How to Find Newspaper Obituary Archives

Finding newspaper obituary archives has become a simpler task thanks to the help of the Internet. Almost every newspaper in the world has been scanned, organized and cataloged online to make research not only easier, but more accessible to the public. This is good news for historians, genealogists and the average person trying to find information on loved ones. Many resources are available to assist you in finding obituaries for individuals you have lost.

Instructions

1

Gather as much information you can about the newspaper. Find the name of the newspaper, the name of the person you are trying locate, his place of death and his date of birth and death, if possible.

2

Locate the website of the newspaper for which the obituary is listed. Searching the original newspaper's website is the best place to begin your search for obituary archives. Some newspapers may charge a fee for a copy of an archived obituary that is more than 10 years old.

3

Conduct a basic online search using a search engine. This method is helpful if any of the identifying information about the newspaper is missing. Type in the search bar, the person's name and place and date of death followed by the word "obituary." Try using the words-archives, memorial and death records if your initial search is unsuccessful. The exact terms that databases and newspapers use for death records may differ. Try narrowing your search results by using quotation marks around your search terms, such as "John Cooper obituary."

4

Use a website that has research capabilities for many national newspapers. Some websites have basic newspaper databases by city, while others provide specific search options for local community newspapers. Keep in mind, while many online newspaper databases offer initial searches, some may require registration and charge a fee to access the full document.

5

Search ancestry and genealogy websites. These sites can provide you with newspaper archives and cemetery records for a fee.

6

Search funeral homes and cemeteries for links to newspaper obituary archives. If the date of death is less than two months, it is possible that some obituaries can still be found a short time after the service was held.

7

Visit your local library. Most public and college libraries have access to online databases and newspapers on microfilm. Ask a librarian to help you search the newspaper archives on microfilm. Ask a college student or professor to help you search newspaper databases. They often have full access to these resources for free.