Wilbarger County Obituary Records
Wilbarger County death records and obituaries are maintained by the County Clerk in Vernon, Texas. Located in North Texas on the Red River, Wilbarger County has vital records dating from 1903.
Wilbarger County Overview
Wilbarger County Clerk Death Records
The Wilbarger County Clerk's office in Vernon is the local registrar for vital records. Death certificates for events occurring in Wilbarger 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.
Wilbarger County lies in North Texas along the Red River, on the border with Oklahoma. Vernon is the county seat and the main commercial center for the area. The county has a significant oil and natural gas industry and relies also on cattle ranching and wheat and cotton farming. Vernon is known locally as the "Gateway to the Pease River Valley." The DSHS online system is available for certified death certificate requests from Wilbarger County.
| Office | Wilbarger County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 71, Vernon, TX 76384 |
| Phone | (940) 552-5541 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | co.wilbarger.tx.us |
Searching Wilbarger County Obituaries
Order Wilbarger County death certificates online at ovra.txapps.texas.gov. The DSHS statewide index covers Wilbarger 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 carries obituary notices from the Vernon Daily Record and area papers.
Note: The DSHS statewide index covers Wilbarger County death records from 1903. Online ordering avoids a trip to the Vernon courthouse.
Requesting Wilbarger County Death Certificates
Mail a completed application, notarized signature, copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $21 to: Wilbarger County Clerk, P.O. Box 71, Vernon, TX 76384. Additional copies are $4 each. State requests go through dshs.texas.gov/vs. Requirements are at dshs.texas.gov/vs/requirements.aspx.
Historical Wilbarger County Obituary Records
Wilbarger County death records from the early 1900s reflect the ranching and farming families who settled the Red River country of North Texas. The county was organized in 1881 and named for Josiah Wilbarger, an early Texas settler famous for surviving a Comanche attack. Cattle ranching dominated the open range in the 1870s and 1880s, followed by homesteaders who plowed cotton and wheat. The area was near the edge of Comanche territory until the mid-1870s, so early settlers faced significant frontier conditions. The Texas State Library holds microfilm of early county vital records. FamilySearch has indexed Texas death collections with Wilbarger County entries.
The Wilbarger County Clerk's website provides information on vital records requests and county services in Vernon.
The Wilbarger County Clerk in Vernon maintains death certificates and vital records for this North Texas county from 1903 forward.
Texas Law and Wilbarger 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 Wilbarger County.
Wilbarger County Obituary Resources
Contact the clerk at (940) 552-5541, 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
Wilbarger County is located in North Texas along the Red River near the Oklahoma border.