One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries. Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information and sometimes more importantly - information about the relatives of the deceased's family and extended family.  This family name information is often not found anywhere else.

During September, 2018 I have been updating the links to online obituary and obituary index collections that are available to search for free. There are a total of 1,745 online database links that I have found for the U.S. Of these, over 480 have been added since the previous update. 

Here are alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information, listed by the link to each state's list of free links. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual obituary (e.g., library or genealogical society) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the obituary itself.

• Alabama Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Alaska Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Arizona Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Arkansas Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• California Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Colorado Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Connecticut Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Delaware Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• District of Columbia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Florida Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Georgia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Hawaii Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Idaho Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Illinois Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Indiana Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Iowa Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Kansas Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Kentucky Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Louisiana Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Maine Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Maryland Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Massachusetts Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Michigan Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Minnesota Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Mississippi Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Missouri Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Montana Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Nebraska Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Nevada Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• New Hampshire Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• New Jersey Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• New Mexico Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• New York Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• North Carolina Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• North Dakota Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Ohio Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Oklahoma Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Oregon Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Pennsylvania Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Rhode Island Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• South Carolina Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• South Dakota Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Tennessee Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Texas Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Utah Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Vermont Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Virginia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Washington Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• West Virginia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 
• Wisconsin Obituaries and Obituary Index Links
• Wyoming Obituaries and Obituary Index Links

​Happy Hunting!

One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries.  Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information and sometimes more importantly - information about the relatives of the deceased's family and extended family.  This family name information is often not found anywhere else.

Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists, a great number of indexes to death information and obituaries from newspapers have been provided for free online.  These searchable indexes often provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the obituary clipping is even provided.
​
So not only can we search old newspapers for these gems, we can get transcriptions and get directed to the location of the obituaries from these indexes.

Here are alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information, listed by the link to each state's list of free links. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual obituary (e.g., library or genealogical society) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the obituary itself.

(Updated September,2018; Number of databases and new updates are denoted)

• Alaska Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (23 total, 8 new)
• Arizona Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (21 total, 5 new)
• California Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (62 total, 21 new)
• Colorado Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (30 total, 6 new)
• Hawaii Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (18 total, 5 new)
• Idaho Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (23 total, 8 new)
• Montana Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (22 total, 6 new)
• Nevada Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (19 total, 7 new)
• New Mexico Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (27 total, 8 new)
• Oregon Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (30 total, 11 new)
• Utah Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (18 total, 8 new)
• Washington Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (42 total, 12 new)
• Wyoming Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (24 total, 10 new)

One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries.  Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information and sometimes more importantly - information about the relatives of the deceased's family and extended family.  This family name information is often not found anywhere else.

Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists, a great number of indexes to death information and obituaries from newspapers have been provided for free online.  These searchable indexes often provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the obituary clipping is even provided.
​
So not only can we search old newspapers for these gems, we can get transcriptions and get directed to the location of the obituaries from these indexes.

Here are alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information, listed by the link to each state's list of free links. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual obituary (e.g., library or genealogical society) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the obituary itself.

(Updated September, 2018; Number of databases and new updates are denoted)

• Illinois Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (70 total, 21 new)
• Indiana Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (93 total, 21 new)
• Iowa Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (37 total, 9 new)
• Kansas Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (34 total, 8 new)
• Michigan Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (64 total, 17 new)
• Minnesota Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (28 total, 7 new)
• Missouri Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (46 total, 14 new)
• Nebraska Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (29 total, 9 new)
• North Dakota Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (14 total, 4 new)
• Ohio Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (53 total, 12 new)
• Oklahoma Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (30 total, 11 new)
• South Dakota Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (21 total, 6 new)
• Wisconsin Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (49 total, 11 new)

​​To become a successful historic newspaper researcher, you need to make a small investment in time to learn the "tricks of the trade."

Here are a free 20 page downloadable eBook and 3 downloadable one page Quick Reference Guides that will help you!
​
e-Book - Tips for Researching Online Historical Newspapers​

This 20 page book (in PDF format), is chock full of tips and tricks that if followed, will help you understand why online newspaper research may not provide the results that you expect, but gives you a ton of tips and tricks to follow in order for you to optimize your results.

​Click below to download the pdf file

Quick Reference Guide - 9 Steps to Success in Searching Old Newspapers for Your Ancestors

Searching for articles about your ancestors online in old newspapers really is pretty easy.  The problem is that it is so easy that researchers who don't understand the process of getting old newspapers to be scanned and indexed will miss many positive results.  Optical Character Recognition (OCR) often does not pick up the exact letters in a name or word that you are searching, for a variety of reasons.  Anyway, there are a variety of tricks that will greatly enhance your chances of finding articles about your ancestors.

​Download this Quick Reference Guide in pdf format at the link below and apply the tips and you will be more successful.  

Click below to download the pdf file

9_steps_to_newspaper_success.pdf
Download File


Quick Reference Guide - 10 Clever Ways to Find More Ancestor Articles While Searching Old Newspapers
​
As an aficionado of newspaper research for genealogy and family history, I have done a lot of searching. Most recently it has been of the online variety. One can be quite successful in spite of the limitations of poor quality source material, scanning deficiencies and OCR limitations. The best results are usually because of good planning, rather than simple surname searching and hoping. Here are a few tips and techniques that you can employ to find that elusive ancestor article that you may have been trying to find. 

