Find An Obituary: Free & Paid Search Strategies
Ever found yourself wanting to know more about a person who's passed, or perhaps needing to find details of a funeral? Finding an obituary can be a surprisingly powerful way to connect with the past, offer comfort, or even uncover valuable family history.
The quest for an obituary often begins with a simple question: Where do I even start? Fortunately, a wealth of resources is available, ranging from free online databases to traditional newspaper archives. The challenge lies in knowing where to look and how to navigate these resources effectively. This guide is your roadmap, designed to steer you through the process and help you unearth the obituary you need.
Before diving into specific search methods, it's worth considering why you might be looking for an obituary. The reasons are as diverse as the individuals whose lives they chronicle. For some, it's a matter of closure, a way to honor a loved one or understand their final days. Genealogists and family historians rely on obituaries for vital information, such as birth and death dates, family relationships, and often, biographical details that bring ancestors to life. Others seek to connect with a community, sharing memories and offering condolences to those left behind. Regardless of your motivation, the information contained within an obituary can be incredibly valuable.
Obituaries serve multiple purposes. They provide a formal announcement of a person's passing, inform the community of funeral arrangements, and offer a glimpse into the deceased's life. They celebrate a person's life and offer closure for the grieving process.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | (e.g., John David Smith) |
| Birth Date | (e.g., January 1, 1950) |
| Death Date | (e.g., December 31, 2023) |
| Residence (Last Known) | (e.g., Anytown, USA) |
| Occupation | (e.g., Teacher, Engineer, Doctor) |
| Spouse (if applicable) | (e.g., Jane Doe Smith) |
| Children (if applicable) | (e.g., John Jr., Mary) |
| Parents (if known) | (e.g., Robert and Susan Smith) |
| Education | (e.g., University of California, Berkeley) |
| Awards/Achievements | (e.g., Teacher of the Year Award) |
| Hobbies/Interests | (e.g., Gardening, Reading, Travel) |
| Link to a Reference Website | Example Obituary (replace with an actual link) |
If you have some basic details about the person, like their name and a general location, you have a good starting point. However, the more information you can gather, the more successful your search will be. Gathering as much information as possible, including the persons legal name, birth date, and the place of residence, is essential. Consider the following: Full Name, Birth Date, Death Date, Residence (Last Known), Occupation, Spouse (if applicable), Children (if applicable), Parents (if known), Education, Awards/Achievements, Hobbies/Interests.
One of the first places to look is online. Many online resources offer free obituary searches. Some of the most comprehensive include:
- Online Search Engines: Use search engines like Google. Type the person's name, plus terms like "obituary" or "death notice." Be sure to include any other relevant information you can, such as a family member's name, the location where they lived or died, their occupation, etc. This approach is especially useful for recent deaths.
- Newspaper Archives: Major newspapers often have searchable online archives. These archives may be free or require a subscription. Try searching for obituaries on the websites of local or regional newspapers in the area where the person lived or died. This is the best way to find obituaries printed in any US newspaper.
- Genealogy Websites: Websites like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and MyHeritage.com are invaluable for genealogical research and often contain extensive obituary collections. FamilySearch's free online records have hundreds of thousands of obituaries available.
- Funeral Home Websites: Many funeral homes post obituaries on their websites, particularly for recent deaths.
When conducting an online search, consider using a search engine. Type the person's name followed by "obituary" and/or "death". You don't need to fill in all the boxes. Be sure to include any other relevant information you can, such as a family member's name, the location where they lived or died, their occupation, etc. If the person has a common name, adding extra details can significantly narrow your search and produce more relevant results.
Using search engine operators can also be beneficial. For example, using quotation marks around a name ("John Smith") will search for that exact phrase. The asterisk ( ) can act as a wildcard, such as "John" to search for Johns, Johnsen, Johnson, Johnston, etc. Use the search operators like "AND" to specify terms that must be in the search results, or "OR" to find results containing any of the terms. For example, search terms could be, "John Smith" AND "New York" AND "obituary". If you're not sure where the person lived, try searching for their name and family member's names, like "John Smith" AND "Mary Smith".
If you are willing to put in some effort there are many ways to find obituaries for free. Free obituaries online, the most complete free online obituary listing available.
