Fayette County Obituary Search
Obituary records for Fayette County can be found through The Fayette County Record newspaper, local funeral homes, and the Probate Court in the city of Fayette. This rural county in northwest Alabama has records going back to the 1800s. The Probate Court maintains estate records, wills, and some historical birth and death records from 1884 to 1941. The Fayette County Historical Society has collected genealogy resources that can help when newspaper obituaries are not available. Local funeral homes keep archives and can search their records if you call them.
Fayette County Quick Facts
Fayette County Probate Court
The Fayette County Probate Court handles wills, estates, and probate matters. These records can help when you cannot find an obituary because they list heirs and family members. The court has some of the older records in northwest Alabama.
Judge Mike Freeman serves as the Probate Judge. Fayette County shares the 24th Judicial Circuit with Lamar and Pickens counties.
| Address | 113 Temple Avenue North, Fayette, AL 35555 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 670, Fayette, AL 35555-0670 |
| Phone | (205) 932-4519 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Circuit Court | fayette.alacourt.gov |
The Probate Court has some unique records not found in many other Alabama counties. These include birth records from 1884 to 1941 and death records from 1899 to 1941. These pre-date the state vital records system that started in 1908. Marriage records go back to 1866 and land records to 1848.
Military discharge records are available from 1919. These can help identify veterans and may lead to military obituaries or burial records in veterans cemeteries.
Fayette County Newspapers
The Fayette County Record is the main local newspaper. It publishes obituaries for residents of Fayette and surrounding communities. The paper has served the county for many years.
Current obituaries appear on the newspaper website and on Legacy.com. To submit an obituary, contact the funeral home handling services. They work with the newspaper to publish death notices.
For historical obituaries, the Fayette County History website at fayettecountyhistory.org has transcribed obituaries starting from the letter A. Genealogy Trails also has transcribed obituaries at genealogytrails.com/ala/fayette/news_deaths.html. These free resources can help you find older death notices.
The Alabama Department of Archives and History has microfilm of old Fayette County newspapers. You can search these in their Montgomery research room.
Fayette County Funeral Homes
Funeral homes in Fayette County post obituaries on their websites and keep archives going back years. Call directly if you need to find an older obituary.
Major funeral homes in Fayette County include:
- Nelson Funeral Home, Fayette
- Nichols Funeral Service
- Area funeral homes in neighboring Tuscaloosa and Walker counties
Since Fayette County is rural, some families use funeral homes in larger nearby cities like Tuscaloosa or Jasper. Check those areas if you cannot find an obituary in local Fayette County funeral homes.
Have the full name of the deceased and approximate date of death ready when you call. Funeral homes keep paper records that may not be online.
How to Search Fayette County Obituaries
For recent obituaries, start with Legacy.com. Search by name and filter by Alabama or Fayette to narrow results. Most obituaries from the past few years are there.
For older obituaries and genealogy research:
- Fayette County History obituaries at fayettecountyhistory.org/obituaries_a.htm
- Genealogy Trails at genealogytrails.com/ala/fayette/news_deaths.html
- FamilySearch free Alabama probate records from 1809 to 1985
- Find a Grave for burial records in Fayette County cemeteries
FamilySearch has digitized several Fayette County record sets including estate settlements from 1837 to 1838, bond records from 1844 to 1863, probate records from 1851 to 1931, and will records from 1860 to 1934. These are free to search.
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.
Libraries and Historical Society
The Fayette County Memorial Library at 326 Temple Avenue North in Fayette has genealogy resources. Phone: (205) 932-6625. Staff can help point you to local records.
The Fayette Historical Society and Depot Museum at 202 Temple Ave South in Fayette has local history collections. Mailing address: PO Box 309, Fayette, AL 35555. Phone: (205) 270-0519. They may have obituary clippings or indexes not available online.
These local organizations have volunteers who know the area and can help with research. They may have family files, cemetery records, and other resources that help when obituaries are hard to find.
Nearby Counties
Obituaries for Fayette County residents sometimes appear in newspapers from neighboring counties. These counties share borders with Fayette County.
Start Your Search
Use the search tool below to find obituary records in Fayette County, Alabama.