Union County Pennsylvania Death Records
Union County is a central Pennsylvania county created in 1813 from Northumberland County. Lewisburg serves as the county seat, a small city on the west bank of the Susquehanna River that is home to Bucknell University. Birth records at the county level cover 1893 through 1905, while death records begin slightly later, in 1898. That 1898 start date for death records is an unusual characteristic that researchers should know about before expecting to find records from the full 1893 to 1905 range. Marriage records go back to 1885. The Union County Historical Society maintains a research library with probate files, deeds, and marriage and death data that supplements the official county records.
Union County Quick Facts
Union County Death Records at the Prothonotary Office
The Union County Prothonotary Office at 103 S Second Street in Lewisburg maintains historical vital records for the county. The phone number is 570-524-8751. Death records held here begin in 1898, which is five years after birth records start and five years after most Pennsylvania counties began collecting vital statistics. Researchers looking for Union County deaths from 1893 through 1897 will not find county-level death certificates because they were not collected during that period. For deaths in those years, church records, estate files, and census mortality schedules are the best available sources.
Birth records at the county level run from 1893 through 1905, following the standard Pennsylvania pattern. Marriage records go back to 1885. The combination of birth, death, and marriage records held by the Prothonotary's office covers the major vital events for Union County families from the 1880s through the transition to the state registration system in 1906. Probate records from the same office complement these vital records and document deaths through estate filings.
| Office | Union County Prothonotary 103 S Second Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837 Phone: 570-524-8751 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Records | Death records from 1898–1905; birth records 1893–1905; marriage records from 1885 |
Note: Union County death records begin in 1898, not 1893. Researchers looking for deaths from 1893 through 1897 in this county should turn to church records, estate files, and other supplemental sources rather than the formal county registration system.
Union County Historical Society Death Records Research
The Union County Historical Society maintains a research library that is an important supplement to the county courthouse records. The Society holds probate files, deeds, marriage records, and death data gathered from various sources over many years. It is a particularly useful resource for the period before 1898 when county death registration had not yet begun, since the Society's collection draws on church records, cemetery transcriptions, and other sources that the official courthouse collection does not include.
The Society charges a research fee of $60 for a general genealogical search. This fee covers a staff or volunteer search of the Society's holdings for a specific individual or family. Researchers who are not able to visit Lewisburg in person can request this service remotely. The fee-based search is worth considering when you have exhausted other sources and still cannot locate a death record.
The image below is from the Union County Historical Society website, which describes its research collections and services for death records and genealogy research in Lewisburg.
Union County Historical Society maintains a research library with death records, probate files, and genealogical collections for Union County research.
The Society's research fee covers a search of its holdings by staff or volunteers, which is an option for researchers who cannot visit the library in person.
Pennsylvania State Death Certificates for Union County
Deaths in Union County from 1906 forward are documented by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. Certified copies cost $20 each. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Phone orders are taken at (724) 656-3100. Online ordering is available through the MyCertificates portal or through VitalChek.
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds Union County death certificates from 1906 through 1975. The online death indices allow researchers to search by name at no charge before placing a copy request. Pennsylvania residents have free Ancestry access through the State Archives program.
Death Records Research in Union County Before 1898
For Union County deaths before 1898, researchers must use sources other than county death registration records. The most reliable official documents are estate files from the Prothonotary's office, which go back to the county's founding in 1813. Church records from Lewisburg and surrounding communities are the next most useful source. Lutheran, German Reformed, and Methodist congregations in this region kept burial registers from the early nineteenth century. Some of these records have been digitized and indexed by FamilySearch.
Federal census mortality schedules from 1850 through 1880 recorded deaths in the twelve months before each census. These can be searched at no cost on FamilySearch and provide partial coverage for deaths in Union County during that period. Cemetery transcriptions for many Union County burial grounds have also been uploaded to genealogical websites and can be searched online. Using these records together with estate files gives the most complete picture for pre-1898 deaths in this county.
Before Union County was created in 1813, this area was part of Northumberland County. Research on families in this region before 1813 should focus on Northumberland County records, which go back to 1772 and include some of the oldest county-level records in Pennsylvania.
Using FamilySearch for Union County Death Records
FamilySearch provides free access to digitized and indexed records from many Pennsylvania counties, including Union. The FamilySearch catalog lists what collections are currently available and whether they have been digitized for remote access. Church records and probate files from Union County are indexed in several FamilySearch collections, making them searchable online before a researcher visits Lewisburg or writes to the county office. The FamilySearch Pennsylvania Vital Records wiki provides an overview of what record types exist statewide and how to find them.
The Union County government website provides current contact information for county offices. For records held at the county level, the Prothonotary's office is the right contact. The website is also a useful source for current hours and any changes in procedures for requesting historical vital records.
Nearby Counties
Union County borders several other central Pennsylvania counties. Researchers often need to check records in neighboring counties when tracing families who moved across county lines.