​Download this Quick Reference Guide in pdf format at the link below and apply the tips and you will be more successful.  
​
Click below to download the pdf file​

10_clever_ways.pdf
Download File


Quick Reference Guide - The Best Way to Find Hidden Newspaper Articles
​
If you search online for newspaper articles, you know that it is often challenging.  This is primarily because OCR is not perfect and that old newsprint can often have creases, tears, ink spots and other errors. This creates an index that often is filled often with a mumbo jumbo of letters that do not result in accurate names and the like when the index is created.  Thus your searches may not include all the articles that you seek.

This can easily be remedied by YOU!  Just change the letters in the search criteria and DELIBERATELY misspell. Refer to this collection of letter pairs as shown in the Quick Reference Guide that you can download below.  You will get much better results, guaranteed.

Download this Quick Reference Guide in pdf format at the link below and apply the tips and you will be more successful.  
​
Click below to download the pdf file​

the_best_way.pdf
Download File

Good Luck - and Happy Hunting!

One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries.  Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information and sometimes more importantly - information about the relatives of the deceased's family and extended family.  This family name information is often not found anywhere else.

Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists, a great number of indexes to death information and obituaries from newspapers have been provided for free online.  These searchable indexes often provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the obituary clipping is even provided.
​
So not only can we search old newspapers for these gems, we can get transcriptions and get directed to the location of the obituaries from these indexes.

Here are alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information, listed by the link to each state's list of free links. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual obituary (e.g., library or genealogical society) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the obituary itself.

(Updated September, 2018; Number of databases and new updates are denoted)

• Alabama Obituaries and Obituary Index Links​ (24 total, 7 new)
• Arkansas Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (31 total, 11 new)
• Florida Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (33 total, 9 new)
• Georgia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (36 total, 13 new)
• Kentucky Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (30 total, 9 new)
• Louisiana Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (29 total, 8 new)
• Mississippi Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (21 total, 6 new)
• Missouri Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (46 total, 14 new)
• North Carolina Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (43 total, 14 new)
• Oklahoma Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (30 total, 11 new)
• South Carolina Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (26 total, 10 new)
• Tennessee Obituaries and Obituary Index Links 41 total, 11 new)
• Texas Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (49 total, 10 new)
• Virginia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (41 total, 15 new)
• West Virginia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (18 total, 7 new)

 One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries.  Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information and sometimes mote importantly - information about the relatives of the deceased's family and extended family.  This family name information is often not found anywhere else.

Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists, a great number of indexes to death information and obituaries from newspapers have been provided for free online.  These searchable indexes often provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the obituary clipping is even provided.
​
So not only can we search old newspapers for these gems, we can get transcriptions and get directed to the location of the obituaries from these indexes.

Here are alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information, listed by the link to each state's list of free links. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual obituary (e.g., library or genealogical society) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the obituary itself.

(Updated September, 2018; Number of databases and new updates are denoted)

• Delaware Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (15 total, 4 new)
• District of Columbia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (10 total, 1 new)
• Maryland Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (21 total, 6 new)
• New Jersey Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (25 total, 8 new)
• New York Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (56 total, 15 new)
• Pennsylvania Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (68 total, 21 new)
• Virginia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (44 total, 15 new)
• West Virginia Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (21 total, 7 new)

For the last 3 years I have been tracking the online collections made available by the Advantage Preservation company, who has contracted with several hundred libraries and other institutions across the U.S. to digitize and host their online newspaper collections.

The great majority of these links have been Incorporated in the state collection summaries found in the Newspaper Links page on this site. 



The most recent update from Advantage Preservation totals 534 collections from 39 states and a total number of pages exceeding 55 million!
​
Some of the collections are small, but others have over 50 different newspaper titles. Although Advantage-Preservation gets the credit for making these available, much of the credit should go to the individual libraries, library systems, historical societies and other institutions, who do the really hard work of obtaining the funds via grants and other funding sources to digitize these old newspapers and make them available online for their patrons.  In these times where funding for digitization of old newspapers from libraries, archives and other institutions is not easy to get, those of us who want to research our genealogy through newspapers and other documents owe a large debt of gratitude to the librarians and archivists who make all of this possible.  The moral of the story is "Support your local libraries and archives!"


Here is a list by state and county of the online collections available to search for free (with page counts in parentheses and those who allow searching only in the library's location):

​Alaska

• Wrangell-Petersburg - Petersburg Public Library (66,900)

Arizona

• Pinal - Casa Grande Public Library (410,889)
• Pinal - Eloy Santa Cruz Library (48,163)

Arkansas

• Sebastian - Fort Smith Public Library (194,719)

Colorado

• Yuma - Yuma Public Library (79,636)

Connecticut

• Hartford - Farmington Libraries (77,125)
• Hartford - New Britain Public Library (11,963)
• Hartford - Windsor Locks Historical Society (32,586)
• Litchfield - Beardsley & Memorial Library (7,769)
• Litchfield - Scoville Memorial Library (161,221)
• Litchfield - Thomaston Public Library (59,575)
• Middlesex - East Hampton Public Library (18,995)
• New Haven - Ansonia Historical Commission (20,131)
• New Haven - James Blackstone Memorial Library (145,473)
• New Haven - North Haven Public Library (52,476)
• New Haven - Wallingford City Directories (11,094)

