Monroe County Archives

Contact Us

General Number: 734.240.7790
Lynn Reaume, County Historian: 734.240.7784
Robert Lutey, Registrar: 734.240.7793
Rachel Reaume, Local History Specialist: 734.240.7794

2024 County Archives Hours

Sundays: Closed
Mondays: Closed
Tuesdays: By appointment
Wednesdays: By appointment
Thursdays: By appointment
Fridays: By appointment
Saturdays: By appointment

Responsibilities

Located on the second floor of the museum, the Monroe County Archives is responsible for the access, care, and storage of the museum's documents and objects. The Collections Division also operates the museum's Research Room. The Research Room houses over 1,000 linear feet of over 7,000 archival and manuscript materials including maps, family papers, documents, over 33,900 photographs, and genealogy relating to Monroe County. Individual artifacts number over 29,000 in the Collection. Hundreds of students and researchers visit and use the Archives each year. Genealogists will find vital record transcriptions, obituaries, genealogies, cemetery indexes, and other items on Monroe County's people. Copying, professional research, and other services are available for a fee.

Artifact and Archival Donations

To make an archival or artifact donation to the Monroe County Museum, please contact the Archives at 734.240.7790. Please wait for our contact and instructions before bringing your possible donation to the museum. We'd like to see photographs first by email if possible. Anonymously dropped off items are not accepted.

Obituary Search

This Obituary Search website is maintained by the Monroe County Archives. It is a "work in progress" as old and new obituaries are added on a weekly basis and is an index to the obituary file housed at the Monroe County Museum.

• This file contains obituary notices dating back to the 1830s are gleaned mostly from Monroe County, Michigan newspapers. Sometimes the reference is to a memorial card. Obituaries are not always very informative- some may be just a sentence stating someone has died!
• The Monroe County Museum is not responsible for the accuracy or content of the obituaries nor for human error entering data.
• The spelling of some names has changed over the years or the newspaper may misspell them, therefore it is recommended that various spellings be researched.
• Although a lot of time has gone into this index and information has been checked and rechecked; death dates and dates of newspapers may also be inaccurate.
• Copies of obituaries can be purchased from the Monroe County Museum. Fees are $2 each for the first five obituaries and $1 each for additional obituary.

To obtain information on an obituary please contact the Local History Specialist by phone at 734-240-7794. Paid, mailed obituary orders with accompanying checks on American funds only, made out to the "Monroe County Museum" will be processed first-come, first-served by staff. Payment is prior to research; local visitors can do their own obituary search during open business hours of the Archives.

2023 Collections Division Fee Schedule

• Obituaries: $2 each for first five obituaries; $1 for every additional obituary
• Photocopies: 25 cents per page, black and white; 50 cents per page, color
• Scans:
  • Personal: $15 per image - digital format only
  • Commercial: $50 per image - digital format only
• Research: $15 per hour, plus scans, photocopies, and shipping

Genealogical Society of Monroe County

The GSMC Archives now has limited hours for visitors. For additional assistance with genealogy, we recommend contacting the Genealogical Society of Monroe County. The GSMC archives are on the second floor of the museum and open on Wednesdays from 11 am to about 3 pm. They close from Noon to 1 pm for lunch.

Monroe County Newspapers

Recent community and MCMS initiatives have converted thousands of paper and microfilmed pages of historic newspapers into digital versions available for free online. Follow the links for current offerings.

Central Michigan University

Genealogical Society of Monroe County