Baldwin County Obituary Records

Baldwin County obituary records can be found through Gulf Coast Media newspapers, local funeral homes, and the Baldwin County Genealogical Society. This is the largest county by land area in Alabama and covers the Gulf Coast region. Multiple newspapers serve different parts of the county including The Baldwin Times, The Islander, The Onlooker, and The Courier. Lagniappe Daily covers Daphne, Fairhope, and Foley. The county has probate records going back to 1809, some of the oldest in the state.

Baldwin County Probate Court

The Baldwin County Probate Court handles estate matters including wills and probate records. Judge Harry D'Olive, Jr. oversees the court. Probate records in Baldwin County go back to 1809, with marriage records from 1810 and land records from 1808. These are some of the oldest county records in Alabama.

The court has multiple locations. The main office is in Bay Minette while a satellite courthouse operates in Foley. Note that the Robertsdale Central Annex location is temporarily closed as of May 2025 for renovations.

Baldwin County offers online access to probate records through their public search portal. This can help you find estate files that might list family members and death information. Under Alabama Code Section 36-12-40, probate records are public and anyone can request copies.

Baldwin County Newspapers

Several newspapers serve Baldwin County due to its large size. Gulf Coast Media publishes multiple papers covering different areas of the county. Each paper carries obituaries for its coverage area.

Gulf Coast Media newspapers include:

• The Baldwin Times - county-wide coverage
• The Islander - Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
• The Onlooker - Foley area
• The Courier - Daphne and Spanish Fort

Lagniappe Daily also covers Baldwin County, particularly Daphne, Fairhope, and Foley. They maintain an obituary section on their website at lagniappemobile.com/obituaries/baldwin_county.

Gulf Coast Media posts obituaries online at gulfcoastmedia.com/obituaries. Legacy.com also collects Baldwin County obituaries at legacy.com/us/obituaries/local/alabama/baldwin-county.

Baldwin County Obituary Resources

The Baldwin County Genealogical Society helps researchers find family records including obituaries. They can be reached at PO Box 108, Foley, AL 36536-0108 or by email at BaldwinGenealogy@gmail.com.

FamilySearch has digitized records for Baldwin County including wills from 1809 to 1934, probate records from 1861 to 1929, probate minutes from 1822 to 1928, and estate case files from 1841 to 1950. These free resources can help you find death-related information when newspaper obituaries are not available.

Baldwin County Funeral Homes

Funeral homes across Baldwin County post obituaries on their websites. Due to the county's large geographic area, there are many funeral homes serving different communities.

Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home and Crematory in Fairhope maintains an obituary archive at wolfefuneralhomes.com/obituaries. This covers the eastern shore area of Mobile Bay.

Other funeral homes serve Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Foley, Bay Minette, and the many smaller communities across Baldwin County. If you know which funeral home handled services, check their website first as they often keep archives going back years.

Dignity Memorial operates locations in the Baldwin County area. Their searchable archive at dignitymemorial.com covers all their Alabama funeral homes.

Baldwin County Historical Records

Baldwin County has some of the oldest records in Alabama. FamilySearch has free access to many digitized documents including wills, probate minutes, and estate files going back to the early 1800s.

USGenWeb Archives maintains transcribed obituaries and death notices for Baldwin County. This free volunteer-run site has records that genealogists have contributed over the years.

The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has additional resources for Baldwin County research. They have microfilm copies of old newspapers and other records that might contain obituary information.

Ancestry.com includes Alabama probate records covering Baldwin County. Many public libraries offer free access to Ancestry Library Edition. Check with your local library to see if this is available.

How to Search Baldwin County Obituaries

For recent obituaries in Baldwin County, start with Legacy.com and the Gulf Coast Media obituary page. Most obituaries from the past several years will be available through these sites.

If you know which city the person lived in, check the local paper for that area. The Islander covers Gulf Shores, The Onlooker covers Foley, and The Courier covers Daphne.

For older obituaries, check FamilySearch and USGenWeb first since they are free. The Baldwin County Genealogical Society can help with harder-to-find records. The probate court online portal at baldwin.al.publicsearch.us has records that might list death dates and family members.

Find a Grave has burial records for Baldwin County cemeteries. This site can help you find the date of death and cemetery location, which makes searching newspaper archives easier.

Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death certificates are restricted for 25 years. After that time, anyone can request a copy from the Alabama Department of Public Health for $15.

Cities in Baldwin County

Baldwin County includes Bay Minette (the county seat), Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Spanish Fort, Robertsdale, Loxley, and many other communities. The county covers the entire Gulf Coast shoreline in Alabama.

None of the cities in Baldwin County currently meet the 50,000 population threshold for a separate city page. For obituary searches in any Baldwin County city, use the county-level resources on this page. Daphne and Fairhope are the largest cities but still fall under this threshold.

Nearby Counties

Some obituaries may appear in newspapers from neighboring counties. Mobile County to the west is especially relevant as many Mobile newspapers cover Baldwin County news.

Mobile is the nearest large city to Baldwin County. The Mobile Press-Register and other Mobile papers sometimes carry obituaries for Baldwin County residents, especially those in Daphne and Spanish Fort near the bay.

Start Your Search

Use the search tool below to find obituary records in Baldwin County, Alabama.