Clay County Obituary Records
Clay County obituary records are available through The Clay Times Journal newspaper, Benefield Funeral Home, and the Clay County Historical Society. Land records date back to 1861, probate records to 1865, and marriage records to 1872. The county also has death records from 1920 to 1940. The probate office offers online services through their portal. Legacy.com has a page for Clay County obituaries, and Genealogy Trails has historical death notices. The Alabama Department of Public Health has birth and death records from 1908, while the Clay County Health Department has records from 1920.
Clay County Quick Facts
Clay County Probate Court
The Clay County Probate Court handles estate matters including wills and probate files. Land records date back to 1861, probate records to 1865, and marriage records to 1872. The county also maintains death records from 1920 to 1940.
The probate office offers online services where you can search and request records.
| Address | 25 County Square, P.O. Box 816, Ashland, AL 36251 |
|---|---|
| Courthouse Phone | (256) 354-7926 |
| Probate Office Phone | (256) 354-2198 |
| Website | claycountyprobate.com |
| Online Services | ingprobate.com/Clay_Probate |
| Circuit Court | clay.alacourt.gov |
Under Alabama Code Section 36-12-40, probate records are public records. Anyone can request copies of wills and estate files.
Clay County Newspapers
The Clay Times Journal is the main newspaper serving Clay County. They publish obituaries on their website at claytimesjournal.com/category/obituaries.
Legacy.com has a Clay County obituary page at legacy.com/us/obituaries/local/alabama/clay-county. This site collects death notices from newspapers and funeral homes.
Genealogy Trails has historical death notices at genealogytrails.com/ala/clay. USGenWeb Archives through Clay County ALGenWeb has additional transcribed obituaries.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has microfilm copies of many old Alabama newspapers.
Clay County Obituary Resources
The Clay County Historical Society can help researchers find local obituary records. They are located at PO Box 998, Ashland, AL 36251. Phone: 205-601-9544. Email: clayhistory@gmail.com.
FamilySearch has free access to Alabama Probate Records covering Clay County. The Alabama Department of Public Health has birth and death records from 1908, while the Clay County Health Department has records from 1920.
Clay County Funeral Homes
Benefield Funeral Home in Ashland serves Clay County and posts obituaries on their website. If you know which funeral home handled services, check their site first as many keep archives going back several years.
Other funeral homes in the Clay County area also maintain obituary records. Some residents may use funeral homes in larger nearby cities like Anniston depending on their preferences.
Legacy.com is another good resource for finding funeral home obituaries. They aggregate death notices from multiple sources.
Dignity Memorial operates locations across the region. Their searchable archive at dignitymemorial.com covers all their funeral homes.
Clay County Historical Records
Clay County has multiple sources for historical death records:
- Probate death records from 1920 to 1940 are at the courthouse
- Alabama Department of Public Health has birth and death records from 1908
- Clay County Health Department has birth and death records from 1920
FamilySearch has free access to Alabama Probate Records covering Clay County. These can help you find death dates and family connections when obituaries are not available.
Genealogy Trails and USGenWeb Archives have transcribed obituaries and death notices from historical Clay County newspapers.
The Clay County Historical Society maintains local files that may include obituary clippings not available online.
How to Search Clay County Obituaries
For recent obituaries in Clay County, start with The Clay Times Journal website and Legacy.com. Most obituaries from the past few years will be found through these sources.
For older obituaries, check Genealogy Trails and FamilySearch first since they are free. The probate office online portal can help you search for estate files.
Find a Grave has burial records for Clay County cemeteries. This free site can help you find the date of death and burial location, then you can search newspaper archives more effectively.
The Clay County Historical Society at 205-601-9544 or clayhistory@gmail.com can help with records that are not available online.
Under Alabama Code Section 22-9A-21, death certificates are restricted for 25 years. After that period, anyone can request a copy from the Alabama Department of Public Health for $15.
Cities in Clay County
Clay County includes Ashland (the county seat), Lineville, Delta, and other communities. Ashland is the largest town and location of the courthouse.
None of the cities in Clay County meet the 50,000 population threshold for a separate city page. For obituary searches in any Clay County city, use the county-level resources on this page.
Nearby Counties
Some obituaries may appear in newspapers from neighboring counties. Anniston newspapers from Calhoun County sometimes carry Clay County obituaries.
Clay County is part of the 40th Judicial Circuit along with Coosa County. Some court records might overlap between these counties depending on where cases were filed.
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