Somerset County Obituary Records
Somerset County death records and obituaries are available through several Pennsylvania offices and archives. The Somerset County Register of Wills in Somerset holds probate and estate records tied to local deaths going back to 1795. The Pennsylvania Department of Health issues certified death certificates for Somerset County deaths from 1906 to the present. Whether you need a recent death certificate or are researching older Somerset County obituary records, this guide points you to the right sources and explains how to request copies.
Somerset County Quick Facts
Somerset County Register of Wills Office
The Somerset County Register of Wills is located at Somerset County Courthouse, 111 East Union Street, Suite 145, Somerset, PA 15501. The phone number is 814-445-1548. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Register of Wills also serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court for Somerset County, which means the same office handles estate probate and Orphans' Court matters including guardianships.
Somerset County was formed from Bedford County on April 17, 1795. The county is named after the English county of Somerset and is located in southwestern Pennsylvania in the Laurel Highlands region. Somerset has been the county seat since the county was founded. When a Somerset County resident dies, their estate may go through probate at this office. Probate records connect directly to the death event and often contain details such as the names of heirs, the value of the estate, and the date of death.
Historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906 are held at the Register of Wills. These records are important for Somerset County deaths during the years just before statewide vital registration began. The Somerset County government website provides current contact information and access to county office links.
| Office |
Somerset County Register of Wills Somerset County Courthouse 111 East Union Street, Suite 145 Somerset, PA 15501 Phone: 814-445-1548 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Website | co.somerset.pa.us |
Somerset County Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for Somerset County deaths from 1906 to the present are issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. You can order a copy online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at a PA vital records walk-in location. Each certified copy costs $20. Mail orders take about three weeks. The PA processing times page shows current wait estimates.
A certified Somerset County death certificate is required for settling an estate, collecting life insurance, claiming pension benefits, and a range of other legal and financial tasks that follow a death. Order as early as possible to avoid delays in the legal process. The PA death certificate request page explains which forms of ID are required and how to complete the order form correctly.
Visit co.somerset.pa.us for links to county offices, forms, and additional resources related to Somerset County death records and estate matters.
Note: Somerset County death records from 1893 to 1906 are held locally at the Register of Wills before the statewide system begins in 1906.Historical Somerset County Death and Obituary Records
Somerset County has a history shaped by farming, coal mining, and more recently, tourism in the Laurel Highlands. Church records from German, Swiss, and English settlers who arrived in the late 1700s are the primary source for Somerset County deaths before 1893. Lutheran, Reformed, and Mennonite congregation registers have been microfilmed and are available at local libraries and through the PA State Archives. Many of these early records identify burial dates and burial grounds by name.
The county is also home to the Flight 93 National Memorial, which marks the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. The deaths of the 40 passengers and crew are among the most documented events in Somerset County history. For other Somerset County deaths, local newspapers such as the Somerset Daily American have published obituaries for over a century. Back issues are held at the county library and on microfilm at archives throughout the state.
The PA State Archives holds death certificates for Somerset County from 1906 to 1968. Many are indexed online through the free vital statistics search at PA State Archives vital statistics. The PHMC Archives also holds additional collections that may include Somerset County death and obituary material from the twentieth century.
Genealogy and Death Research in Somerset County
Family history researchers working on Somerset County lines should plan a layered search strategy. Start with the PA State Archives free online index for death certificates from 1906 to 1968. Then contact the PA Department of Health for certified copies of specific records. For deaths before 1906, the Register of Wills holds local death records from 1893 to 1906. Church registers, cemetery transcriptions, and newspaper obituary archives fill in the period before 1893.
The PA genealogy records program makes death certificates more than 50 years old available to the public without needing to prove family relationship. This covers most Somerset County death certificates from the twentieth century. The Orphans' Court clerks directory lists the Somerset County contact for probate and estate filings that are directly linked to death events.
Somerset County borders Cambria, Bedford, Fayette, and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania. Deaths near a county line may appear in a neighboring county's records. Always check neighboring registers if a Somerset County death record cannot be located through the usual sources.
Nearby Counties
Somerset County borders four other Pennsylvania counties. Death records for residents of neighboring counties are held at their own Register of Wills offices and through the PA Department of Health.