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Minnesota County
Marshall County, Minnesota
Warren's Red River Valley agricultural frontier and the Canadian border country - from Marshall County's Red River Valley position (the extraordinarily flat Red River Valley glacial lakebed that makes up much of Marshall County is among the richest agricultural land in the world - the county's sugarbeet, wheat, and small grain production on the ancient lakebed soils feeds into the northwest Minnesota agricultural economy, and the county's proximity to the Canadian border and Lake of the Woods gives it a remote far-north character unique in Minnesota) and Warren's role as the governmental hub for this sparsely populated border agricultural county.
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County VSO: Marshall County Veterans Services – Warren, MN 56762
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Godel Memorial Library (Northwest Regional Library System) – 314 E Johnson Ave, Warren, MN 56762, (218) 745-5465
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Marshall County, named for William Rainey Marshall, who served as Minnesota governor from 1866 to 1870, is genuinely the site of one of the most credible and widely investigated UFO encounters in American history. In the early morning hours of August 27, 1979, Marshall County Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson was on routine patrol on a rural stretch of State Highway 220 west of Stephen, Minnesota, when he reported seeing a bright, defined light hovering low over the road; upon turning his patrol car to investigate, the light reportedly sped toward him and collided with the vehicle, shattering the windshield, damaging a headlight and emergency light, and bending the radio antenna. Johnson was found unconscious for approximately 39 minutes, and both his wristwatch and the car’s clock had inexplicably stopped for 14 minutes. Investigators from the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), led by researcher Allan Hendry, examined the vehicle and scene and found no evidence of a hoax, air traffic, or detectable electromagnetic interference, and assessed Johnson – a career law enforcement officer with no prior interest in UFOs – as a highly credible witness; the case, known as the Val Johnson Incident, received national media attention, including an appearance by Johnson on Good Morning America, and the damaged squad car remains on display at the Marshall County Historical Society museum in Warren
Notes: Marshall County’s 1979 Val Johnson Incident is genuinely regarded as one of the most credible and well-investigated UFO encounters in American history, and the damaged patrol car remains on display at the Marshall County Historical Society museum.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Marshall County GIS – accessible via marshallcountymn.gov
Parcel Search: Marshall County Auditor-Treasurer – 208 E Colvin Ave, Warren, MN 56762
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Marshall County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Marshall County Humane Society – Warren, MN 56762
Services: Local animal welfare and adoption services for Marshall County; check current status via marshallcountyhumanesociety.org.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – pca.state.mn.us
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Marshall County’s 1979 Val Johnson Incident is genuinely regarded as one of the most credible and well-investigated UFO encounters in American history, with the damaged patrol car still displayed at the Marshall County Historical Society museum in Warren. Note this county (seat: Warren) is distinct from the unrelated city of Marshall, MN, which is the seat of Lyon County. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Marshall County
Marshall County is Minnesota’s far-northwest Red River Valley frontier – the ancient lakebed soils produce exceptional sugarbeets and wheat in one of the world’s richest agricultural landscapes, and the county’s remote northern location near the Canadian border gives it a genuine frontier character in the modern era.
Warren (the county seat, population ~1,600) serves Marshall County’s agricultural communities near the Manitoba border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marshall County Assessor at 208 E. Colvin Avenue, Warren, MN 56762, phone 218-745-4851. MN homestead exclusion reduces taxable market value.
Courts & Legal
Marshall County District Court at 208 E. Colvin Avenue, Warren, MN 56762, phone 218-745-5211, handles probate.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Marshall County District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Marshall County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Marshall County District Court 208 E. Colvin Avenue, Suite 18, Warren, MN 56762 (218) 745-4921 Marshall County is in northwestern Minnesota, seated in Warren.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Minnesota follows the Uniform Probate Code, which keeps most estates on a streamlined informal track. Minnesota’s small-estate shortcuts are unusual among states in that they can include real property, not just personal property.
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1201) – for personal property only. The entire probate estate – including the contents of any safe deposit box, less liens and encumbrances – must be under $75,000. Joint tenancy property and assets that pass by beneficiary designation (life insurance, transfer-on-death accounts) don’t count toward the threshold. A 30-day waiting period applies after death, and no court filing is required – the affidavit is presented directly to the institution holding the property.
Summary Assignment – can include real property, and is court-based. Covers estates up to $75,000, including real property. A certified copy of the court’s Decree of Distribution is filed in the county real estate records to transfer title.
Summary Administration (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1203) – the higher-threshold real-property option, covering estates up to $150,000, exclusive of the exempt homestead. The homestead itself is excluded from the value calculation entirely for both Summary Assignment and Summary Administration – Minnesota’s homestead exemption protects the family home from most creditor claims and it descends to the surviving spouse free of most claims against the estate. If closing and distribution follow the terms of a will, a formal probate hearing for the will is still required before a summary decree can issue.
STEP 2: FORMAL/INFORMAL PROBATE (for estates above the thresholds)
File with the District Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled; informal probate is available for most estates, with the personal representative appointed by the Registrar and minimal ongoing court interaction.
The personal representative publishes a creditor notice and directly notifies known creditors, opening a 4-month creditor claim period.
Once the creditor period closes and debts are paid, assets can typically be distributed and the estate closed without returning to court, unless there’s a dispute or a beneficiary requests a formal accounting.
Formal probate – requiring a hearing before a judge – is used in more complicated situations, such as will contests or disputes over the personal representative.
THE 3-YEAR DEADLINE – MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN MOST STATES Informal probate is no longer available after 3 years from the date of death, though formal probate may still be possible in limited circumstances.
What it costs
Small estate procedures can move relatively quickly once the 30-day wait passes. Standard informal probate is largely governed by the 4-month creditor period, so most straightforward estates take at least that long to close.
Minnesota has its own state estate tax, but the exemption threshold is relatively high – $3 million – so most Minnesota families aren’t affected. Rates on the amount above the exemption range from 13% to 16%, applied on a graduated scale; the exemption is not portable between spouses. Minnesota has no state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
208 E. Colvin Ave., Warren, MN 56762
(218) 745-5411
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
208 E. Colvin Ave., Warren, MN 56762
(218) 745-4851
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Marshall County Social Services – 208 E Colvin Ave, Suite 14, Warren, MN 56762 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Warren
Population: 9,500
Area: 1,772 sq mi
Established: 1879
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Marshall County residents.