For older obituaries, especially those from the 19th or early 20th centuries, digitized records might be limited. Newspaper archives, whether online or physical, are often the best source for this period. Libraries and historical societies can be invaluable resources.
If you're looking for a death notice from someone who died relatively recently, you may be able to find that online for free. However, if the person died hundreds of years ago, that information may not be digitized or available for free.
Here's a quick rundown of key steps to find obituaries for free:
- Gather Information: Collect as much information as possible about the deceased (full name, birth date, death date, location, etc.).
- Start with Online Search Engines: Use Google or other search engines, including the person's name and "obituary" or "death notice."
- Check Newspaper Archives: Explore the online archives of local newspapers.
- Explore Genealogy Websites: Utilize sites like FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, or MyHeritage.com.
- Visit Funeral Home Websites: See if the funeral home handling the arrangements has published an obituary.
- Don't be Afraid to Reach Out: If you're still struggling, asking a family member or an old friend can be a quick way to find an obituary.
If you are searching for a death record in the UK, the process is similar to looking up someones genealogy or family history. Obituaries are, however, not listed on someones official death record, but there are other resources besides genealogy websites to locate this information.
For more recent obituaries, you might also use websites like "Ever Loved." Ever loved is an online platform where millions of people have already used the platform to view an obituary or memorial website for someone who has passed. It's simple to find a recent obituary posted on ever loved by searching for a city that the person lived in.
If you're looking for recent records (in the last decade or two), there are a number of ways to find a persons obituary, notice of death or funeral services online.
When traditional methods fail, don't hesitate to explore alternative avenues:
- Contact Family and Friends: This is often the most direct route. A phone call or email can yield quick results, and someone may have the obituary on hand.
- Local Libraries and Historical Societies: These institutions often maintain archives of local newspapers and may have obituary indexes.
- Funeral Homes: Reach out to local funeral homes in the area where the person lived. They may have records or be able to point you in the right direction.
If your loved one or ancestor has a relatively common name, try including extra information about them in your search that might filter out less relevant results. So, how do you find an obituary for someone you havent seen in years, especially if youre not sure where they lived? This guide will be your compass during your search, pointing you in the right direction to find an obituary for a specific person.
Sometimes, the information contained in an obituary can act as a "key" to unlock further research. Obituaries can be a valuable resource for genealogists. The record can contain information about the deceased person. If you find an obituary for a particular person, the information contained may fill in gaps, give information of other records, and thus, help break down brick walls. A lot of data can be mined from one short article, such as the full names of the deceaseds parents, the birthdate and death date of the deceased, the name of the spouse, and the childrens names. This can lead to the discovery of even more information, such as birth certificates, marriage records, and other genealogical documentation. In the UK, the process is similar to researching someones genealogy or family history.
Here are some scenarios when you might need to search for a specific obituary in the UK:
- To find out funeral times and arrangements;
- For genealogical research;
- To honor and remember the deceased.
The obituary of a person's passing serves multiple functions, with these texts helping to inform others that somebody has passed away, celebrate their life and offer closure.
For legal matters, people search for obituaries to find closure, conduct genealogical research, or settle legal matters. Others seek to connect with the community or explore historical and cultural interests.
Paid Services: The fastest way to find an obituary for a specific person is to search for them at one or several of the paid online obituaries or genealogy search services. The most complete free online obituary listing available.
There are resources beyond online searches and contacting relatives. Here are some additional methods:
- People search tools: A public records search engine that can be used to find obituaries for a specific person along with other details about an individual, such as their possible relatives, work history, and education background.
- Local Libraries: Local libraries often maintain archives of local newspapers, which can be searched for obituaries. They may also have indexes.
The traditional form of obituaries, printed in local and regional newspapers, allowed the family of the deceased to announce their passing when connectivity was not as. Today, many resources exist to help find an obituary for a specific person through online search engines, newspaper archives, genealogy websites, and more. An easy way to find out when someone died is by doing a general search of the persons full name online to look for newspaper obituaries.
Why is it necessary to publish an obituary? Obituaries are published to memorialize the deceased and create a lasting legacy in their honor as a tribute. People find having an obituary to look back on is soothing in their time of grief and loss, and its understandable if you want to find someones obituary for these reasons. Finding an obituary is not only about finding information, but also about honoring a life.
