Genealogy Information

Family Care Services is pleased to make genealogy information available to those who request this information. Information released is limited to "public record" information that is used to file a death certificate in the State of Ohio. Records for the Van Dyke-Swaney-Rettig Funeral Home date to 1919. Records for the Warrick-Kummer-Rettig Funeral Home date to 1840, although the information of genealogic value starts in 1925, and records for the Woods-Rettig Funeral Home date to 1890. Please keep in mind that in the early years, information that was kept on file was very limited. To obtain information that we may have on file, please include any of the following information that you have to help us locate these records. 

1. Name of Deceased
2. Date of Death
3. The funeral home that handled the arrangements.

We will research this information for you and respond via email as time permits. 

We do not keep copies of death certificates in our records. These may be obtained through the various board of health offices. In Ohio, death certificates are filed at the health department in the jurisdiction where the death occurred. For example, if a death occurred within the city limits of Salem, Ohio, the death certificate would be filed at the Columbiana County Heath District, Salem Office. If the death occurred outside of a city limits in Columbiana County, it would be filed at the Columbiana County Health Department, Lisbon Office. 

PLEASE NOTE: The City of Columbiana contracts with the Columbiana County Health Department for heath department and vital statistic services. Death certificate records for Columbiana are on file at the Lisbon office of the Columbiana County Health District. The following are a list of addresses to contact if you wish to obtain a copy of the death certificate. 

Columbiana County Health District
P. O. Box 309
Lisbon, Ohio 44432 
330-424-0272

Youngstown City Health District
345 Oak Hill Ave, Youngstown, OH 44502
330-743-333

Salem City Health Department
230 North Lincoln Avenue - Suite 104
Salem, OH 44460
330-332-8309

Pursuant to Ohio Administrative Code, death records older than 50 years may be removed from the Ohio Dept. of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and sent to the Ohio Historical Society for archival. For more information about archived records, including how to request a copy, please contact:

The Ohio Historical Society
1982 Velma Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211
PH: 1-800-686-6124
www.ohiohistory.org

The Ohio Historical Society houses Ohio death records from Dec. 20, 1908 through Dec. 31, 1953. A limited internet index of death certificates is available at:

www.ohiohistory.org/dindex/

Birth and Death records from 1867 through Dec. 19, 1908, were filed through the county probate courts. There is no statewide index to birth and death records from 1867 through Dec. 19, 1908. The Ohio Historical Society maintains a list of county probate court vital records held in their archives; if the Ohio Historical Society does not hold a county's vital records, please contact the county's probate court directly.