Find Yancey County Obituary Records

Yancey County obituary and death records are maintained by the Register of Deeds office in Burnsville. This mountain county in western North Carolina holds death certificates dating back to 1913. Researchers can search for Yancey County obituary records at the county office, through the NCGenWeb project, and in the North Carolina Digital Collections. Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, stands within the county borders. Local newspaper archives, cemetery surveys, and church records provide additional sources for finding obituary information about Yancey County residents past and present.

Yancey County Death Certificates and Obituary Access

The Yancey County Register of Deeds keeps official death certificates for all deaths that occurred in the county since 1913. You can request certified copies in person or by mail. The fee is $10 per certified copy. You need a valid photo ID to get a certified copy. Under N.C.G.S. 130A-93, certified copies go only to the spouse, siblings, direct ancestors or descendants, and legal representatives.

Uncertified copies are available to anyone for genealogy and research use. These cost less than certified copies. The office staff can help you search for records during business hours. Call ahead to confirm what you need to bring for your Yancey County obituary research.

Yancey County Obituary Records and Local History

Yancey County was formed in 1833 from Buncombe and Burke counties. It was named for Bartlett Yancey, a congressman and political leader. The county seat is Burnsville, named for Captain Otway Burns, a War of 1812 privateer. The county covers rugged mountain terrain in the Blue Ridge and Black Mountains.

Mount Mitchell rises to 6,684 feet within the county. The mountain was named for Elisha Mitchell, a University of North Carolina professor who died while measuring its height in 1857. His death and burial on the summit became one of the most well-known stories in western North Carolina history. Records of his death and burial are preserved in the State Archives.

Before 1833, records for the Yancey County area were kept by Buncombe and Burke counties. The North Carolina State Archives holds early records for all three counties. The Western Regional Archives in Asheville at (828) 250-3120 also maintains collections for western North Carolina that may include Yancey County obituary materials.

Online Yancey County Obituary Research

The NCGenWeb Yancey County project is a valuable free resource. Volunteers have compiled cemetery transcriptions, vital records, census indexes, and historical information for Yancey County genealogical research.

The NCGenWeb site connects researchers with transcribed records and guides specific to Yancey County. It is a good place to start before visiting the county office in person.

The North Carolina Digital Collections has digitized death certificates from 1909 to 1976. These are searchable by name, date, and county. The collection also includes marriage and death notices from early newspapers covering 1799 to 1893. DigitalNC provides full-text searchable newspaper pages from all 100 North Carolina counties.

Note: The NC Digital Collections and DigitalNC are free and require no account to search Yancey County obituary records.

How to Get Yancey County Death Records

There are several ways to get death records in Yancey County. The county Register of Deeds is the fastest for local deaths. You can also request records from the state.

The North Carolina Division of Public Health in Raleigh keeps death records from 1930 to the present. The state charges $24 per name search under N.C.G.S. 130A-93.1. Processing at the state level takes much longer than at the county office. For Yancey County deaths, the local Register of Deeds is the better choice when possible.

To request a death certificate by mail from Yancey County, include:

• Full name of the deceased
• Date of death or approximate year
• Place of death in Yancey County
• Your relationship to the deceased
• Copy of your photo ID
• $10 fee by money order or certified check
• Self-addressed stamped envelope

Under N.C.G.S. 130A-115, funeral directors file death certificates with the county where death occurred. The certificate includes personal data from the next of kin and medical data from the physician or medical examiner. The NC Register of Deeds Association directory lists contact information for all 100 county offices.

Cemetery Records in Yancey County

Yancey County has many cemeteries spread across its mountain terrain. Small family plots sit on hillsides and in hollows throughout the county. Larger church cemeteries serve communities in Burnsville and surrounding areas. Headstone inscriptions often give birth and death dates that are not found in any other record.

For deaths before 1913, cemetery records may be the only source of a death date. FamilySearch offers free access to North Carolina Deaths and Burials 1898 to 1994. The NCGenWeb Yancey County project also includes cemetery transcriptions. The county library may hold additional surveys compiled by local historians and genealogists.

Note: Many mountain cemeteries in Yancey County are on private land, so contact landowners before visiting remote burial sites.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Yancey County. Deaths near the county line may have been filed in a neighboring county.