Delaware

• New Castle - New Castle Public Library (35,269)

Georgia

• Colquitt - Moultrie Colquitt County Library System (65,442)
• Dawson - Dawson County Library (90,498)
• Glynn - Marshes of Glynn Library (3,573)
• Laurens - Oconee Regional Library System (337,958) (in-library)
• Lee - Lee County Library (53,100)
• Morgan - Uncle Remus Regional Library System (343,627)
• Worth - Worth County Library (105,230)

Idaho

• Bannock - Marshall Public Library (62,817)
• Bear Lake - Bear Lake County Library (101,590)
• Cassia - Burley Public Library (33,037)
• Clearwater - Elk River Free Library (3,075)
• East Bonner - East Bonner County Library District (315,180)
• Franklin - Franklin County Library District (87,172)
• Jerome - Jerome Public Library (25,306)
• Kootenai - Hayden Community Library Network (149,420)
• Lemhi - Salmon Public Library (63,876)
• Payette - Armoral Tuttle Public Library (14,730)
• Teton - Valley of the Tetons District Library (78,681)

Illinois

• Brown - Brown County Public Library (112,238)
• Cassio - Beardstown Houston Memorial Library (189,598)
• Clark - Marshall Public Library (150,354)
• Cook - Bellwood Public Library (87,194)
• Cook - Forest Park Public Library (97,200)
• Cook - Midlothian Public Library (43,613)
• Cook - Park Ridge Library (392,625) (in-library)
• Cook - River Forest Public Library (351,985)
• DeKalb - Shabbona Lee Rolo Historical Museum  (42,972)
• DeWitt - Farmer City Library (82,968)
• Hancock - Warsaw Public Library (86,749)
• Henry - Clover Public Library District (34,747)
• Henry - Galva Public Library (85,533)
• Henry - Geneseo Public Library District (134,088)
• Henry - Kewanee Public Library District (317,040)
• Henry - Western District Library (70,442)
• Kane - Town and Country Public Library District (91,180)
• LaSalle - Earlville Library District (68,992)
• Logan - Atlanta Public Library and Museum  (28,012)
• Marshall - Henry Public Library (95,178)
• McHenry - Harvard Diggins Library (84,797)
• Ogle - Byron Public Library (36,536)
• Ogle - Polo Public Library (6,512)
• Peoria - Brimfield Public Library (36,970)
• Peoria - Peoria Heights Public Library (16,800)
• Rock Island - Moline Public Library (462,552)
• St. Clair - Freeburg Area Library District (41,341)
• St. Clair - New Athens District Library (65,534)
• Stark - Bradford Public Library District (48,878)
• Stark - Toulon Public Library (57,364)
• Tazewell - Morton Public Library (153,162)
• Whiteside - Erie Illinois Public Library (35,072)
• Whiteside - Sterling Public Library (173,334)
• Will - Plainfield Public Library District (12,561)
• Winnebago - Talcott Free Library District (99,926)

Indiana

• Knox - Knox County Public Library (227,466)

