Lee County Alabama Obituaries
Lee County obituary records are available through the Opelika-Auburn News, local funeral homes, and genealogical societies in the area. Opelika serves as the county seat, and Auburn is home to Auburn University. The Opelika-Auburn News publishes obituaries for both cities and surrounding communities. Funeral homes like Frederick-Dean and Jeffcoat-Trant maintain online obituary archives. The probate court has marriage records from 1867 and probate records from 1861. The Auburn Heritage Association and Genealogical Society of East Alabama can help with family research. Legacy.com and ALGenWeb have searchable obituary databases for the county.
Lee County Quick Facts
Lee County Probate Court
The Lee County Probate Court handles estate matters, wills, and marriage records. When you cannot find an obituary, probate records often list family members and heirs. The Probate Judge also serves as Chairman of the Lee County Commission.
The court has marriage records from 1867, land records from 1867, military discharge records from 1919, and probate records from 1861.
| Address | 2311 Gateway Dr., Room 104, Opelika, AL 36801 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (334) 737-3670 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Website | leeco.us/government/probate_judge |
| Circuit Court | lee.alacourt.gov |
FamilySearch has estate case files and guardianship estate files from about 1840 to 1947. Microfilm is available at the Probate Judge Office in the County Courthouse in Opelika.
Opelika-Auburn News
The Opelika-Auburn News is the main newspaper serving Lee County. It publishes obituaries for Opelika, Auburn, and surrounding communities.
For current obituaries, search Legacy.com for Lee County listings at legacy.com/us/obituaries/local/alabama/lee-county.
ALGenWeb has a Lee County obituary collection at algenweb.org/lee/obits.html that includes transcribed obituaries from older newspapers.
Lee County Funeral Homes
Funeral homes in Lee County post obituaries on their websites. If you know which funeral home handled services, check their site first. Many keep archives going back several years.
Major funeral homes serving Lee County include:
- Frederick-Dean Funeral Home and Crematory - Opelika
- Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home and Crematory - Opelika
Both funeral homes maintain online obituary archives and can help you find older records not posted on their websites.
Local Historical and Genealogical Societies
Lee County has two organizations that can help with obituary and family research.
Auburn Heritage Association
| Mailing Address | PO Box 2248, Auburn, AL 36831-2248 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (334) 844-9156 |
Genealogical Society of East Alabama
| Address | 205 South 10th Street, Opelika, AL 36803-2892 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 2892, Opelika, AL 36803-2892 |
Both organizations maintain local history resources and can point you toward obituary collections not available online. They hold meetings and can help connect you with others researching the same families.
How to Search Lee County Obituaries
For recent obituaries, start with Legacy.com and search for Lee County, Opelika, or Auburn, Alabama. Most obituaries from the past few years will appear in the results. You can also search funeral home websites directly for recent death notices.
For older obituaries, try these resources:
- ALGenWeb Lee County obituaries - algenweb.org/lee/obits.html
- FamilySearch - Estate case files ca. 1840-1947
- FamilySearch - Alabama Probate Records 1809-1985
- Find a Grave - burial records for Lee County cemeteries
- Newspapers.com - historical newspaper archives (subscription)
- GenealogyBank - historical newspapers (subscription)
- Ancestry.com - obituary collections and newspaper indexes
The Genealogical Society of East Alabama may have local newspaper indexes and obituary compilations not available elsewhere. They welcome visitors and can help with your research.
FamilySearch has estate case files and guardianship files from about 1840 to 1947 on microfilm. You can view these at the Probate Judge Office in the County Courthouse in Opelika. These records list family members and can fill in gaps when you cannot find an obituary.
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. The certificate shows the date and cause of death along with burial information.
If you know where the person is buried, use Find a Grave to get the death date. Then search the Opelika-Auburn News archives for that date to find the obituary.
Cities in Lee County
Lee County includes Opelika, Auburn, Phenix City (partial), Loachapoka, Beauregard, and several smaller communities. Residents of these cities use Lee County resources for obituary research.
Auburn is home to Auburn University and has a growing population. The Opelika-Auburn News covers both major cities in the county. Opelika is the county seat and has the courthouse and probate court records.
Lee County has grown fast in recent years. Many new residents have moved to Auburn and Opelika for jobs and the university. Funeral homes in both cities maintain online obituary archives that are easy to search.
Nearby Counties
Some obituaries may appear in newspapers from neighboring counties. These counties border Lee County.
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