Search Obituary, Death and Burial Records by Name
Enter the person’s first name, last name and last known state to prepare an obituary, death, burial, cemetery, memorial and related public-record search.
Find Collins & Stone Obituaries, Service Details and Official Rockford Records
Looking for a Collins & Stone Funeral Home obituary? Use the funeral home’s official obituary page first. Search by name, month or last-name letter, then open the individual memorial to confirm visitation, funeral, cemetery, flowers and other service details.
Quick Answer: Start With the Official Obituary Listing
Recent notice
Open Collins & Stone’s official All Obituaries page and search the person’s name.
Service details
Open the individual obituary and check visitation, funeral, memorial or cemetery details before travelling.
Legal record
If the death occurred in Winnebago County, use the county Vital Records route for a certified death certificate.
Older obituary
Rockford Public Library has local historical newspapers, death references and obituary research resources.
How to Search Collins & Stone Recent Obituaries
The official Collins & Stone obituary page provides several ways to narrow a search. You do not need to scroll through every notice.
Get New Collins & Stone Obituary Alerts by Email
Collins & Stone provides a complimentary mailing list for new obituary and death-notice posts. The funeral home says subscribers receive an email notification within about an hour after a notice is posted on its website.
Where Collins & Stone Says It Serves Families
The funeral home’s official website says its professionals serve families in Rockford and several surrounding communities, including:
Primary funeral-home location.
Remember that Beloit is in Wisconsin, so legal-record offices may differ.
Boone County records may apply when the death occurred there.
Stephenson County records may apply.
Search nearby funeral, newspaper and county sources when needed.
Do not assume Rockford record offices hold every death handled by the funeral home.
Verify the Correct Person Before Sharing the Obituary
| Check | Why it matters | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rockford-area searches can show similar names. | Middle name, nickname or surname does not match. |
| Age / dates | Separates a current obituary from an older person with the same name. | Age or date differs substantially. |
| Relatives | Parents, spouse, children or siblings are strong identity clues. | No familiar family names appear. |
| Location | The person may be associated with Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park or another community. | There is no known local connection. |
| Service details | The venue can confirm that you found the intended notice. | Church, cemetery or funeral location conflicts with what you know. |
What to Check on the Individual Memorial Page
Collins & Stone memorial pages can contain more than obituary text. Depending on the family’s arrangements, a page may include service, visitation, flowers, tribute-wall and cemetery information.
Time
Check visitation and funeral times separately. They may begin hours apart.
Address
The funeral, church, cemetery and repast may be at different locations.
Cemetery
Copy the exact cemetery name when the memorial lists one. Verify it before travelling.
Flowers
Use the flower route connected with the correct memorial only after confirming the person.
Guestbook
Assume public condolences can be seen by others. Do not post private medical, financial or family information.
Changes
When travel is involved or two pages disagree, call Collins & Stone before leaving.
Collins & Stone Funeral Home Contact and Location
Funeral home
Collins & Stone Funeral Home
128 S 5th St
Rockford, IL 61104
Phone: 815-965-1515
The official website states that immediate assistance is available by phone any time of day, any day of the week.
Before visiting
- Confirm the person’s full name.
- Write down the service date and time.
- Confirm whether the event is at the funeral home or another venue.
- Ask about entrance, parking or accessibility if needed.
- Recheck cemetery details separately.
What to Do After Opening the Collins & Stone Website
Need a Certified Death Certificate Instead?
If the death occurred in Winnebago County after 1916, the Winnebago County Health Department maintains the death record. A Collins & Stone obituary is useful for public memorial information, but it is not certified legal proof.
| Winnebago County death record | Current fee | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| First certified copy | $21 | For an eligible requester. |
| Additional same certificate | $9 each | Purchased at the same time. |
| Mail / E-Pay handling | $3 | Added to mail or electronic orders. |
| Genealogy copy over 20 years old | $10 first | $2 each additional; this is a non-certified copy. |
Who can order?
- Immediate family members such as parents, spouses, children and siblings.
- Someone with a documented personal or property right, including an executor or legal representative.
- For genealogical research, an individual may request an eligible record when the death is at least 20 years old.
What to prepare
- Name of the deceased.
- Date of death.
- Your relationship to the deceased.
- Your signature.
- Current driver’s license or state ID.
- Legal documentation when your right to the record requires proof.
Winnebago County Vital Records
Winnebago County Health Department
Vital Records
555 North Court Street
P.O. Box 4009
Rockford, IL 61103
If the Death Happened Elsewhere in Illinois
Use the county where the death occurred or the Illinois Department of Public Health. As of September 2026, IDPH lists the following state fees:
| Illinois state copy | Fee | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy | $19 first / $4 additional | Legal, estate, insurance and other official purposes. |
| Genealogical copy | $10 first / $2 additional | Uncertified research copy for an eligible older record. |
| Online handling | $15 | Added by the state’s listed online ordering route; optional shipping can add more. |
Why a Winnebago County Death Certificate May Still Be Pending
When the Winnebago County Coroner is responsible for the death investigation, the permanent certificate may take longer to complete.
Certificate timing
The county Coroner states that a permanent death certificate it signs can take up to about 12 weeks from the date of death, and sometimes longer when an investigation is still open.
Who issues certified copies?
The Coroner does not maintain certified death certificates. For Winnebago County deaths, those are handled by the county Vital Records department.
Viewing
The Coroner’s Office says it does not provide family viewings. Families should work with their chosen funeral home.
Coroner report fees
| Report | Current county fee |
|---|---|
| Coroner’s investigation report | $25 |
| Autopsy report | $50 |
| Toxicology report | $25 |
How to Find an Older Rockford Obituary
Rockford Public Library has unusually useful local-history resources for obituary and death research.
Rockford Historical Newspapers
The library provides digitized Rockford newspapers dating back to 1871, including several predecessor publications of the Rockford Register Star.
Rockford Register Star archive
The library’s newspaper resources include current and archived Rockford Register Star coverage, including obituaries and announcements.
Winnebago County death references
The Local History Documents Archive lists a genealogy reference covering 1844–1981 Winnebago County deaths.
Early obituary abstracts
The library also lists obituary and death-notice abstracts from Rockford newspapers covering 1840–1869.
Rockfordiana clipping file
For older local newspaper articles, library staff may be able to help through the indexed Rockfordiana clipping collection.
Ancestry in the library
Rockford Public Library provides Ancestry Library Edition for in-library use and notes Rockford city directories dating from 1869–1960.
Microsteps for an older obituary
- Write the full name and alternate spellings.
- Estimate the death year and widen the range by several years if uncertain.
- Search the historical Rockford newspaper archive.
- Try surname plus spouse, parent, church, employer or street.
- Check the Winnebago County death reference.
- Ask library staff about the Rockfordiana clipping file if digital search fails.
How to Confirm Cemetery and Burial Details
Some individual Collins & Stone memorial pages include a separate cemetery section. When one appears, use it as the first clue—not as the end of your verification.
Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay
The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule applies to funeral providers. It gives consumers several important price protections.
Ask for prices by phone
A funeral provider must give price information over the phone when you ask. You do not have to give your name first.
Get a General Price List
When you visit and begin discussing arrangements or prices, the funeral home must provide an itemized General Price List for you to keep.
Choose individual services
You generally have the right to select individual goods and services instead of being required to buy an unwanted package.
Compare total costs
Ask about funeral-home services, casket or container, transportation, cemetery charges, opening/closing and other third-party costs separately.
How to Verify an Illinois Funeral or Cemetery License
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation provides the primary-source license lookup for regulated professionals and entities.
Funeral professional
IDFPR regulates licensed funeral directors, funeral directors and embalmers, and related license categories.
Cemetery
IDFPR also provides cemetery oversight, licensing information, consumer-rights resources and a complaint route.
Microsteps
- Open Illinois License Lookup.
- Choose the professional-regulation search.
- Search the exact legal business or professional name.
- If no result appears, remove extra search fields and try again.
- Review current status before treating a copied directory as proof of licensure.
Local Benefits and Financial Help Worth Checking
Illinois funeral and burial assistance
Illinois Department of Human Services has a Funeral and Burial program for certain eligible clients when available resources and other payment sources are below the program standard.
Action: ask the funeral home or IDHS about eligibility before assuming reimbursement is available.
Illinois bereavement leave
Eligible Illinois employees may qualify for up to two weeks—10 workdays—of unpaid leave under the Family Bereavement Leave Act for certain covered losses and related arrangements.
Action: check current Illinois Department of Labor rules and your employer policy.
Veteran marker reimbursement
Illinois currently provides up to $125 reimbursement for transportation and/or installation of a VA-provided headstone or memorial marker when program conditions are met.
Indigent veteran burial assistance
Illinois says county Veterans Assistance Commissions can provide burial help for qualifying honorably discharged indigent veterans and certain eligible family members. State guidance currently lists reimbursement up to $900.
If the Person Was a Veteran
Collins & Stone has its own Veterans Overview explaining military funeral honors and the importance of discharge documentation. Final federal eligibility should still be verified through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense.
DD-214
Locate the Veteran’s DD-214 or another acceptable discharge document as early as possible.
Military funeral honors
Basic honors can include folding and presenting the U.S. flag and playing Taps for an eligible Veteran.
VA burial benefits
Eligible families may qualify for national cemetery burial, a government marker, burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate or burial allowance.
Obituary Correction vs. Death Certificate Correction
Contact the publisher
If the obituary contains the wrong spelling, service time or biography detail, contact Collins & Stone or the publisher responsible for the public notice.
Use Illinois Vital Records
An obituary edit does not change the certified death certificate. Illinois has a separate correction process, and required evidence depends on the field being changed.
After You Find the Obituary: What May Need Separate Action?
Social Security
SSA says funeral homes generally report deaths. Ask the funeral director whether reporting was completed. If not, contact Social Security.
Death certificates
Estimate how many certified copies are needed for estate, insurance, bank, pension, property and benefit matters before ordering extras.
Veteran benefits
Gather discharge papers, death certificate, receipts and cemetery information when applying for eligible VA or Illinois benefits.
Insurance and banks
Ask each institution what document it requires. Do not send an original certified certificate when a copy will be accepted.
Flowers and donations
Follow the family’s memorial instructions and verify the charity on its own official website before donating.
Keep a record
Save call notes, names, confirmation numbers, receipts, certificate orders and benefit correspondence together.
Common Mistakes That Waste Time
Searching only “Collins and Stones”
Use the official spelling: Collins & Stone Funeral Home.
Looking only at Google snippets
Open the full official memorial before sharing service information.
Assuming Rockford holds the death record
The record office depends on where the death occurred—not where the funeral home is located.
Sending flowers too early
Confirm the correct person and family preference first.
Using a copied payment link
Start from Collins & Stone’s official website before entering card information.
Posting private details
Do not place Social Security numbers, private addresses, medical claims or financial information in public guestbooks.
Useful Related Guides
Obituary Search & Recent Notices Guide
Use names, dates, cities, funeral homes, newspapers and cemetery clues to locate a notice.
Death Certificate & Vital Records Guide
Know when an obituary is enough and when an official certified record is required.
How We Verify Obituary Information
See the source hierarchy used for funeral homes, publishers, government records and cemeteries.
Funeral Costs & Consumer Rights
Understand price lists, itemized choices and consumer protections.
Veterans Burial & Memorial Benefits
Learn about VA burial, flags, markers, allowances and memorial benefits.
After-Death Notification Checklist
Organize Social Security, banks, insurance, records and other notifications.