Iowa

• Allamakee - Postville Public Library (79,292)
• Appanoose - Centerville Iowegian (369,710)
• Benton - Baseball Museum of Norway (13,404)
• Benton - Belle Plaine Community Library (110,169)
• Benton - Blairstown Public Library (48,999)
• Benton - Schroeder Public Library (9,524)
• Benton - Vinton Public Library & the Benton County Historical Society (268,090)
• Bremer - Sumner Public Library (87,928)
• Bremer - Waverly Public Library (54,390)
• Buchanan - Jesup Public Library (54,926)
• Buena Vista - Albert City Historical Society (28,626)
• Buena Vista - Buena Vista University (15,907)
• Buena Vista - Marathon Public Library (14,387)
• Buena Vista - Newell Public Library (117,663)
• Buena Vista - Sioux Rapids Public Library (52,731)
• Buena Vista - Storm Lake Public Library (284,250)
• Butler - Aplington Legion Memorial Library (10,906)
• Butler - Clarksville Public Library (78,898)
• Butler - Greene Public Library (64,895)
• Butler - Kothe Memorial Library (64,392)
• Carroll - Carroll Public Library (536,559)
• Carroll - Coon Rapids Public Library (85,843)
• Cass - Griswold Public Library (72,607)
• Cedar - West Branch Public Library (19,406)
• Cherokee - Aurelia Public Library (47,813)
• Cherokee - Cherokee Public Library (354,769)
• Cherokee - Marcus Public Library (41,255)
• Chickasaw - New Hampton Public Library (201,619)
• Clarke - Oseola Public Library (118,486)
• Clay - Kirchner French Public Library (42,855)
• Clay - Spencer Public Library (48,758)
• Clayton - Elkader Public Library (118,209)
• Clayton - Garnavillo Historical Society (16,071)
• Clayton - Guttenberg Public Library (105,951)
• Clayton - Monona Public Library (93,102)
• Clinton - Clinton Public Library (72,686)
• Crawford - Norelius Community Library (130,888)
• Crawford - Schleswig Public Library (39,711)
• Delaware - Manchester Iowa Archive (139,820)
• Dickinson - Dickinson County (234,350)
• Dubuque - City of Dubuque (70,999)
• Dubuque - The Witness (65,563)
• Emmet - Estherville Public Library (478,993)
• Fayette - Elgin Public Library (63,605)
• Fayette - Fayette Public Library (66,273)
• Fayette - Oelwein (364,380) (in-library)
• Fayette - The Collegian (13,814)
• Fayette - West Union Community Library (131,639)
• Floyd - Rockford Public Library (52,893)
• Greene - Jefferson Public Library (156,775)
• Grundy - Beaman Community Memorial Library (5,231)
• Grundy - Conrad Museum (1,372)
• Grundy - Kling Memorial Library (121,196)
• Grundy - Ostfriesen Heritage Society (17,699)
• Guthrie - Bayard Public Library (44,190)
• Guthrie - Mary Burnett Memorial Library (105,105)
• Guthrie - Stuart Public Library (56,863)
• Hamilton - Ellsworth Public Library (46,831)
• Hamilton - Hamilton County (451,874)
• Hardin - Ackley Public Library (42,719)
• Hardin - Hardin County Iowa (559,507) (in-library)
• Harrison - Missouri Valley Public Library (101,029) (in-library)
• Henry - Winfield Public Library (56,713)
• Humblodt - Humboldt County Genealogical Society (25,663)
• Ida - Battle Creek (29,034)
• Ida - Ida Grove Public Library (79,230)
• Iowa - Iowa County Genealogical (39,140) (in-library)
• Iowa - Iowa County Iowa (301,952) (in-library)
• Iowa - Williamsburg Iowa (301,952) (in-library)
• Jasper - Monroe Public Library (28,274)
• Johnson - Iowa City Public Library (230,952)
• Johnson - Oxford Public Library (12,022)
• Jones - Jones County Genealogical Society (321,917)
• Jones - Ross & Elizabeth Baty Public Library, Monticello (139,104)
• Keokuk - Hedrick Public Library (45,735)
• Keokuk - North English (748,915)
• Kossuth - Algona Public Library (216,139)
• Kossuth - Kossuth County Newspapers (170,771)
• Linn - Cedar Rapids Public Library (2,459,794)
• Linn - Coe College (33,583)
• Linn - Coggon Historical Society (14,404)
• Linn - Cornell College (54,104)
• Linn - Linn County Atlas (1,245)
• Linn - Marion Public Library (153,711)
• Linn - Mount Vernon Public Library (71,929)
• Louisa - Mellinger Public Library (64,508)
• Lucas - Chariton Public Library (118,522)
• Lyon - Rock Rapids Public Library (113,016)
• Madison - Earlham Echo (30,578)
• Madison - Winterset Public Library (125,832)
• Marion - Central College (34,250)
• Marion - Pella Public Library (151,216)
• Marshall - Gutekunst Public Library (64,881)
• Marshall - Marshalltown Public Library (78,708)
• Mills - Malvern Public Library (63,022)
• Mills - The Silver City Historical Society (12,000)
• Mitchell - Nissen Public Library (50,034)
• Mitchell - Osage Public Library (31,016)
• Monona - Mapleton Public Library (84,944)
• Monona - Onawa Public Library ( 134,742)
• Monroe - Monroe County Historical Society (167,941)
• Montgomery - Red Oak Community (173,648)
• Montgomery - Stanton Historical Society (24,373)
• Montgomery - Villisca Public Library (73,287)
• O'Brien - General N.B. Baker Library (41,576)
• O'Brien - Hartley Public Library (81,639)
• O'Brien - O'Brien County Archives (77,685)
• O'Brien - Paullina Public Library (59,994)
• O'Brien - Sanborn Public Library (99,129)
• Osceola - Sibley Public Library (124,842)
• Page - Essex Lied Public Library (41,265)
• Page - Lied Public Library (185,591)
• Page - Shenandoah Public Library (261,691) (in-library)
• Palo Alto - Graettinger Public Library (59,138)
• Palo Alto - Palo Alto County (88,785)
• Plymouth - Akron Public Library (61,590)
• Plymouth - Kingsley Public Library (54,891)
• Plymouth - LeMars Public Library (232,808)
• Plymouth - Remsen Public Library (58,423)
• Pocahontas - Laurens Public Library (76,212)
• Pocahontas - Pocahontas Public Library (95,650)
• Pocahontas - Rolfe Public Library (41,974)
• Polk - Children and Families of Iowa (3,938)
• Polk - Johnston Public Library (29,599)
• Pottawattamie - Avoca (13,543)
• Pottawattamie - Botna Valley Genealogy Society (6,821)
• Pottawattamie - Walnut Public Library (50,370)
• Ringgold - Tingley Vindicator (16,223)
• Sac - Odebolt Public Library and Museum (133,771)
• Scott - Catholic Messenger (77,175)
• Scott - Scott County Library (131,851)
• Sioux - Libraries of Sioux County (629,922)
• Story - Ames Public Library (607,595)
• Story - Bertha Bartlett Public Library (66,145)
• Story - Nevada Iowa Archive (198,573)
• Taylor - Lenox Public Library (44,665)
• Wapello - Eddyville Public Library (49,246)
• Warren - Warren County Historical Society (49,629)
• Washington - Kalona Public Library  (70,373)
• Washington - Washington County Library Association (799,409)
• Wayne - Seymour Community Library (52,068)
• Webster - Fort Dodge Public Library (188,906)
• Woodbury - Morningside College (19,789)
• Worth - Worth County Historical Society (8,426)
• Wright - Clarion Public Library (98,806)
• Wright - Eagle Grove Memorial Library (130,469)
• Wright - Talbot Belmond  Public Library (39,828) (in-library)

