Lake Havasu City Obituary Lookup

Lake Havasu City obituary records help families trace loved ones who lived in this western Arizona community. The city sits on the shores of Lake Havasu, known for its blue waters and the famous London Bridge. Finding obituaries here means checking local papers like Today's News-Herald and the Kingman Daily Miner. Death certificates come from Mohave County, not the city itself. Arizona is a closed record state, so only family members and those with legal interest can get certified death certificates. For older records, the state genealogy database offers free access to deaths from 50 or more years ago. This guide walks you through each option for Lake Havasu City obituary research.

Lake Havasu City Library Obituary Resources

The Lake Havasu City Public Library is a solid starting point for obituary research. The library sits at 1770 McCulloch Blvd N. Staff here can help you search for death notices and point you to the right databases. The phone number is 928-453-0718. Walk in during open hours and ask for help with genealogy research.

Public libraries in Arizona often provide free access to Ancestry Library Edition. This tool has millions of records, including obituaries, death indexes, and family trees. You cannot use Ancestry Library Edition at home for free. You must be inside the library building to search. Bring a notebook and plan to spend some time. The database lets you search by name, date, and location. Lake Havasu City residents can also use HeritageQuest Online, which some libraries offer for remote access with a library card.

The library may hold old phone books and city directories. These are useful when you know a name but not the death date. By tracing when someone stopped appearing in directories, you can narrow down the year they died. This helps you search newspaper archives more effectively.

Note: Call ahead to check what genealogy databases your library card gives you access to.

Lake Havasu City Newspaper Obituaries

Two newspapers serve Lake Havasu City for obituary notices. Today's News-Herald is the main local paper. It covers Lake Havasu City and the surrounding area. Families have used this paper to publish death notices for decades. The paper prints obituaries and death announcements as they come in from funeral homes and families.

The Kingman Daily Miner also covers Mohave County, including Lake Havasu City. This paper has an online obituary section where you can search recent death notices. The Kingman Daily Miner is the largest paper in the county. Many Lake Havasu City families choose to run obituaries in both papers to reach more readers. The Miner charges $60 for a single issue obituary. Adding a photo costs $71. Death notices from funeral homes often run free.

For older obituaries, you need newspaper archives. The Arizona State Library has the largest collection of historic Arizona newspapers. They hold over two million pages on microfilm. Most of this content dates back to the 1800s. Staff at the state library will look up obituaries for you at no charge if you provide a name, newspaper title, and exact death date. The Arizona State Library newspaper guide explains how to request a lookup.

The state also runs the Arizona Digital Newspaper Program. This project digitizes old papers and puts them online. Most content is pre-1963 due to copyright rules. Lake Havasu City was founded in 1963, so early city residents may not appear in these digital archives. But if your ancestor lived in Mohave County before the city existed, check the digital collection.

Lake Havasu City Death Certificates from Mohave County

Lake Havasu City does not issue death certificates. This is true for all Arizona cities. Death records are a county function. The Mohave County Department of Public Health handles all death certificates for Lake Havasu City residents. Their main office is in Kingman at 700 W. Beale Street. That is about 60 miles south of Lake Havasu City.

Certified death certificates cost $20 per copy. Amendments or corrections cost $30. Non-certified copies for genealogy purposes cost just $5. The county accepts debit cards, credit cards, money orders, and exact cash. They do not take personal checks. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office closes for lunch.

Arizona is a closed record state. This means death certificates are not public records. Only certain people can request certified copies:

• Spouse of the deceased
• Parents or adult children
• Grandparents or grandchildren
• Brothers or sisters
• Legal representatives
• Funeral directors
• Insurance beneficiaries

You must show valid government-issued photo ID. You also need to explain your relationship to the deceased. The county will verify your eligibility before issuing a certificate. Processing can take up to two weeks. Same-day service is not available in Mohave County, unlike some other Arizona counties. Plan ahead if you need a certificate quickly. You can mail your request to Mohave County Public Health, Attn: Vital Records, 700 W. Beale Street, Kingman, AZ 86401.

Note: Mohave County registers deaths that occur within county lines, but they can also issue certificates for deaths anywhere in Arizona.

Historical Lake Havasu City Obituary Research

Lake Havasu City is a young community. Robert McCulloch founded it in 1963 when he bought land from the state. The famous London Bridge arrived in 1971, shipped piece by piece from England. Because the city is only about 60 years old, most historical obituary research focuses on this modern era.

