Find Cleburne County Obituary Records
Cleburne County obituary records are available through The Cleburne News newspaper, local funeral homes, and the Cleburne County Public Library in Heflin. Judge Lane Kilgore oversees the probate court and also serves as Ex-Officio Chairman of the County Commission. The county has birth and death records from 1911 to 1921, marriage and probate records from 1867, and land records from 1884. GenealogyBank has The Cleburne News archives, and Genealogy Trails has historical obituaries. USGenWeb Archives has probate death records for burials in Heflin City Cemetery from 1926 to 1936. There are over 22 sources available for Cleburne County newspapers and obituaries.
Cleburne County Quick Facts
Cleburne County Probate Court
The Cleburne County Probate Court handles estate matters including wills and probate files. Judge Lane Kilgore oversees the court and also serves as Ex-Officio Chairman of the County Commission. The county has unique records including birth and death records from 1911 to 1921, marriage and probate records from 1867, and land records from 1884.
The probate office offers online services through their portal.
| Address | 120 Vickery Street, Ste. 101, Heflin, AL 36264 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (256) 463-5655 |
| Fax | (256) 463-1044 |
| Website | cleburnecountyal.com/probate-office |
| Online Services | ingprobate.com/Cleburne_Probate |
| Circuit Court | cleburne.alacourt.gov |
Under Alabama Code Section 36-12-40, probate records are public records. Anyone can request copies of wills and estate files.
Cleburne County Newspapers
The Cleburne News is the main newspaper serving Heflin and Cleburne County. Archives are available through GenealogyBank at genealogybank.com.
Genealogy Trails has historical obituaries at genealogytrails.com/ala/cleburne/obits.html. USGenWeb Archives has additional transcribed records.
There are over 22 sources available for Cleburne County newspapers and obituaries according to research compilations. Many of these can be accessed through genealogy databases and the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Legacy.com collects obituaries from newspapers and funeral homes across Alabama. Search their site for current Cleburne County death notices.
Cleburne County Obituary Resources
The Cleburne County Public Library in Heflin can help researchers find local obituary records. They may have clipping files and other resources not available online.
USGenWeb Archives has probate death records for burials in Heflin City Cemetery from 1926 to 1936 and general probate death records from 1928 to 1932. FamilySearch has register of births and deaths from 1911 to 1921, with additional records on Archive Grid covering 1911 to 1942.
Cleburne County Funeral Homes
Local funeral homes in the Heflin area post obituaries on their websites. If you know which funeral home handled services, check their site first as many keep archives going back several years.
Cleburne County borders Georgia. Some residents may have used funeral homes in nearby Georgia cities. Check both Alabama and Georgia resources if you cannot find an obituary.
MyHeritage has a United States Obituary Index that includes Cleburne County entries. This can help you locate obituaries published in various sources.
Dignity Memorial operates locations across the region. Their searchable archive at dignitymemorial.com covers all their funeral homes.
Cleburne County Historical Records
Cleburne County has several unique record collections:
- Birth and death records from 1911 to 1921 (at the probate office)
- FamilySearch register of births and deaths from 1911 to 1921
- Archive Grid records from 1911 to 1942
- USGenWeb probate death records for Heflin City Cemetery burials from 1926 to 1936
- USGenWeb probate death records from 1928 to 1932
FamilySearch has free access to Alabama Probate Records covering Cleburne County. Ancestry.com also has Alabama probate records that many libraries offer free access to through Ancestry Library Edition.
MyHeritage has a United States Obituary Index that includes Cleburne County entries from various sources.
How to Search Cleburne County Obituaries
For recent obituaries in Cleburne County, start with Legacy.com and local funeral home websites. Most obituaries from the past few years will be found through these sources.
For older obituaries, check GenealogyBank for The Cleburne News archives. Genealogy Trails and USGenWeb Archives have free transcribed records from historical newspapers.
Find a Grave has burial records for Cleburne 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 probate office online portal can help you search for estate files and the unique birth and death records from 1911 to 1921.
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 Cleburne County
Cleburne County includes Heflin (the county seat), Ranburne, Fruithurst, and other communities. Heflin is the largest town and location of the courthouse.
None of the cities in Cleburne County meet the 50,000 population threshold for a separate city page. For obituary searches in any Cleburne 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 Cleburne County obituaries.
Cleburne County is part of the 7th Judicial Circuit along with Calhoun County. Some court records might overlap between these counties. The county also borders Carroll County and Haralson County in Georgia.
Start Your Search
Use the search tool below to find obituary records in Cleburne County, Alabama.