Presidio County Obituary Records

Presidio County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Marfa, Texas. Located in the Big Bend region of Far West Texas along the Rio Grande, Presidio County has vital records dating from 1903.

Presidio County Clerk Death Records

The Presidio County Clerk's office in Marfa is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Presidio County from 1903 to the present are held here. The clerk accepts in-person and mail requests. Under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 193, records less than 25 years old require qualified applicant status. Records 25 years or older are open to the public.

Presidio County covers a vast stretch of Far West Texas along the Rio Grande, bordering Mexico. Marfa is the county seat, a small city that has become internationally known for its contemporary art scene centered on the Chinati Foundation. The town of Presidio, on the Rio Grande border crossing, is the county's largest population center. The county is majority Hispanic, with deep roots on both sides of the border. Ranching and the international port of entry at Presidio are the main economic activities. The DSHS online system is the most practical option for death certificate requests given Marfa's remote location.

Searching Presidio County Obituaries

Order Presidio County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS statewide index covers Presidio County from 1903. For genealogy, FamilySearch at familysearch.org and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov are the main free resources. Legacy.com at legacy.com may carry obituary notices from the Big Bend Sentinel and area papers.

Requesting Presidio County Death Certificates

Mail a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Presidio County Clerk, P.O. Box 271, Marfa, TX 79843. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.

Historical Presidio County Obituary Records

Presidio County death records from the early 1900s reflect communities with roots going back centuries in the borderlands. The area was part of Spanish colonial New Spain and then Mexico before Texas independence. Presidio del Norte, a frontier settlement, was one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Texas. Early records document a mix of Hispanic families with multi-generational ties to the land, Anglo ranchers who arrived in the late 1800s, and workers connected to cross-border trade. Fort Davis, located in nearby Jeff Davis County, provided some military presence. The remote terrain meant many deaths went unrecorded in the earliest years. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch has indexed Texas death collections with Presidio County entries.

The Presidio County Clerk's website provides information on vital records requests and county services in Marfa.

The Presidio County Clerk in Marfa maintains death certificates and vital records for this Far West Texas border county from 1903 forward.

Texas Law and Presidio County Death Records

Under Texas Health and Safety Code Section 193.003, death certificates must be filed within 10 days. Records under 25 years are restricted per Chapter 193. Older records are public. Section 193.007 covers delayed registration. The DSHS at dshs.texas.gov/vs/death maintains the statewide index including Presidio County.

Presidio County Obituary Resources

Contact the clerk at (432) 729-4811, order online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov, search at FamilySearch and the Texas State Library at tsl.texas.gov. Obituaries appear on Legacy.com.

Nearby Counties

Presidio County is located in Far West Texas along the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region.