Wasco County Obituary Records

Wasco County obituary records trace lives shaped by the Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon Trail. The county seat is The Dalles. Wasco County was one of the first counties in Oregon, formed in 1854. Death records and obituary notices are held by the county clerk and the North Central Public Health District. The Dalles served as a key stop on the Barlow Road. Settlers passed through here on their way west. Finding obituary records in Wasco County starts with the local offices and state archives, which hold records going back to the mid-1800s.

Wasco County Death Certificates

The North Central Public Health District handles vital records for Wasco County. This is a two-county district that serves both Wasco and Sherman counties. The office can help with death certificates for events that took place less than six months ago. Each copy costs $25. After six months, records move to the state level.

You can reach the health district by phone at 541-506-2600. Staff can walk you through the steps. In-person visits are welcome. Bring valid ID and know the full name of the person on the record. You will also need the date of death or a close guess.

The Wasco County Clerk office at 511 Washington St, Suite 201, The Dalles, OR 97058 also holds death certificates and other vital records. The clerk charges $20 for the first copy and $15 for each one after that. This is a good option if you need records tied to Wasco County court filings or estate matters.

This page on the Wasco County website explains how to request death certificates from the county clerk in The Dalles.

Note: The health district only handles recent events. For older Wasco County death records, contact the Oregon Health Authority or use the state's online ordering system.

How to Find Wasco County Obituary Notices

Start with The Dalles Chronicle. This local paper has run obituary notices for Wasco County for many years. It covers The Dalles and the towns along the gorge. Past issues are a rich source for family research.

The Historic Oregon Newspapers site hosts scanned papers from across the state. Search by name to find old obituary text from Wasco County. This tool is free. It is run by the University of Oregon. Coverage goes back to the 1800s for some Wasco County papers.

Cemetery records add more detail. Wasco County has over 15 cemeteries. Some of the most well known are the IOOF Cemetery, Pioneer Cemetery, and St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery. Headstone data from these sites often shows up on Find a Grave. These records can confirm dates when a formal obituary is hard to find.

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon in Portland holds obituary clipping files and death indexes. Their library is open to visitors. They also have online resources for Wasco County research. City directories from The Dalles dating from 1948 to 1960 are in their collection. These can help place a person in time and confirm that they lived in Wasco County.

Wasco County Historical and Archival Records

The Oregon State Archives holds a large set of records from Wasco County. The collection spans 1854 to 1960. It includes land records, marriage records from 1856 to 1920, and court documents. These files can fill gaps when obituary records alone are not enough.

The State Archives page details what types of Wasco County records are held by the state, including vital records indexes and court files.

Wasco County was huge at first. It once stretched from the Cascades to the Rocky Mountains. Over the years, many other counties were carved from it. If your ancestor lived in this region before 1860, check Wasco County records first. They may hold the only copy of the record you need.

Sanborn fire maps for The Dalles from 1884 to 1909 are also at the archives. These maps show the layout of the town. They can help you place where a person lived or where a funeral home stood. Gateway Presbyterian Church records from 1924 to 1970 are part of the Wasco County collection as well. Church records often note deaths and burials that did not make it into the newspaper.

Note: Some early Wasco County records are fragile. The archives may need time to pull files. Plan ahead if you need to view them in person at the Salem location.

Wasco County Genealogy and Obituary Resources

Several online tools make Wasco County obituary research easier. The LDS Genealogy site has a page for The Dalles that lists vital records sources and links to local history collections.

This page gathers links to Wasco County vital records, cemetery records, and other genealogy resources for The Dalles.

The Ancestor Hunt lists free death record indexes for Oregon. Some of these cover Wasco County. You can also try VitalChek to order a death certificate online. VitalChek charges an extra service fee on top of the state rate.

Wasco County sits at the end of the Oregon Trail. Many families passed through The Dalles. Some stayed. Some died along the way. The Barlow Road was a key route south from The Dalles. If your ancestor was a pioneer, Wasco County records may hold clues that no other county can match. Use obituary searches, death records, and land files together to build a full picture.

Ordering Wasco County Death Records

You have a few paths to get a Wasco County death certificate. For events less than six months old, go to the North Central Public Health District in The Dalles. For older records, contact the state.

To order from the state, you can:

• Order online through VitalChek
• Mail a request to PO Box 14050, Portland, OR 97293
• Visit the state office at 800 NE Oregon Street in Portland

The fee is $25 per copy at the state level. At the Wasco County Clerk office, the first copy is $20 and each extra copy is $15. You will need the full name, date of death, and your relationship to the person. Oregon law under ORS 432 governs who can get a certified death record. Informational copies are open to anyone for genealogy and research work.

Nearby Counties

Wasco County borders Sherman County, Jefferson County, Clackamas County, Hood River County, and Wheeler County. If the person you are looking for lived near a county line, check records in the adjacent county. Deaths were sometimes filed where the person died, not where they lived. Sherman County shares a health district with Wasco County, so records for both may be at the same office in The Dalles.