State of Ohio Office of Vital Statistics

Birth & Death Records

The Office of Vital Statistics provides birth, death and paternity affidavit orders online. Please allow processing time up to three (3) weeks. For faster service, contact an Ohio city or county health department. Please note rush orders are not available through this service, and orders cannot be cancelled once they are submitted.

Marriage & Divorce Information

The Office of Vital Statistics maintains the index of marriages that occurred in Ohio from January 1, 1950 to present and divorces that occurred in Ohio from January 1, 1954 to present. The service provided by this office is to search for limited information from marriage and divorce abstracts that may be used to identify the county where actual licenses or decrees are located.

Williams County Health District

The Williams County Health District maintains birth and death records occurring in Williams County beginning in 1909 to present. If the death occurred outside of Williams County, the record may be obtained from the Ohio Department of Health Vital Statistics Office for deaths occurring from 1964 to present or the Ohio Historical Connections for deaths occurring from 1908 to 1963. You may also obtain death records from the county in which the event occurred. We are able to issue certified birth certificates for anyone born in the state of Ohio.

Williams County Genealogical Society (WCGS)

Williams County Genealogical Society was formed in 1981, to encourage the search for family history as well as to collect, preserve and disseminate genealogical information and records. 

Membership

Become a member, meetings are held at 6:30 p.m., the second Monday of the month (no summer July or August meetings), at:
Williams County Public Library Annex
Bryan Branch,
107 East High Street
Bryan, Ohio 

Newsletter

Members receive the “Ohio’s Last Frontier” newsletter, published quarterly, which includes a year-end surname/title index. The newsletter features articles on general and specialized topics as well as newspaper and original source transcriptions. It also features ancestor charts from WCGS members which are published in the winter issue, as well as in the summer issue. 

First Families of Wms. Co.

The society has set up First Families of Wms. Co., open to WCGS members who can provide documentation proving a direct-line ancestor resided in what was known as Williams County prior to or as of 1860. Each fall the WCGS recognizes outstanding Williams County 4-H youth genealogy projects through the Jennifer Lash Memorial Fund.

Williams County Historical Society 

The Williams County Historical Society was founded in 1956 by a group of citizens interested in identifying various sites of historical interest in the county. There is also a museum in which to preserve artifacts. WCHS supports current and ongoing programs including presentations associated with special exhibits, school history tours, and lectures. 

Williams County Library - Local History & Genealogy

The Local History and Genealogy Center at the West Annex in Bryan offers researchers a wide range of resources including online databases, books, special collections, and microfilm. 

State of Ohio - Townships, Counties, Villages

Utilize the State of Ohio local government search to find other county, township, or village websites that might assist in your genealogical research. 

U.S Railroad Retirement Board

The U.S Railroad Retirement Board administers a Federal retirement benefit program covering the nation’s railroad workers. The records we maintain deal primarily with the administration and payment of these benefits. We will provide information on deceased persons for the purpose of genealogical research. However, we will not release information on a person who is still living without the written consent of that person. 

Our records are limited to individuals who worked in the rail industry after 1936. Please do not contact us with requests for records before that date.