Minnesota, Clay and Steele County Obituaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images to the newspaper obituary files filmed by FamilySearch at the Clay County Historical Society and the Steele County Historical Society in Minnesota. The collection covers the years 1865 to 2006.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The records usually contain:


 * Name of the deceased
 * Age
 * Death date
 * Names of parents, spouse, children, siblings or other relatives
 * Name of newspaper, date and place of publication
 * Birth date and place
 * Other details such as military service

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate date of death.
 * The place of death.
 * The names of family members and their relationships.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the appropriate Surname Range which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one. Again you will need to compare the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor.

Be aware that with either search you may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s obituary, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These records are often brief so it can be easy to confuse individuals. Compare what information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the obituary for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the the information found in the obituary to search for the family in census records.
 * Use the information found in the obituary to search for the family in church records.
 * Use the locality and relative’s names to search additional state and county records..
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation: