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 is a list of alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information:
(Updated February, 2018; added links are in Bold)
General U.S.
Delaware
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Delaware Online Historical Newspapers Summary
District of Columbia
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on District of Columbia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Maryland
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Maryland Online Historical Newspapers Summary
New Jersey
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on New Jersey Online Historical Newspapers Summary
New York
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on New York Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Pennsylvania
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Pennsylvania Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Virginia
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Virginia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
West Virginia
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on West Virginia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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 is a list of alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information:
(Updated February, 2018; added links are in Bold)
General U.S.
- Currentobituary.com index, 2001-2014
- United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014
- United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012
Delaware
- Delaware Obituaries - Obit City
- Delaware USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Delaware Archives People Collections
- The News Journal Obituaries - Wilmington
- Newark Post Obituaries - Obituaries | newarkpostonline.com
- Obituaries - Cape Gazette
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Delaware Online Historical Newspapers Summary
District of Columbia
- District of Columbia Obituaries - Obit City
- District of Columbia USGenWeb Obituary Project
- DC Area Obituaries
- Congressional Cemetery Obituaries
- Washington DC Obituaries
- Washington Post Obituaries Archive
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on District of Columbia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Maryland
- Maryland Obituaries - Obit City
- Maryland USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Allegany County Obituaries
- Anne Arundel Obituaries Index
- Carroll County Obituaries
- Obituaries from Baltimore Area Newspapers
- Frederick County Gazette Obituaries
- Garrett County Obituaries Database
- Jednosc-Polonia Death Notice Index Search
- Maryland State Archives Biographies (has obituary info)
- Washington County Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Maryland Online Historical Newspapers Summary
New Jersey
- New Jersey Obituaries - Obit City
- New Jersey USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Belvidere Obituary Index
- Burlington County Library Newspaper Notices Index
- Gloucester County Announcements (index)
- Hudson County Genealogical Society - Genealogy Databases
- Hudson County Jersey Journal Obituaries
- Hunterdon County Obituary Transcriptions
- New Jersey Obituaries and Death Notices
- Plainfield Courier News Obituary Index
- Trenton Obituaries Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on New Jersey Online Historical Newspapers Summary
New York
- New York Obituaries - Obit City
- New York USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Allegany County Historical Society Obituaries
- Buffalo Dziennik Dla Wsystkich Death Notices
- Cattaraugus County Obituary Database
- Chemung County Obituary Index
- Connetquot Public Library Obituary Index
- Delaware County Obituaries
- Erie County Grand Island Obituaries
- Genesee County Obituary Indexes
- Goshen Public Library Obituary Index
- Herkimer Evening Telegram Obituary Index
- Herkimer County Winfield Star Death Index
- Livingston County/Dansville Obituaries
- Madison County Obituaries from Canastota Newspapers
- Nassau County - West Hempstead Obituary Index
- Niagara County Obituary Index
- Oneida County - Waterville Times Obituary Index
- Oneida County Obituaries
- Onondaga County Genealogy Databases
- Orange County/Middletown Obituary Database
- Saratoga Springs Index to the Saratogian, 1999-recent
- Schenectady County Obituary Indexes
- Steuben County Obituaries Index
- Steuben County Obituaries
- Suffolk County - Indexes to Local Moriches Newspapers
- Suffolk County - Long Island Advance Death Announcements
- Suffolk County - Mattituck-Laurel Library Obituary Indexes
- Suffolk Times Obituaries 1900-2003
- Tompkins County Indexes
- Ulster County Obituaries
- Wayne County Obituary Index
- Westchester County Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on New York Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Obituaries - Obit City
- Prennsylvania USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Pennsylvania Obituaries, 1977-2010
- Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Collection, 1947-2010
- Adams County Library System Index of Local Obituaries
- Allegheny County Obituaries from Pittsburgh Area Newspapers
- Allegheny Valley Daily News Obituary Indexes
- Altoona Area Obituaries
- Bedford County Obituary Index
- Bethlehem Obituary Indexes
- Blair County Obituary Indexes
- Bristol Obituary Index
- Butler County Obituary Index
- Cambria County Obituary Indexes
- Centre Daily Times Obituaries Index
- Columbia County Genealogy Indexes
- Columbia County Obituaries and Death Indexes
- Dauphin County Obituaries
- Erie County Obituary Index
- Fayette County Obituaries
- Franklin County Obituaries Index
- Greene County Obituary Index 1822-1958, 1980-1981
- Harrisburg Newspaper Index - Marriages and Deaths from 4 Newspapers
- Jefferson County/Brockway Obituary and Record Index
- Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society Obituaries Index
- Latrobe Bulletin Obituary Index
- Lawrence County Obituary Database
- Lehigh County Morning Call Online Obituary Index
- Lititz Obituary Project
- Luzerne County Obituary Index
- Lycoming County - Newspapers Surname Index
- Lycoming County Obituaries
- McKean County Bradford Era Obituary Index
- Northampton County Bangor Daily News Genealogy Index
- Northampton County Bethlehem Globe-Times Obituaries
- Northampton County Easton Area Public Library Obituary Indexes
- Northumberland County Obituary Index
- Schuylkill County Obituaries Index
- Somerset County Obituaries
- Westmoreland County - Baltzer Meyer Historical Society Index of Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Pennsylvania Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Virginia
- Virginia Obituaries - Obit City
- Virginia USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Alexandria Library Obituary Indexes
- Loudoun County Newspaper and Obituary Index
- Louisa County Obituaries From The Central Virginian
- Lynchburg Obituary Index
- Newport News Obituary Index
- Obituary Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor
- Petersburg Public Library Newspaper Index
- Prince William County Newspaper index
- Richmond - Henley Obituary Index
- Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor Obituary Index
- Russell County Master Obituary Index
- Russell County - Obituary Index to the Lebanon News
- Williamsburg - Virginia Gazette Obituary Index
- Winchester, Evening Star Obituaries, 1899-1909
- Winchester Star Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Virginia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
West Virginia
- West Virginia Obituaries - Obit City
- West Virginia USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Barbour County Deaths and Obituaries
- Cabell County Obituary Indexes
- Jackson County Cemeteries and Obituaries
- Jackson County Obituary Index
- Pleasants County Obituaries
- Wirt County Obituary Archive
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on West Virginia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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