Kansas

• Allen - Humboldt Public Library (51,852)
• Anderson - Garnett Public Library (13,688)
• Brown - Morrill Public Library (186,253)
• Chase - Chase County Historical Society (4,632)
• Coffey - Coffey County Library (2,540)
• Cowley - Arkansas City Public Library 509,873)
• Franklin - Ottawa University (25,223)
• Geary - Dorothy Bramlage Public Library (487,396)
• Gove - Grinnell-Angelus Heritage Center (24,600)
• Harvey - Bethel College (28,030)
• Harvey - Newton Public Library (193,935)
• Logan - Oakley Public Library (70,714)
• Lyon - Emporia Public Library (30,506)
• Lyon - Lyon County Library (23,012)
• Marion - Peabody Township Library (68,421)
• Marshall - Waterville Public Library (48,590)
• Montgomery - Independence Public Library (34,279)
• Nemaha - Mary Cotton Public Library (107,692)
• Nemaha - Seneca Free Library (75,947)
• Osborne - Osborne Public Library (221,584)
• Pawnee - Jordaan Memorial Library (7,868)
• Pottawatomie - Wamego Public Library (121,222)
• Rooks - Plainville Memorial Library (77,403)
• Russell - Russell Public Library (7,608)
• Sedgewick - Derby Public Library (27,610)
• Stevens - Stevens County Library (71,635)

Kentucky

• Adair - Adair County Library (39,034)
• Clark - Clark County Public Library (14,771)
• Clinton - Clinton County Public Library (15,144)
• Green - Green County Public Library (84,038)
• McCreary - McCreary County Public Library (60,774)
• Meade - Meade County Public Library (100,813)
• Russell - Russell County Public Library (99,307)
• Scott - Scott County Public Library (42,636)
• Wayne - Wayne County Public Library (113,203)

Louisiana

• Acadia - Acadia Parish Library (538,378)
• Bienville - Bienville Parish Public Library (59,327)
• Caldwell - Caldwell Parish Library (7,018)
• Concordia - Concordia Parish Public Library (159,076)
• East Baton Rouge - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (19,095)
• Jefferson Davis - Jennings Carnegie (28,371)
• Lafayette - Lafayette Public Library (86,945)
• LaSalle - LaSalle Parish Library (90,164)
• Rapides - Rapides Parish Library (310,692)
• Union - Union Parish Library (52,164)
• Vermillion - Vermilion Parish Library (348,179)
• Vernon - Vernon Parish Library (227,726)
• Webster - Webster Parish Library (233,816)

Maine

• Aroostook - Caribou Public Library (2,776)
• Aroostook - Fort Fairfield Public Library (55,347)
• Aroostook - Houlton High School Yearbooks (9,711)
• Aroostook - Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library (40,139)
• Aroostook - Walter TA Hansen Memorial Library (8,247)
• Cumberland - Bridgton Public Library (86,279)
• Cumberland - Scarborough Public Library (71,298)
• Kennebec - Gardiner Public Library  (24,987)
• Lincoln - Skidompha Library (11,045)
• Lincoln - Skidompha Public Library (2,177) (in-library)
• Penobscot - Old Town Public Library (111,703)
• Piscataquis - Thompson Free Library (0,053)
• Waldo - Alice L. Pendleton Library ( 7,840)
• Waldo - Belfast Free Library (7,881)
• York - McArthur Public Library (15,334)
• York - Springvale Public Library and Goodall Memorial Library (45,089)

Maryland

• Montgomery - Montgomery County Public Libraries (1,148)
• Queen Anne's - Queen Anne's County Library (187,824)
• Worcester - Worcester County Library (135,701)

Massachusetts

• Bristol - Ames Free Library of Easton (1,404) (in-library)
• Bristol - Somerset Public Library (14,155) (in-library)
• Essex - Amesbury Public Library (70,625)
• Essex - Flint Public Library (34,698)
• Essex - Newburyport Public Library (219,377)
• Essex - Topsfield Library (34,698)
• Franklin - Montague Public Libraries (18,246)
• Franklin - Wheeler Memorial Library (25,506)
• Hampden - Wilbraham Public Library (26,639)
• Middlesex - Hudson Public Library (16,595)
• Middlesex - J V Fletcher Library (1,241)
• Middlesex - Stoneham Public Library (123,985)
• Middlesex - Tewksbury Public Library (15,301)
• Norfolk - Holbrook Public Library (22,107)
• Norfolk - Sharon Public Library (116,575)
• Norfolk - Turner Free Library (39,985)
• Plymouth - East Bridgewater (8,462)
• Plymouth - Scituate Town Library (34,842)
• Worcester - Leominster Public Library (51,893)
• Worcester - Oxford Public Library (827)
• Worcester - Stevens Memorial Library (2,545)

