Flagstaff Obituary Records

Flagstaff obituary records can be found through the local library, NAU archives, and the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper. The city sits at the heart of Coconino County in northern Arizona. Residents looking for death records, obituaries, or cemetery listings have several good options in town. The Flagstaff Public Library keeps newspaper archives and a database of local cemeteries. Northern Arizona University holds special collections with historical documents from the region. For official death certificates, you need to contact Coconino County Health and Human Services. This page covers all the main ways to search for Flagstaff obituary records.

Flagstaff Library Obituary Resources

The Flagstaff Public Library is the best place to start when looking for obituaries in the area. The library sits at 300 West Aspen Avenue in downtown Flagstaff. You can call them at (928) 213-2331. Staff can help with research questions and point you toward the right databases. The library has computer access for patrons who want to search online archives.

The library's research page at flagstaffpubliclibrary.org/research lists all the tools they offer. One of the most useful is the Arizona Daily Sun Collection. This includes current and archived issues from May 1, 2005 to now. You can search the text of old articles to find obituaries. The search is free to use. Type in a name and see what comes up. The database shows articles and death notices published in the Daily Sun over the past two decades.

Beyond the newspaper archives, the library offers access to genealogy databases like Ancestry and HeritageQuest. These are free to use at the library. Many families come to the Flagstaff library to dig into their roots. Staff members know how to help with local history questions. They can often suggest sources you might not find on your own.

Citizens Cemetery Database in Flagstaff

The Flagstaff Public Library maintains the Citizens Cemetery Database. This is a comprehensive listing of cemeteries and plots within Flagstaff city limits. The database covers records through 2009. It is a helpful tool for anyone trying to find where a loved one is buried in the Flagstaff area.

Cemetery records can tell you a lot. They give you exact dates of death. They show burial locations. Some entries include notes about the person or their family. When you cannot find an obituary in the newspaper, cemetery records often fill in the gaps. The Citizens Cemetery Database is free to search through the library's website. You can also visit the library in person to get help from staff.

Flagstaff has several cemeteries. The Citizens Cemetery is one of the oldest in town. It dates back to the late 1800s. Many early settlers are buried there. If your family has roots in Flagstaff, this database is worth checking. It can help you locate ancestors who lived and died in the area long ago.

Note: The database ends at 2009, so you may need to contact the city or local funeral homes for more recent burial information.

NAU Special Collections for Flagstaff Obituaries

Northern Arizona University has a Special Collections and Archives department that holds rare documents from the region. The collection includes papers, photographs, and records related to Flagstaff and northern Arizona history. Researchers can find obituary information in old newspapers, personal papers, and organizational records stored at NAU.

You can learn more about what they have at nau.edu/special-collections. The staff can help you find materials related to specific people or families. If your ancestor lived in Flagstaff or went to NAU, there may be records about them in the archive. The collection is strong on local history and the timber and railroad industries that built the town.

NAU also has oral history recordings. These are interviews with longtime Flagstaff residents who share memories of people and events. Sometimes these mention deaths or funerals in the community. The oral histories add depth to obituary research. They give you context about the times your family members lived in.

Arizona Daily Sun Obituaries

The Arizona Daily Sun is the main newspaper in Flagstaff. It has served the city for many years. Families publish obituaries and death notices in the Daily Sun to let the community know when someone has passed. These notices often include details about the person's life, their survivors, and funeral arrangements.

The newspaper keeps an online archive of obituaries at azdailysun.com/obituaries/archives. You can search for recent obituaries there. The archive goes back to 2005 and covers deaths in Flagstaff and the surrounding area. Some older obituaries may require a subscription to view in full. But the search itself is free.

If you need to submit an obituary to the Arizona Daily Sun, you can call (855) 785-1552 or email the obituary department. They can walk you through the process and give you pricing. Most families work with their funeral home to place obituaries, but you can submit them yourself as well.

