High Point Death Records and Obituary Index
High Point obituary and death records are held across several repositories in Guilford County, North Carolina. High Point is the furniture capital of the world and one of Guilford County's largest cities. The Guilford County Register of Deeds maintains official death certificates from 1913 onward. The High Point Public Library Heritage Research Center stands out for its specialized obituary index to the High Point Enterprise newspaper, covering the periods 1886 through 1924 and 1962 to the present. This index makes High Point one of the best-documented cities in North Carolina for obituary research over a period spanning more than a century.
High Point Quick Facts
High Point Obituary Records at the Guilford County Register of Deeds
The Guilford County Register of Deeds holds all official death certificates for High Point from 1913 onward. The office is reachable at 336-641-7556. Death certificates list the decedent's full name, date and place of death, cause of death, burial location, and the informant's name. Certified copies cost $10 each. The Register of Deeds serves all of Guilford County, including both High Point and Greensboro, from a single office.
An online index is available through the Guilford County Register of Deeds website. Searching by name and year range can confirm whether a High Point death record exists before visiting in person. The online tool is useful for confirming dates and beginning the research process.
| Office | Guilford County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Phone | 336-641-7556 |
| Website | guilfordcountync.gov/government/register-deeds |
High Point Public Library Heritage Research Center Obituary Index
The High Point Public Library Heritage Research Center is one of the most valuable resources for obituary research in North Carolina. The Center maintains a specialized obituary index to the High Point Enterprise newspaper covering two distinct periods: 1886 through 1924, and 1962 to the present. This index allows researchers to locate obituary notices by name without reading through individual newspaper issues.
The 1886 to 1924 period is especially significant. It covers the years before state death registration began in 1913, as well as the early registration period, providing a bridge between the pre-registration era and the modern certificate system. High Point residents who died during the late 19th and early 20th centuries are often documented only in this newspaper index.
The Heritage Research Center holds additional collections relevant to High Point obituary research, including local history volumes, family files, cemetery records, and microfilmed newspaper runs. Staff at the Center can assist researchers in navigating the index and accessing related materials.
High Point Public Library Heritage Research Center obituary resources include:
- High Point Enterprise obituary index, 1886-1924
- High Point Enterprise obituary index, 1962-present
- Microfilmed High Point Enterprise newspaper runs
- Local cemetery and burial records for Guilford County
- Family history files compiled by local researchers
- Ancestry Library Edition access for cardholders
Guilford County Register of Deeds for High Point Obituary Research
The Guilford County Register of Deeds shown below maintains official death certificates for High Point residents. Researchers can obtain certified copies and search the death record index through the county office.
Image source: Guilford County Register of Deeds. The office maintains High Point death certificates from 1913 and provides certified copies for genealogical and legal research. Contact the office at 336-641-7556 for assistance.
High Point Enterprise Obituary Archives
The High Point Enterprise has served the city since the late 19th century. It remains the primary newspaper source for High Point obituary notices. The Heritage Research Center's index covers the first several decades of publication (1886-1924), and the gap from 1925 through 1961 can be searched through microfilm at the library. The 1962-to-present period is covered by the current index.
DigitalNC at digitalnc.org may include some High Point Enterprise digitized issues. GenealogyBank at genealogybank.com is a useful source for more recent High Point obituary notices that can be searched online by name. These digital resources complement the library index rather than replacing it, particularly for the pre-1913 period where the Enterprise is the primary surviving source.
Newspaper obituaries in the High Point Enterprise routinely list the funeral home, church, surviving family members, and interment location. These details make the newspaper record a richer source than the death certificate for genealogical purposes, and the Heritage Research Center index makes accessing them practical without page-by-page microfilm searching.
Note: The gap in the Heritage Research Center index between 1925 and 1961 means researchers working in that period need to search the Enterprise microfilm directly. Library staff at the High Point Public Library can assist with microfilm reader access and search strategies for High Point obituaries from those decades.
Additional Genealogy Resources for High Point Obituary Searches
High Point researchers have access to the same Greensboro Public Library genealogy collection that holds the 35,000-entry Guilford County burial index. Because High Point and Greensboro share a county, the Greensboro Public Library's Guilford core collection covers High Point cemeteries and death records alongside Greensboro-area materials. The library's genealogy page at library.greensboro-nc.gov/research/genealogy describes available resources.
FamilySearch at familysearch.org provides free access to North Carolina death indexes including Guilford County collections. The NC State Archives at archives.ncdcr.gov holds older Guilford County church records, cemetery transcriptions, and microfilmed newspapers that extend High Point obituary research before the Enterprise index period and before 1913.
Find A Grave at findagrave.com holds burial records for High Point area cemeteries. Volunteer-contributed memorial pages often include obituary text and family connections that supplement official death certificates. Cross-referencing Find A Grave entries with the Heritage Research Center index and the Register of Deeds often yields the most complete picture of a High Point decedent.
Guilford County Obituary Records
High Point is located in Guilford County alongside Greensboro. All death certificates for High Point residents are filed through the Guilford County Register of Deeds. For a complete overview of county-level obituary records, the burial index, and all available genealogy resources across Guilford County, visit the Guilford County obituary records page.