Find Wasilla Obituaries and Death Records

Wasilla obituary records are found through a mix of local newspaper archives, state vital records, and genealogy databases covering the Mat-Su Valley. The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, based in Wasilla, has long been the primary source for published death notices in this part of Alaska. For older records going back to the 1920s and earlier, FamilySearch holds digitized collections from the Wasilla and Matanuska-Susitna area. The Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics issues certified death certificates for more recent deaths. Whether you need a current obituary or a historical death record, this page points you to the right source and explains what each one contains.

Wasilla Obituaries in Local Newspapers

The Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman is the most direct source for Wasilla obituaries. It covers Wasilla, Palmer, Houston, Big Lake, and surrounding Mat-Su communities. Most families in the area publish death notices here. Funeral homes in the valley typically submit obituary text to the paper directly, so it is often the first place a notice appears after a death.

For online searching, ObitsArchive maintains a searchable index of Wasilla obituaries. Recent entries there include Ronald David Henderson (July 22, 2024), Clifton C. Yocom (June 20, 2024), Richard Nelson Beattie (January 17, 2024), and Donna Lou (Roness) Gochanour. The site pulls from funeral home and newspaper postings and covers roughly the past decade. It is free to search.

Older print obituaries are harder to find online. The Alaska State Library holds newspaper microfilm and maintains an index of Alaska newspaper obituaries through its newspaper index project. If you need a Wasilla or Mat-Su Valley obituary from before the internet era, that index is a useful starting point. Requests can be made by contacting the library directly.

The Wasilla Public Library at 745 East Parks Highway also has local newspaper archives. Staff there can help you locate older death notices that have not been digitized.

ObitsArchive lists Wasilla death notices going back several years, including recent entries for Mat-Su Valley residents. Use the site to search by name and get links to full obituary text.

Death Certificates Through the State

Certified death certificates for Wasilla residents are issued by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics, which operates under the Alaska Department of Health. The main walk-in office is at 825 L Street in Anchorage. There is also a state office in Juneau. You can request records by mail or in person at either location.

The cost is $30 for the first certified copy and $25 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Requests must include the full name of the deceased, the date of death, and proof of your relationship or legal interest in the record. Under Alaska Statute 18.50, death records are restricted for 50 years after the date of death. Records older than 50 years are considered public and can be requested by anyone. For deaths that occurred before 1975, you can generally get a copy without documenting your relationship to the deceased.

The Alaska Department of Health website explains the full request process. Visit health.alaska.gov to download the request form and review ID requirements before submitting.

The Alaska Department of Health issues certified death certificates for Wasilla and all other communities statewide. The bureau's website has ordering instructions, fee schedules, and the required request form.

Historical Wasilla Death Records

FamilySearch holds several digitized collections covering the Wasilla area. The collection "Alaska, Ketchikan, Wasilla, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1923-1950" includes early death records from the Mat-Su region. A separate collection covers Wasilla Marriage Records from 1924 to 1959. These collections are free to search at FamilySearch.org and can be useful for tracing family history or confirming early 20th-century deaths in the area.

The Wasilla Museum and Historical Society also maintains historical records and photographs related to early Mat-Su residents. Their holdings include materials that do not appear in online databases, particularly for deaths before the state began centralized vital records tracking. Contact the museum directly if you need records from the territorial period or earlier.

The Alaska State Archives in Juneau holds additional probate and vital records from the territorial era. Their collection guides are at archives.alaska.gov. Staff can assist with remote research requests.

The Alaska State Archives holds territorial-era vital records and probate materials that cover early Wasilla and Mat-Su communities. Their online collection guides outline what is available and how to request copies.

Note: FamilySearch records for the Wasilla area cover the period 1923 to around 1959. Deaths after 1959 are generally held by the state vital records bureau.

What Wasilla Obituaries Typically Include

Published obituaries from the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman and other local sources tend to follow a common format. They name the deceased, give the date and place of death, list the names of surviving family members, and mention any service or memorial arrangements. Some are short notices of a few lines. Others are longer tributes written by the family.

To give a sense of what you might find: Theresa C. Watson, a Wasilla resident who died on October 31 at Alaska Native Medical Center, was born on May 13, 1944 in Nightmute. She was survived by her husband Francis Barry of Wasilla, daughters Gail Watson-Joe, Daisy Hansen, and Teresa Watson, and sons David, Archie, and Charles. Another example is Robert Louis Alvord, who died October 29, 2006 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer. He was born August 8, 1922 in Kankakee, Illinois, served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945 in the Philippines, moved to Alaska in 1956, and retired from ITT in 1979. He was a Mason and member of the Alaska Shrine and Amaranth. These entries show the level of detail that is typically available in published records.

Not every death generates a published obituary. When a family does not submit a notice, your only option may be the official death certificate from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or court-related records such as probate filings.

Mat-Su Borough Clerk records at Wasilla City Hall, 290 E Herning Avenue, may also hold information relevant to deaths involving property or estate matters. The Wasilla City Council meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6 PM at that address if you need to contact local officials in person.

Genealogy and Wasilla Death Records

If you are doing family history research with Wasilla connections, several tools work together well. Start with FamilySearch for any pre-1960 deaths, then check the state vital records bureau for more recent ones. The ObitsArchive site fills in the gap for the past decade or so of published notices.

The Alaska State Library newspaper index at lam.alaska.gov is especially useful for deaths that happened in the 1960s through 1990s. That era predates most online obituary databases but postdates the FamilySearch collections. The library index points you to specific newspaper issues and dates where obituary text was published, so you can then request the microfilm copy.

For deaths that involved probate in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, court records from the local superior court may also be relevant. Probate filings often reference the date of death, full legal name, and surviving heirs. The Alaska Court System's CourtView portal allows online searching of case records by party name.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Wasilla. Each one draws on the same Mat-Su Valley sources for obituary and death records.