How to Find Old Obituaries Online
- 1). Gather as much information as possible about the person or subjects you are trying to find obituaries for. The name, date of death, location of where the person lived or died and social security number can all help in your quest when trying to find old obituaries online.
- 2). Start with a basic online search using the search engine of your choice. In the search bar, type in the information you have available, such as the person's name, place of death and so on.
Do a search with and without the words obituary, obituaries, memorial and archives, as many old newspapers and databases classify death recordings using these terms, but some do not.
If this does not yield the results you were searching for, try the search again using quotation marks around your search query, such as "John Smith Seattle obituary", as this will narrow the results to those exact terms.
Be aware if the name has different abbreviations or spellings, you may want to try searching all forms of the name. The name John Smith may be recorded under Jon Smith, Jonathan Smith etc.
While this is the most basic method to do a search online, it may not provide you with the results you desire. Keep in mind, you may need to gather pieces of information from different sources before finding the actual obituary. - 3). Consider using a website that specializes in obituary research capabilities. Some of these have basic lists of obituaries listed by state, while others offer specific search options such as newspaper archives and cemetery records. To find these types of web sites, do an online search for "obituary research", "online obituary finder" etc. Some examples of web sites that provide obituary research tools can be found in the resources section below.
- 4). For obituaries that are not too old, such as those within the last ten years or so, you may want to see if there is an online obituary located on the website of the funeral home or cemetery where the person was buried or services were held.
- 5). Another option is to contact local libraries near the location the person lived or died. Most libraries have access to old newspapers on microfilm and online databases and may be willing to help you in your search.
- 6). Keep in mind, while many of the web sites are free to use to search for old obituaries online, some may charge a fee or require registration.
