Forsyth County Obituary Records in Winston-Salem

Forsyth County, North Carolina is home to one of the state's largest urban centers, Winston-Salem, and holds a rich collection of obituary and death records. The Forsyth County Register of Deeds at 201 North Chestnut Street maintains death records from 1913, marriage records from 1849, and land records from 1849. For historical newspaper obituaries, the Winston-Salem Journal archives on GenealogyBank cover 1997 to the present, and older newspapers are accessible through library and state digital archive resources.

Forsyth County Register of Deeds - Obituary and Death Records

The Forsyth County Register of Deeds in Winston-Salem is the primary custodian of official death records for the county. Register Lynne Johnson oversees the office's operations. Under North Carolina General Statute 130A-93, death certificates are filed with the local registrar and become part of the permanent county record. Death records are available from 1913, marriage records from 1849, and land records from 1849, the same year Forsyth County was formed.

Certified copies of death certificates cost $10 each. Uncertified copies are available for $0.50 per page. Payment must be made by money order or cashier's check only. The Forsyth County Register of Deeds does not accept credit cards or fax requests. This payment policy is important to know before submitting a mail request for Forsyth County death records. In-person payments follow the same requirements.

The Register of Deeds office is located at 201 North Chestnut Street in Winston-Salem. Phone inquiries can be directed to 336-703-2700. Full information about services, hours, and requirements is available at forsyth.cc/RegisterOfDeeds/. Requests must be accompanied by the appropriate money order or cashier's check made payable to the Register of Deeds.

About Forsyth County, North Carolina

Forsyth County was formed in 1849 from Stokes County. The county is named for Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, an American military officer who died in combat during the War of 1812. The county seat is Winston-Salem, which was created by merging the cities of Winston and Salem in 1913. Salem was originally a Moravian settlement founded in 1766, which gives the area an unusually detailed historical record going back to the colonial period.

The Moravian congregation kept meticulous records of births, marriages, and deaths from the settlement's earliest days. These Moravian congregation records are among the most detailed pre-vital records era documents available for any North Carolina community. Researchers with Forsyth County ancestors who were connected to the Moravian church have access to death records stretching back to the 1700s through the Moravian Archives in Winston-Salem.

Because Forsyth County was formed from Stokes County in 1849, records predating that year for the Forsyth County territory are in Stokes County's archives. However, the Moravian congregation's independent records provide supplemental coverage for the Salem community that is not found in any government archive.

Note: Researchers with Forsyth County ancestors connected to the Moravian community should contact the Moravian Archives Southern Province in Winston-Salem at moravianarchives.org, which holds exceptionally detailed death and burial records from the colonial era through the twentieth century.

Forsyth County Obituary Archives - Winston-Salem Journal

The Winston-Salem Journal is the primary daily newspaper for Forsyth County and has published obituaries for the county's residents for well over a century. For researchers seeking recent Forsyth County obituaries, GenealogyBank maintains a searchable digital archive of the Winston-Salem Journal covering 1997 to the present day. GenealogyBank at genealogybank.com provides access to the newspaper archive through a subscription service.

The GenealogyBank archive allows researchers to search for specific names, dates, and locations within the Winston-Salem Journal's obituary pages. This digital search capability makes it much faster to locate a Forsyth County obituary than manually searching through print archives or microfilm. For deaths in Forsyth County from 1997 onward, GenealogyBank is often the most efficient starting point for newspaper obituary research.

For Winston-Salem Journal obituaries predating 1997, researchers should turn to microfilm collections at the Forsyth County Public Library or through interlibrary loan. The library holds extensive local newspaper archives that extend the obituary record back through much of the twentieth century. Staff at the library's North Carolina Collection can assist with microfilm searches and explain what years are available for specific publications.

Note: GenealogyBank requires a subscription to access full obituary text from the Winston-Salem Journal archive. Some library systems provide access to GenealogyBank for free through library cards, so checking with the Forsyth County Public Library before subscribing is worthwhile.

How to Search Forsyth County Obituary Records

Forsyth County obituary research benefits from a layered approach. Official death certificates from the Register of Deeds cover deaths from 1913 onward. The Winston-Salem Journal archives on GenealogyBank extend newspaper obituary coverage from 1997 to the present. Library microfilm and digitized newspaper collections fill the gap between 1913 and 1997. Moravian Archives and the NC State Archives provide materials predating the county's 1849 formation.

