Susquehanna County Obituary Records
Susquehanna County obituary and death records are maintained by the Susquehanna County Register of Wills in Montrose and by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The county was formed from Luzerne County in 1810 and has a long agricultural heritage along the upper Susquehanna River valley. This guide explains where to find Susquehanna County death certificates, historical obituary records, and estate files, and how to request copies from each source.
Susquehanna County Quick Facts
Susquehanna County Register of Wills
The Susquehanna County Register of Wills is at Susquehanna County Courthouse, 105 Maple Street, Montrose, PA 18801. The phone number is 570-278-4600. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This office also serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court for Susquehanna County, handling both probate and Orphans' Court matters from one location in Montrose.
Susquehanna County was formed from Luzerne County on February 21, 1810. It is named after the Susquehanna River, which flows through and near the county. Montrose has been the county seat since 1810 and is described as a historic town in northeastern Pennsylvania. The county is largely rural with strong agricultural traditions. Estate and probate files at the Register of Wills connect directly to death events and can provide details about Susquehanna County residents who died with property or family dependents.
The office holds historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1906. These local records are essential for Susquehanna County deaths in the years before Pennsylvania began its statewide vital records system. The Susquehanna County government portal provides access to county office directories, online forms, and current news.
Visit susqco.com for current contact details and access to county services including the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court.
| Office |
Susquehanna County Register of Wills Susquehanna County Courthouse 105 Maple Street Montrose, PA 18801 Phone: 570-278-4600 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Website | susqco.com |
Susquehanna County Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for Susquehanna County deaths from 1906 to the present are available from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. You can order through VitalChek online, by mail, or at a PA vital records walk-in office. Each certified copy is $20. Mail orders take approximately three weeks. The current processing times page shows how long orders are currently taking.
You need a certified Susquehanna County death certificate to settle an estate, apply for survivor benefits, claim a life insurance policy, or transfer property after a death. The PA death certificate request page lists all required identification and explains how to complete the order. Walk-in service in Scranton is the closest in-person option for Susquehanna County residents who need a death certificate quickly.
Note: Deaths from 1893 to 1906 in Susquehanna County are held at the local Register of Wills office rather than through the Pennsylvania Department of Health.Historical Susquehanna County Death and Obituary Records
Susquehanna County's rural character and deep farming roots mean that church records and local newspaper obituaries are the backbone of pre-1893 death research. Early settlers were largely New England migrants and Pennsylvania Dutch families. Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian church registers from the early 1800s document many of the first generations of Susquehanna County deaths. Several of these registers have been published or microfilmed and are available through local libraries and the Susquehanna County Historical Society.
The PA State Archives holds death certificates for Susquehanna County from 1906 to 1968. These records are indexed online through the free vital statistics search at PA State Archives vital statistics. Many are also viewable on Ancestry.com through the Archives' digitization program. Using this free index first allows you to confirm a record exists before paying for a certified copy from the Department of Health.
Local Susquehanna County newspapers such as the Montrose Independent have published obituaries and death notices for many decades. Microfilm of these papers is available at the county library and at the PHMC Archives in Harrisburg. Cemetery transcriptions compiled by local genealogical volunteers also cover many of the rural burial grounds throughout Susquehanna County.
Susquehanna County Genealogy and Death Records
Genealogy researchers working on Susquehanna County family lines should begin with the PA State Archives free death certificate index. This covers deaths from 1906 to 1968 at no cost. Certified copies can be ordered from the PA Department of Health for specific records. For deaths before 1906, the Register of Wills holds local records from 1893 to 1906. Church registers, cemetery surveys, and newspaper obituary collections extend the research back to the county's founding in 1810.
The Pennsylvania genealogy records program allows public access to death certificates more than 50 years old. Most Susquehanna County death records from before the mid-1970s are available to any researcher under this program. The Orphans' Court clerks page lists the Susquehanna County contact for probate and estate filings. These files often name the deceased, date of death, and surviving heirs, which makes them a strong supplement to official death certificates.
Susquehanna County borders Wyoming, Lackawanna, Wayne, and Bradford counties. Deaths near a county border may be recorded in the neighboring county's records. Check adjacent county registers if a Susquehanna County death record cannot be located through usual state and local sources.
Nearby Counties
Susquehanna County borders four other Pennsylvania counties. Each neighboring county maintains its own death records through its Register of Wills and through the Pennsylvania Department of Health.