Note: For obituaries older than 2005, check the Flagstaff Public Library or NAU Special Collections for microfilm or print copies.

Flagstaff Death Certificates from Coconino County

Flagstaff is part of Coconino County. All death certificates for Flagstaff residents come from Coconino County Health and Human Services. The office handles vital records for the entire county. This includes births and deaths. If someone died in Flagstaff, you request the death certificate from this office.

The vital records office is at 110 East Cherry Avenue in Flagstaff. This is right in the downtown area. You can call them at (928) 679-7281 to ask questions or set up an appointment. They do not offer walk-in service for death records. You must schedule a time to come in. This is different from many other Arizona counties where you can just show up.

A certified death certificate costs $20. You pay the same fee at the state and county level. To get a copy, you need to prove you are eligible. Arizona is a closed record state. Only immediate family, legal representatives, and those with court orders can get certified copies of recent death records. You must show a valid photo ID. The county keeps records of deaths that happened in Coconino County. For deaths in other Arizona counties, contact that county's health department or the state vital records office in Phoenix.

Processing times vary. If you schedule an appointment and have all your documents ready, you may get your certificate the same day. Mail requests take longer. The county office can also help with corrections or amendments to death certificates. Corrections cost $30.

How to Search Flagstaff Obituary Records

Searching for Flagstaff obituaries takes a few steps. Start with what you know. If you have a name and rough date of death, that helps a lot. Here is a simple plan for finding obituary records in Flagstaff:

• Check the Arizona Daily Sun archives online for deaths after 2005
• Visit the Flagstaff Public Library for newspaper microfilm and databases
• Search the Citizens Cemetery Database for burial records through 2009
• Contact NAU Special Collections for historical documents and photos
• Request death certificates from Coconino County Health and Human Services

Each source gives you different information. Newspaper obituaries tell you about the person's life. Cemetery records show where they are buried. Death certificates give you official dates, places, and sometimes cause of death. Using all these sources together paints a fuller picture.

For genealogy work, older records are easier to get. Arizona lets anyone access death records that are 50 years old or more. The state genealogy database at genealogy.az.gov has images of old death certificates. These free records are great for tracing family lines back several generations. They cover deaths from 1870 to 1970.

Coconino County Obituary Records

Flagstaff is the county seat of Coconino County. The county is the largest in Arizona by land area. It covers parts of the Grand Canyon and large stretches of national forest. Other towns in Coconino County include Williams, Page, and Sedona. Each town may have its own local newspapers and funeral homes that publish obituaries.

For county-wide obituary resources, visit the Coconino County obituary page. That page covers death records, vital records offices, and newspaper archives for the whole county. If your family member lived outside Flagstaff but still in Coconino County, the county page may have additional leads.

The Arizona Daily Sun serves much of northern Arizona. Obituaries for people in Williams, Page, and other Coconino County towns often appear in the Sun. You can search those through the same archives mentioned above. The Flagstaff Public Library also has materials on other parts of the county.

Arizona Laws on Flagstaff Death Records

Arizona law controls who can get death certificates. Under A.R.S. § 36-324, only certain people are eligible to receive certified copies. These include spouses, parents, adult children, grandparents, and siblings. Attorneys and those named in court orders can also request copies. This law protects the privacy of the deceased and their families.

Death certificates must be filed quickly in Arizona. A.R.S. § 36-325 says that the funeral home or person handling the body must complete the death certificate within seven days. The registrar then has 72 hours to register it. This ensures that records are complete and accurate.

After 50 years, death records become open for genealogy research. This comes from A.R.S. § 36-351(B). The state releases non-certified copies of these older records. You can view them free online through the state genealogy database. These records are a huge help for anyone tracing their family tree in Flagstaff and the rest of Arizona.

Nearby Arizona Cities

Other major cities in Arizona have their own obituary resources. These cities have public libraries, newspaper archives, and vital records offices you can contact. Click a city below to find obituary records in that area.