Cherry Hill Township Death Records and Obituary Lookup
Cherry Hill Township is one of the largest communities in Camden County, New Jersey. It was formerly known as Delaware Township until residents voted to change the name in 1961. Today the township is home to roughly 74,000 people. Families looking for Cherry Hill Township obituary records can turn to the Township Clerk, the Cherry Hill Public Library, and the Camden County Surrogate. The Barclay Farmstead, a historical museum and educational center, also holds pieces of local history. This guide covers each source and explains how to search for death records and obituary notices in Cherry Hill Township.
Cherry Hill Township Clerk Death Records
The Cherry Hill Township Clerk is at 820 Mercer Street, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002. The phone number is (856) 488-7864. This office is the local registrar for deaths that occur within Cherry Hill Township. When a resident dies, the death is recorded here first.
You can request a death certificate from the Township Clerk. Bring valid photo ID. You will need the full name of the deceased and the approximate date of death. Staff will search their records and issue a certified copy if a match is found. The fee follows state rules.
The Clerk also keeps birth and marriage records for Cherry Hill Township. These files help confirm family ties. A marriage record may list parents and witnesses. A birth record may name siblings. When you research a Cherry Hill Township obituary, these records can fill in gaps.
The Cherry Hill Township homepage is shown below.
This site lists township departments, contacts, and services for Cherry Hill residents seeking public records.
Note: The Township Clerk's office is open on weekdays. Call (856) 488-7864 before you visit to confirm hours.
Cherry Hill Public Library Obituary Resources
The Cherry Hill Public Library is at 1100 Kings Highway North in Cherry Hill. The phone number is (856) 667-0300. This library is a strong resource for obituary research in the township. It holds local history materials, reference databases, and staff who can guide your search.
Library patrons can use Ancestry Library Edition on site. This tool indexes millions of death records, family trees, and census data. HeritageQuest may be available from home with a valid card. Both databases help find Cherry Hill Township obituary notices and death information from across New Jersey and the nation.
Old local newspapers are a key source. The Courier-Post and other South Jersey papers published obituary notices for Cherry Hill Township residents for decades. These notices list survivors, funeral arrangements, and burial sites. They hold details that official death certificates lack.
The reference desk can help you get started. Tell them the name and approximate date of death. They can point you to the right newspaper years, the right database, or a relevant local history collection.
The Cherry Hill Public Library website is shown here.
This page links to the library catalog, branch hours, and online research tools for Cherry Hill Township.
Camden County Surrogate and Cherry Hill Township Probate
The Camden County Surrogate is at 415 Federal Street, Camden, NJ. The phone number is (856) 225-7282. This office handles probate for all of Camden County, including Cherry Hill Township. Wills, estate inventories, letters testamentary, and guardianship papers are filed here after a death.
Probate files are rich sources for obituary research. A will names the heirs and may describe property, bank accounts, and personal items. An estate inventory puts values on those assets. Letters of administration confirm who managed the estate. These files often record the exact date of death.
Cherry Hill Township is one of the largest towns in Camden County. Many probate files come from this area. You can visit the Surrogate's office in Camden and search by name. Staff can pull files for you. Older probate records may also sit at the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton.
The Camden County Clerk keeps land records and property documents. Estate sales and deed transfers after a death pass through this office. These records add context to obituary research. They show what the deceased owned and who inherited it.
Historical Obituary Records in Cherry Hill Township
Cherry Hill Township was known as Delaware Township until 1961. Records from before that date appear under the old name. Keep this in mind when you search for early Cherry Hill Township obituary records. The area has roots that go back to the 1600s when Quaker settlers arrived.
The Barclay Farmstead is a historical museum and educational center in Cherry Hill. It preserves the history of the area. The farmstead may hold photographs, maps, and documents tied to early families. These materials add context to obituary research.
Cemetery records from Cherry Hill Township are another source. Old burial grounds in the area date back centuries. Headstone inscriptions list names, dates, and family ties. Burial logs kept by cemetery caretakers add further detail. These records may not be online. A visit to the library or a local historical group may be needed.
Church records also help. Many Cherry Hill families belonged to local churches that kept their own death and burial registers. Some of these records have been donated to libraries or historical societies. Ask at the Cherry Hill Public Library about local church records.
State Vital Records for Cherry Hill Township
The New Jersey Office of Vital Statistics holds death records from 1951 to the present. You can order by mail, online, or in person at the Trenton office. A certified copy costs $25. A genealogy copy costs less. The genealogical records page explains the rules for older records.
Deaths more than 40 years ago qualify as genealogical. These copies are printed on plain paper. They do not include the cause of death or Social Security number. They work well for family history research. Records over 100 years old must be accessed at the New Jersey State Archives at 225 West State Street in Trenton.
The State Archives holds microfilm of death records from 1848 through 1963. Cherry Hill Township deaths from that period are in this collection. Remember to search under Delaware Township for records before 1961. The Archives also keeps probate records, marriage records, and birth records from across the state.
The state vital statistics portal is shown here.
This is the main state page for ordering death certificates from any municipality in New Jersey.
Cherry Hill Township Obituary Death Index Search
The New Jersey Death Index is free to search. It holds over 1.2 million records from 2001 through 2017. Scanned images of the older index cover 1901 to 1903, 1920 to 1929, and 1949 to 2000. You can search by name, date, or county. Cherry Hill Township deaths in Camden County are in this index.
Each result shows a reference number. Write it down. You need this number to order the full death certificate from the state. The index is a finding aid. It does not contain the full obituary text. Once you have a match, order the certificate or look for a newspaper obituary from the same period.
Results from different years show different details. Entries from 1949 to 1967 give only the month and year of death. Starting in 1968, the exact date appears. From 1979 on, you get the age at death. After 1985, the county and town are spelled out. More recent records include the full date of birth.
Obituary Search Tips for Cherry Hill Township
Start with the free Death Index. It is fast. If you find a match, note the reference number and order the full certificate.
For newspaper obituaries, try the Cherry Hill Public Library. They can help you find notices in the Courier-Post and other local papers. The Camden County Library system may also hold relevant newspapers on microfilm.
- Search the Death Index by name for a quick check
- Visit the Cherry Hill Public Library for old newspaper obituaries
- Check the Camden County Surrogate for probate and estate files
- Contact the Township Clerk at (856) 488-7864 for death certificates
- Order older records from the State Archives in Trenton
Cherry Hill Township borders several other Camden County towns. A person who lived in Cherry Hill may have died at a hospital in Camden or Haddonfield. The death would be filed in that municipality. Check nearby towns if your first search comes up empty.
Remember the old name. Before 1961, Cherry Hill was Delaware Township. If you search for a death before that year, look under Delaware Township. The state death index and Archives both use the name that was in effect at the time of death.
Note: The Barclay Farmstead in Cherry Hill holds local history materials. It is worth a visit if you are researching early families in the area.
Camden County Resources
Cherry Hill Township sits in Camden County. The county page has more details on countywide obituary and death record resources.