Michigan

• Alger - Munising School Public Library (87,109) (in-library)
• Bay - Delta College Collegiate (6,493)
• Berrien - Bridgman Public Library (1,535)
• Genesee - Kettering University Library (5,944)
• Gratiot - Alma College (4,753)
• Newaygo - White Cloud Community Library (11,411)
• Oceana - Shelby Area District Library (25,351)

Mississippi

• Coahoma - Carnegie Public Library (222,408)
• Wayne - Waynesboro Wayne County Library System (115,912)

Missouri

• Grundy - Grundy County Jewett Norris Library (370,059)
• Livingston - Livingston (50,180)
• Putnam - Putnam County Public Library (148,730)

Montana

• Gallatin - Bozeman High School (7,880)
• Hill - Havre Hill County Library (341,118)
• Hill - Havre Hill Obituaries ( 13,121)
• Yellowstone - Billings Public Library ( 136,266)

Nebraska

• Antelope - Neligh Public Library (76,858)
• Boone - Albion Public Library (75,629)
• Brown - Ainsworth Public Library (27,727)
• Brown - Ainsworth Public Library (103,200) (in-library)
• Burt - Lyons Public Library (70,700)
• Burt - Oakland Public Library (82,157)
• Cedar - Lied Randolph Public Library (57,195) (in-library)
• Cheyenne - Dalton Delegate (2,769)
• Cheyenne - Sidney Public Library (219,488)
• Dixon - Dixon County Nebraska (51,555)
• Dixon - Ponca Carnegie Library (80,520)
• Dodge - North Bend Public Library (71,345)
• Dodge - Scribner Public Library (66,830)
• Furnas - Arapahoe (96,190) (in-library)
• Furnas - Arapahoe Public Library (83,435)
• Furnas - Butler Memorial Library (65,776)
• Greeley - Scotia Public Library and Heritage Center (40,091)
• Holt - Atkinson Library (63,035)
• Howard - Saint Paul Library (111,757)
• Knox - Creighton Public Library (65,509)
• Lincoln - North Platte Genealogical Society (182,174)
• Merrick - Central City Public Library (29,183)
• Otoe - Otoe County Archives (157,230)
• Pawnee - Pawnee City Library (90,208) (in-library)
• Perkins - Hastings Memorial Library (80,306)
• Pierce - Lied Pierce Public Library (88,237)
• Pierce - Plainview News (70,730)
• Polk - Polk County Historical Society  (193,879)
• Seward - Seward Memorial Library (262,934)
• Stanton - Stanton Public Library (54,520)
• Valley - North Loup Public Library (18,132)

Nevada

• Douglas - Douglas County Public Library (177,184)

New Hampshire

• Grafton - Bethlehem Public Library (4,644)
• Hillsborough - Fuller Public Library (69,679)
• Hillsborough - Peterborough Town Library (24,952)
• Hillsborough - Wadleigh Memorial Library (127,494)
• Hillsborough  - Nashua Public Library (220,887)
• Rockingham - Derry Public Library (174,766)
• Rockingham - Kelley Library (19,649)
• Rockingham - Plaistow Public Library (47)
• Rockingham - The Nesmith Library (66,454)
• Strafford - Dover Public Library (30,948)
• Strafford - Farmington News of Farmington New Hampshire (28,374)
• Strafford - Lee Public Library (16,537)
• Sullivan - Fiske Free Library (5,860)
• Sullivan - Richards Free Library (124,908)

New Jersey

• Camden - Cherry Hills Public Library (58,614)

New York

• Albany - Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany (78,464)
• Broome - George Johnson Memorial Library (147,459)
• Broome - Lisle Free Library (21,894)
• Broome - Mary L. Wilcox Memorial Library (39,072)
• Cattaraugus - Allegany Public Library (29,793)
• Cattaraugus - Saint Bonaventure University - Friedsam Memorial Library (43,094)
• Cayuga - The Seymour Public Library (122,959)
• Chenango - Afton Free Library (23,480)
• Chenango - Bainbridge (NY) Historical Society (17,210)
• Chenango - Guernsey Memorial Library (161,969)
• Columbia - Roeliff Jansen Community Library (62,413)
• Delaware - Sidney Memorial Library (107,451)
• Greene - Catskill (247,211) (in-library)
• Jefferson - Roswell P Flower Memorial Library (3,518)
• Madison - Cazenovia Public Library (134,077)
• Madison - Oneida Public Library (6,084)
• Nassau - Glen Cove Public Library (3,063)
• Nassau - Hewlett Woodmere Public Library (180,456)
• Nassau - Long Beach Public Library (14,245)
• Nassau - Massepequa Public Library (34,488)
• Onondoga - Fayetteville Free Library (81,418)
• Onondoga - Marcellus Free Library (9,577)
• Orange - Albert Wisner Public Library (146,846)
• Orange - Josephine - Louise Public Library (32,546)
• Otsego - The Village Library of Morris (12,536)
• Rensselaer - Troy Public Library (42,502)
• Rockland - Nyack Library (798)
• Steuben - Addison Public Library (8,016)
• Steuben - Hornell Public Library (24,219)
• Suffolk - Long Island Republic Airport Historical Society (2,847)
• Suffolk - Long Island Republic Airport Historical Society (2,847)
• Sullivan - The Liberty Public Library (31,023)
• Tompkins - Southworth Library (64,676)
• Tompkins - Ulysses Philomathic Library (48,647)
• Ulster - Saugerties Public Library (69,507)
• Ulster - Woodstock Public Library (21,216)
• Wayne - Clyde-Savannah Public Library (37,139)
• Wayne - Sodus Community Library (48,597)
• Wayne - Williamson Public Library (50,899)
• Westchester - Chappaqua Public Library (93,695)
• Westchester - Katonah Village Library (10,117)
• Westchester - North Castle Public Library (26,797)
• Westchester - Port Chester - Rye Brook Public Library (16,568)
• Wyoming - Perry Public Library (59,738)
• Wyoming - Pioneer Library System (209,549)
• Wyoming - Stevens Memorial Library & The Attica Historical Society (35,531)

