - Ohio Cemetery Preservation Society
The Ohio Cemetery Preservation Society endeavors to record, interpret, restore and preserve the art, history and environment of Ohio's cemeteries and burying grounds. - Veteran Cemeteries
Cemetery records of National Cemeteries and War Veterans Burials.
Obituary and death indices
- Alliance Review Obituary Index
Search the Alliance Index for obituary, marriage, and newspaper article citations. - Canton Repository Obituary Index
History of Stark County, Hartville, Louisville, Marlboro, Wilmot and Blue including searchable indexes of the Ohio (Canton) Repository from 1815 - present. - Cleveland Necrology Index
The Cleveland Necrology File contains local cemetery and newspaper death notices for the following years: 1833, 1847-1848, 1850-1975. - Louisville Obituary Index
Searchable database of the obituaries files of the Louisville Herald containing nearly 25,000 names. - Mennobits
Index of Mennonite and Amish obituaries from the Herald of Truth and the Gospel Herald. - MOLO Obituary Index
The MOLO index includes obituaries from Coshocton Co, Holmes Co, Loudonville, Massillon, and Clermont. - Obituary Central
The headquarters for finding obituaries and performing cemetery searches on the web - Obituary Central - Obituary Daily Times
This is a daily index of published obituaries. Many of the more recent obituaries found in the Wooster Daily Record is indexed here. - Ohio Death Certificate Index
Searchable index of Ohio death certificates from 1913-1944. - Ohio Death Certificates
This websites includes digitized images of the Ohio Death Certificates from 1908-1953. You must sign in to access the death certificate images. Many other images can be found here, too. - RB Hayes Obituary Index
An index to over 1,400,000 obituaries, death & marriage notices & other sources from Ohio from the 1810s to the present day. The RB Hayes index includes Ashland Co, Richland Co (Bellville), Ross Co, Stark Co (Massillon) Summit Co, Wadsworth, Washington Co, Wayne Co, and many other Ohio counties.
Resources
- Ohio-Wayne-Cemetery
- 10 notebooks; includes general information, some burial information, and/or newspaper articles pertaining to each cemetery
- 1 general notebook, organized by township and within each township by cemetery name
- More complete notebooks on Baughman, Canaan, Chester, Chippewa, Congress, East Union, Franklin, Paint, and Sugar Creek Township cemeteries; not indexed
- 10 notebooks; includes general information, some burial information, and/or newspaper articles pertaining to each cemetery
- Ohio-Wayne-Obituaries
- Lists of Obituaries in Scrapbooks: Historical Section of the Creston Branch Library
- Orrville 1897 News and Old Orrville Obituaries
- Index to Wooster Spectator
- Obituaries Collected by Reverend Glenn Sauder
- Old Orrville Cemetery Obituaries
- Copies of obituaries from 1970-1988; each year is in a separate notebook; most include and index; some pages have come up missing over the years
- Obituary Index 1989-1999
- 1989-1991, 1995-1998 Maiden Name Index to the Obituaries