The Arizona Department of Health Services has a free genealogy search database online. This tool covers death records from 1870 to 1970. You can search by name and view non-certified death certificates. These images show the cause of death, place of death, and basic info about the deceased. Since Lake Havasu City only started in 1963, very few local residents appear in this database yet. But if your ancestor died in Mohave County before 1970, check this free resource first.

The Arizona Memory Project holds digitized photos, documents, and newspaper clippings. You might find obituaries in scanned newspaper pages. The project also has historic photos that could show your ancestor or their community. Arizona residents can access Ancestry records at the State Archives for free through a special partnership. This includes death records, cemetery listings, and obituary indexes.

This screenshot shows the Arizona Department of Health Services genealogy search page. You can search death records here at no cost for records over 50 years old.

Arizona State Obituary Resources

Lake Havasu City residents can also use state-level resources. The Arizona Bureau of Vital Records in Phoenix is another option for death certificates. Their office is at 150 N. 18th Avenue, Suite 120, Phoenix 85007. The phone is 602-364-1300. This office has Arizona death records back to 1909. It may be more convenient to request by mail from the state office than to drive to Kingman.

State law governs who can access vital records. Under A.R.S. 36-324, the state registrar can issue certified copies to eligible persons. The same rules apply at both county and state offices. You need valid ID and proof of relationship. Under A.R.S. 36-325, funeral homes must file death certificates within seven days of taking possession of remains. The registrar then has 72 hours to register the certificate if it is complete.

VitalChek is the authorized online vendor for Arizona vital records. You can order death certificates through their website. The fee is $20 plus processing charges. Delivery takes a few days for regular mail or faster with expedited shipping. This option works well if you cannot visit an office in person.

Lake Havasu City Funeral Homes and Obituaries

Funeral homes are the main source for recent Lake Havasu City obituaries. When someone dies, the funeral home often writes and publishes the obituary. They post notices on their websites, send them to newspapers, and share on social media. Most funeral home websites let you search past obituaries by name.

Lake Havasu City has several funeral homes and mortuaries. Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home is one of the larger providers in the area. They serve families throughout western Arizona. Desert Lawn Funeral Home also operates in the region. When searching for a recent death notice, start with funeral home websites. You can often find service details, photos, and guest books where friends share memories.

If you do not know which funeral home handled arrangements, try a general web search. Type the person's name plus "Lake Havasu City obituary" or "Lake Havasu City funeral." This often brings up the right listing. Social media posts from family members may also point you to the correct funeral home.

Obituary Records Near Lake Havasu City

Lake Havasu City is somewhat isolated in western Arizona. The nearest large cities are in other counties. If you are researching someone who may have lived in multiple Arizona locations, check these nearby cities with obituary resources.

Yuma is south along the Colorado River. Flagstaff is east, up in the mountains. Phoenix is about 200 miles southeast. People who lived in Lake Havasu City sometimes had connections to these other cities. Family members may have published obituaries in papers from wherever the person originally came from. Cast a wide net when searching for older deaths.

Mohave County is the fourth largest county in the state by area. Kingman is the county seat. Bullhead City is another population center in the county. Death notices from any Mohave County location may appear in the Kingman Daily Miner. The county recorder in Kingman also holds various records that could help identify when someone died or where they are buried.

Tips for Lake Havasu City Obituary Searches

Finding Lake Havasu City obituaries works best when you have basic info. Start with the full name, including middle name if you know it. An approximate death date helps narrow searches. If you only know the year, search newspaper archives month by month. It takes time but often works.

Try different spellings. Names get misspelled in newspapers and records. Search for common variations. If you are looking for "Smith," also try "Smyth." If the first name is "Catherine," search "Katherine" and "Kathryn" too. Database search tools often miss close matches.

Check multiple sources. An obituary might appear in one paper but not another. The family may have published a full obituary in Today's News-Herald but only a short death notice in the Kingman Daily Miner. Look in both places to get the most complete picture.

Lake Havasu City has many winter residents. Snowbirds from colder states spend part of each year here. If someone died while visiting, their main obituary may have run in their home state paper, not in Arizona. Search papers from where the person lived most of their life if local sources come up empty.

Note: Cemetery records can confirm death dates when you cannot find an obituary.