North Carolina

• Dare - Dare County Library (149,984)
• Dare - Dare County Library (152,967)
• Dare - Dare County Library (1,555)
• Nash - Braswell Memorial Library (20,600)
• Robeson - Mary Livermore Library (25,677)

North Dakota

• Divide - Divide County Library (151,419)

Ohio

• Brown - Union Township Public Library (85,337)
• Champaign - Champaign County Library (511,977)
• Columbiana - Carnegie Public Library (35,912)
• Columbiana - Lepper Public Library (212,478)
• Erie - Huron Public Library (62,570)
• Franklin - Southwest Public Libraries (63,441)
• Franklin - Westland Area Library (34,101)
• Fulton - Archbold Community Library (38,147)
• Fulton - Swanton Public Library (59,997)
• Gallia - Bossard Memorial Library (412,040)
• Hancock - Findlay-Hancock County Public Library (71,211)
• Hardin - Ada Public Library (104,338)
• Hardin - Forest Jackson Public Library (1,325)
• Holmes - Holmes County District Public Library (21,978)
• Huron - Bellevue Public Library (280,856)
• Huron - Huron County Community Library (231,936)
• Lawrence - Briggs Lawrence County Public Library (10,683)
• Licking - Mary Babcock Library (70,013)
• Lorain - Avon Lake Public Library (1,841)
• Mercer - Coldwater Public Library (83,989)
• Mercer - Fort Recovery Public Library (18,807)
• Ottawa - Oak Harbor Public Library (65,385)
• Paulding - Paulding County Carnegie Library (257,416)
• Preble - Brown Memorial Library (37,532)
• Richland - Marvin Memorial Library (214,351)
• Seneca - Seneca East Public Library (44,503)
• Stark - Stark County District Library (227,420)
• Trumbull - McKinley Memorial Library (366,077)
• Wayne - Wayne County Public Library (107,140)
• Wayne - Wayne County Public Library (107,140)
• Wood - Rossford Public Library (36,663)
• Wood - Way Public Library (116,800)
• Wood - Wayne Public Library (87,246)
• Wood - Weston Public Library (32,766)
• Wood - Wood County District Public Library (46,558)
• Wyandot - Dorcas Carey Public Library (112,116)

Oklahoma

• Bryan - Donald W Reynolds Community Center & Library (254,357)
• Kingfisher - Hennessey Public Library (73,564)
• Texas - Guymon Public Library (318,995)

Oregon

• Coos - Flora M Laird Memorial Library (56,068)
• Umatilla - The Weston Public Library (12,290)
• Wallowa - Wallowa History Center (15,795) (in-library)

Pennsylvania

• Allegheny - Oakmont Carnegie Library (19,057)
• Chester - Spoke Newspaper (5,422)
• Franklin - Alexander Hamilton Memorial (462,792)

Rhode Island

• Bristol - Bristol Phoenix (128,533)
• Kent - East Greenwich Free Library (76,375)
• Kent - East Greenwich Post 2000 Newspapers (15,096) (in-library)
• Kent - Warwick Public Library (128,979) (in-library)
• Kent - West Warwick Public Library (9,424)
• Newport - Jamestown Philomenian Library (14,708)
• Providence - Cranston Public Library (53,005)
• Providence - Greenville Public Library (116,071) (in-library)
• Providence - Pawtucket Public Library (18,632)
• Washington - Island Free Library (24,536)
• Washington - Maury Loontjens Memorial Library (3,281)
• Washington - North Kingstown Library (139,246)

South Dakota

• Union - Beresford Public Library (81,101) (in-library)
• Union - Beresford Public Library (62,477)