Official Sources Used for This Guide
Collins & Stone Funeral Home — All Obituaries Name search, month navigation, A–Z browsing and individual memorial pages. Collins & Stone — Contact Official address, telephone number and 24/7 assistance wording. Collins & Stone — Obituary Alerts Complimentary email notifications for new notices posted on the funeral-home website. Winnebago County Health Department — Birth & Death Certificates Eligibility, current local fees, ordering methods and required information. Illinois Department of Public Health — Death Certificates State ordering route, fees, current Springfield address and processing guidance. Rockford Public Library — Local History Historical newspapers, Winnebago County death references, Rockfordiana and genealogy resources. Illinois IDFPR — License Lookup Primary-source professional and entity license verification. Federal Trade Commission — Funeral Rule General Price List and funeral consumer price protections. Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs — Survivor & Burial State veteran burial, marker and survivor programs. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Burial & Memorial Benefits National cemetery, headstone, marker, flag, allowance and memorial benefits.Collins & Stone Funeral Home Obituary FAQs
Where can I find Collins & Stone Funeral Home recent obituaries?
Use the official Collins & Stone All Obituaries page. It provides name searching, month navigation and A–Z surname browsing. Open the individual memorial to confirm the correct person.
Is the name Collins and Stones or Collins & Stone?
The official business name is Collins & Stone Funeral Home. People may search “Collins and Stones,” but using the official spelling normally makes the correct Rockford source easier to find.
Can I get notified when Collins & Stone posts a new obituary?
Yes. Collins & Stone provides a complimentary email mailing list for new obituary and death-notice posts. The funeral home says subscribers receive notification within about an hour after a notice is posted.
What is Collins & Stone Funeral Home’s phone number?
The official contact page lists 815-965-1515. The funeral home states that callers may contact it any time of day for immediate assistance.
Where is Collins & Stone Funeral Home?
The official address is 128 S 5th St, Rockford, Illinois 61104.
How do I confirm a visitation or funeral time?
Open the individual obituary, check the service section and confirm the exact date, time and address. If travel is involved or the service is soon, call the funeral home before leaving.
How much is a Winnebago County death certificate?
Winnebago County Health Department currently lists $21 for the first regular death certificate and $9 for each additional copy of the same certificate purchased at the same time. Mail or electronic requests currently have a $3 handling fee.
Who can order a Winnebago County death certificate?
The county lists immediate family members and people with a documented personal or property right, such as an executor or legal representative. Genealogical access is also available for eligible records at least 20 years old.
Why might a death certificate still be pending?
When the Winnebago County Coroner is responsible for the investigation, the permanent certificate can take up to about 12 weeks from the date of death and sometimes longer. Certified copies are obtained through Vital Records, not the Coroner’s Office.
How can I find an old Rockford obituary?
Use Rockford Public Library’s local-history and newspaper resources. The library provides historical Rockford newspapers dating back to 1871, Winnebago County death references and obituary or death-notice abstracts for earlier years.
How do I verify an Illinois funeral director or cemetery?
Use the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation License Lookup. IDFPR also provides separate funeral-director and cemetery-oversight resources.
What should I do before paying a funeral bill online?
Start from the funeral home’s official website, open its own payment route, confirm the correct account or person, review the amount carefully and save your receipt. Avoid payment links copied into unexpected emails or messages.
Does the funeral home report a death to Social Security?
Social Security says funeral homes generally report deaths. Ask the funeral director whether reporting was completed. If a funeral home is not involved or the death was not reported, contact SSA directly.
What should a Veteran’s family check?
Locate the Veteran’s DD-214 or other discharge documentation and check military funeral honors, VA burial eligibility, burial allowance, cemetery options, headstones or markers, burial flags and applicable Illinois veteran benefits.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Search the official Collins & Stone obituary listing first.
- Confirm the correct person using name, age, relatives and location.
- Open the individual memorial for current service information.
- Call before travelling when the service is soon or details conflict.
- Use the county or state where the death occurred for certified records.
- Use first-party cemetery information for burial locations.
- Use Illinois license tools when professional or cemetery verification is needed.
- Ask for itemized funeral pricing before committing to services.
- Do not publish private medical, financial or family information.
RecentObituaries.info is an independent source-navigation guide. It is not Collins & Stone Funeral Home, Winnebago County, the State of Illinois, Social Security, the VA, a cemetery or a newspaper. Verify final details with the organization responsible for the notice, service, record or benefit.