When requesting a death certificate from the Forsyth County Register of Deeds, prepare a money order or cashier's check for $10 per certified copy. No credit cards or fax submissions are accepted. You will need the full name of the deceased, the approximate date of death, and documentation of your legal right to obtain the record. Under NCGS 130A-93.1, certain death record details are restricted for a period following the death. Office staff at 336-703-2700 can explain what is available.

Primary resources for Forsyth County obituary research include:

• Forsyth County Register of Deeds for certified death certificates from 1913 onward
• GenealogyBank for Winston-Salem Journal obituaries from 1997 to present
• Forsyth County Public Library North Carolina Collection for older newspaper microfilm
• Moravian Archives Southern Province for colonial-era and congregation death records
• DigitalNC for free searchable access to older digitized Forsyth County newspapers
• NC State Archives for pre-1849 Stokes County records and historical genealogy materials
• NC Vital Records in Raleigh as an alternate source for certified death certificates

Combining official death certificates with newspaper obituaries and, where applicable, Moravian congregation records gives the most complete picture of a Forsyth County death. Each source type provides information not found in the others.

Forsyth County Public Library - Obituary and Historical Death Records

The Forsyth County Public Library system holds one of the strongest genealogy and local history collections in the Piedmont Triad region. The library's North Carolina Collection includes Winston-Salem Journal microfilm archives, historical county histories, cemetery survey reports, and family genealogy files compiled over many decades. These resources support detailed Forsyth County obituary research going back well before the 1913 vital records era.

The Forsyth County Public Library at forsyth.cc/Library/ provides access to online genealogy databases that include newspaper obituary archives. Library cardholders can often access some of these databases remotely without visiting the library. In-person visits to the main branch in Winston-Salem give researchers access to microfilm readers and knowledgeable reference staff who specialize in local history and genealogy.

Cemetery surveys and burial records compiled by the library and local genealogy volunteers document thousands of Forsyth County burials. These surveys often include headstone transcriptions with birth and death dates that can help researchers confirm details before obtaining official death certificates. They are especially useful for deaths occurring before 1913 in Forsyth County.

North Carolina Vital Records - Forsyth County Death Certificates

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services maintains statewide vital records through the NC Vital Records office in Raleigh. Forsyth County death records from 1913 onward are part of this statewide system. The state holds independent copies of all county death certificates, and certified copies can be requested from either the Forsyth County Register of Deeds or the state office. Researchers who prefer not to navigate Forsyth County's money order payment requirement may find the state office more convenient.

The NC Vital Records office at vitalrecords.nc.gov accepts requests by mail, in person, and through authorized online vendors. Processing times at the state office may differ from those at the Forsyth County Register of Deeds. NCGS 130A-93 establishes the legal framework for all statewide death records, including those originating in Forsyth County.

NC Vital Records provides statewide death certificate access covering all Forsyth County deaths from 1913 forward.

The NC Vital Records portal provides an alternative path for obtaining certified Forsyth County death certificates without the money order payment requirement used at the local Register of Deeds office.

DigitalNC - Forsyth County Obituary Newspaper Archives Online

DigitalNC at digitalnc.org provides free online access to digitized North Carolina newspapers, including publications from the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County area. Older issues of the Winston-Salem Journal and other local papers in the DigitalNC collection contain death notices and obituaries that predate both the GenealogyBank archive and the 1913 vital records era. Researchers can search the collection by name and keyword without a subscription.

Historical Forsyth County obituaries in the DigitalNC collection include notices from publications that carried local death announcements across many decades of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For researchers working on Forsyth County genealogy before 1913, these digitized newspapers are often the most accessible source of obituary information outside of the Moravian Archives.

The NC Digital Collections and DigitalNC Heritage Center provide additional resources for Forsyth County historical research.

NC Digital Collections gives researchers free searchable access to historical Forsyth County newspapers, including obituary coverage from the Winston-Salem area going back many decades before modern vital records were established.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Forsyth County. Forsyth County was formed from Stokes County in 1849, so records predating that year for the Forsyth County territory may be found in Stokes County's archives.