Texas

• Andrews - Andrews County Library (116,795)
• Austin - Bellville Public Library (96,266)
• Bee - Joe Barnhart Bee County Library (142,505)
• Bell - Killeen (603,805) (in-library)
• Blanco - Blanco County North and South Library Districts (24,346)
• Cameron - Harlingen Public Library (277,945)
• Camp - Pittsburg-Camp County Public Library (55,299)
• Chambers - Chambers County Library System (46,082)
• Colorado - Nesbitt Memorial Library (134,534)
• Comal - New Braunfels Public Library (46,758)
• Crane - Crane County Public Library (20,534)
• Dallam - XIT Museum (300,961)
• Frio - Dilley Public Library (    32,242)
• Galveston - Friendswood Public Library (37,807)
• Grayson - Denison Public Library (38,748)
• Hays - San Marcos Public Library (248,366)
• Hidalgo - Speer Memorial Library (49,139)
• Hood - Hood County Public Library (213,869)
• Hunt - Commerce Public Library (177,681)
• Karnes - Karnes City Public Library (25,973)
• Karnes - Kenedy Public Library (58,879)
• Oldham - Oldham County Public Library (14,573)
• Pecos - Fort Stockton Public Library (18,089)
• Pecos - Iraan Public Library (12,177)
• Reeves - Reeves County Library (3,897)
• Scurry - Scurry County Library (15,425)
• Swisher - Swisher County Public Library (60,906)
• Tarrant - John Ed Keeter Public Library (9,327)
• Tom Green - Tom Green County Library (34,734)
• Trinity - Blanche K. Werner Library  (31,483)
• Victoria - Victoria College Library (259,329)
• Victoria - Victoria Public Library (4,821)
• Wichita - Burkburnett Public Library (48,158)
• Wichita - Electra Public Library (58,373)
• Wichita - Wichita Falls Public Library (735,091) (in-library)
• Williamson - Eula Hunt Beck Florence Public Library (2,271)
• Wood - Gilbreath Memorial Library (2,955)

Vermont

• Chittenden - Charlotte News (20,565)
• Franklin - Arvin A Brown Public Library (19,184)
• Lamoille - Stowe Free Library (28,860)
• Rutland - Sherburne Memorial Library (1,400)

Virginia

• Frederick - Handley Regional Library (6,385)
• Frederick - Wayside Theater (2,217)

West Virginia

• Mercer - Princeton Public Library (2,206)
• Mineral - Potomac State College Mary Shipper Library (336,748)
• Ohio - Ohio County Public Library (260,968)

Wisconsin

• Barron - Rice Lake Public Library (18,593)
• Chippewa - Chippewa Falls Public Library (47,197)
• Columbia - Kilbourn Public Library 137,117)
• Dunn - Menomonie Public Library (34,536)
• Forest - Crandon Public Library (21,063)
• Jefferson - Irvin L Young Memorial Library (200,665)
• Juneau - Elroy Public Library (123,291)​

One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries.  Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information and sometimes mote importantly - information about the relatives of the deceased's family and extended family.  This family name information is often not found anywhere else.

Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists, a great number of indexes to death information and obituaries from newspapers have been provided for free online.  These searchable indexes often provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the obituary clipping is even provided.
​
So not only can we search old newspapers for these gems, we can get transcriptions and get directed to the location of the obituaries from these indexes.

Here are alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information, listed by the link to each state's list of free links:

(Updated September, 2018; Number of databases and new updates are denoted)

• Connecticut Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (25 total, 5 new)
• Maine Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (21 total, 5 new)
• Massachusetts Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (27 total, 7 new)
• New Hampshire Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (18 total, 6 new)
• Rhode Island Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (9 total, 2 new)
• Vermont Obituaries and Obituary Index Links (16 total, 4 new)

As any reader of this site knows, a lot of the content is related to newspaper research for genealogy.

Recently I added a Flipboard to the assortment of tools related to this subject. On this Flipboard, entitled "Boost Your Genealogy Research with Newspapers," I post all types of pertinent information about newspaper research, not just articles that I have written.

So if you are interested in following this Flipboard, you can subscribe to it, or go to the Newspapers Page on this site where the link can always be found in the middle about a third of the way down the page.  You can then click on the link and follow or you can bookmark the link.


Below is the link to get to it now.

As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read the articles on this site.

Finding your ancestors in newspaper articles is in my opinion - an art, not a science. One must be clever and resourceful to get around the limitations in old newspapers, whether they be poor original quality, copies of copies as sources for scanning, as well as the limitations of the OCR process.

Another "feature" of older newspapers is the use of the hyphen. Hyphenated words were often used because of fixed width type as well as the experience and capability of the typesetter. Hyphens are less utilized today but were heavily used years ago. 

The bottom line is that if you search for a portion of your ancestor's surname, rather than the entire word, you may get additional results. For example, if your ancestors name was "Jorgenson" try searching for "Jorgen." The typesetter may have split the word so that at the end of one line are the letters "Jorgen-" with the hyphen, and the next line may start with "son".

I have an ancestral line with the surname "Braunhart".  Many times an article may have a line that ends with "Braun-" and the next line starts with "hart".  This creates some additional challenges, just like "Williamson" may be split up as "William" and "son".  The first set of letters ends up being a very common set of letters so your results may be too numerous to be of much help.

Below is an example of how often hyphens have been used. In this case 6 times in two short paragraphs.

​Here are a few examples that show the different uses of the hyphen. And always consider that the "break" may not always be in the logical place in the word.
​

In the first case you could search for "Patter" when your target name was "Patterson"

In the second case, even a short word like "Hardie" is split up, so you would search for "Har".  This may lead to too many results but is worth a try.

Be open minded about where the split may occur.  In the third case I wouldn't think that the name would be split this way, but searching for "McDon" may lead to many more results.


Don't give up and remember that hyphenated words give you additional opportunities and additional searches.