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.
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Illinois Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Indiana
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Indiana Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Iowa
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Iowa Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Kansas
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Kansas Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Michigan
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Michigan Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Minnesota
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Minnesota Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Missouri
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Missouri Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Nebraska
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Nebraska Online Historical Newspapers Summary
North Dakota
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on North Dakota Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Ohio
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Ohio Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Oklahoma
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Oklahoma Online Historical Newspapers Summary
South Dakota
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on South Dakota Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Wisconsin
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Wisconsin 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
- Illinois Obituaries - Obit City
- Illinois USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Illinois.gov Obituary Finder
- Alexander County Obituary Index
- Aurora Public Library Beacon Obituary Index
- Boone County Obituary Index
- Champaign County Historical and Genealogical Index
- Coal City Obituary Index
- Cook Memorial Public Library Obituaries
- Cook County, Maywood, Maywood Herald Obituary Card Index, 1885-2002
- Cook County, Obituaries, ca. 1970-1990
- Danville Jewish Community Obituaries
- Decatur Public Library Herald and Review Obituaries
- DeKalb County Genealogy Indexes
- DuPage County - Obituary Index
- DuPage County Bloomingdale Public Library Obituary Index
- Dziennik Chicagoski, Chicago Polish-language newspaper death notices (1890–1929)
- Dziennik Chicagoski, Chicago Polish-language newspaper death notices (1930–1971)
- Elgin Newspapers Obituaries
- Frankfort Area Obituary Index
- Grundy County Obituary Index
- Hardin County Obituary Index
- Highland Park Obituary Index
- Kankakee County Obituaries Index
- Kendall County Record Obituaries 1991-2000
- LaSalle County Obituaries
- Macoupin County Obituaries
- McLean County - Central Illinois Obituaries
- McHenry County Genealogy Indexes
- McHenry County Historical Society Obituaries Index
- Nauvoo, Mildred Hooper Obituary Collection, ca. 1959-1981
- North Suburban Library obituary index
- O'Fallon Progress Obituary Index
- Ogle County/Byron Obituaries
- Rock Island County Obituaries Index
- Rock Island County Genealogical Society Obituary Indexes
- Skokie Newspaper Obituaries
- St. Charles Public Library Newspaper Index
- St. Clair County Assorted Genealogy Indexes
- Tazewell County, Obituary Card Index from the "Pekin Times", 1914-2007
- Washington County Obituaries
- Wheaton Obituary Index
- Whiteside and Bureau County Obituary Index
- Will County Obituary Indexes
- Wilmette Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Illinois Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Indiana
- Indiana Obituaries - Obit City
- lndiana USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Adams County Obituaries
- Allen County Area Obituary Index
- Boone County Indexes
- Bremen Obituaries from the Bremen Enquirer
- Brownsburg Public Library Obituary Finder
- Clinton County Obituary Records
- Daviess County, Washington Times Herald Obituaries, 1984-2012
- Delaware County Index
- Edinburgh Wright-Hageman Public Library Obituary Search
- Elkhart Truth Obituary Index
- Evansville Area and Southwestern Indiana Obituary Search
- Fayette County Library Obituary Finder
- Floyd County Newspaper Index
- Fulton County Obituaries Index
- Garrett Public Library Obituaries
- Grant County Genealogy Database
- Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library Obituaries Index
- Hamilton County Newspaper Index
- Hammond Times Obituaries Index
- Howard County Obituaries
- Jefferson County Obituaries
- Johnson County Obituaries
- Knox County Obituaries
- Lawrenceburg Public Library Obituaries Index
- Lebanon Reporter Obituary Index
- Madison County Obituary and Genealogy Database
- Michigan City Obituary File
- Monroe County Obituary Index
- Mooresville Public Library Obituaries
- Morgan County Public Library Obituaries
- Nappanee Public Library Obituaries Index
- Noble County Obituaries
- North Madison Public Library/Elwood Historical Database
- North Webster Obituary Database
- Ohio County Genealogy Indexes
- Orange County Obituaries
- Parke County obituary index
- Perry County Obituaries
- Porter County Obituaries
- Porter County Obituary and Death Notices
- Putnam County Obituary Records
- Randolph County Obituaries
- Plymouth, Marshall County Obituary Index
- Rush County Obituary Index
- Scott County Obituary Index to The Chronicle
- Shelby County Obituaries
- St. Joseph County Obituary Index
- St. Joseph County Obituary Index
- Starke County Obituaries
- Sullivan County Obituary Index
- Tippecanoe County Obituaries Indexes
- Tipton County Genealogy Indexes
- Union County Genealogy Indexes
- Vigo County Obituary Index
- Wakarusa Public Library Obituaries
- Whitley County Peabody Public Library Obituaries Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Indiana Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Iowa
- Iowa Obituaries - Obit City
- lowa USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Adair County Obituaries
- Bremer County Obituary Records from the Waverly Phoenix of Waverly, Iowa
- Burlington Public Library Genealogy Index
- Chariton Newspaper Index
- Davenport Obituary Search
- Decatur County Obituaries
- Des Moines Obituary Index
- Drake Community Library Obituaries
- Dubuque Telegraph Herald Obituaries
- Iowa County Obituaries Index
- Jackson County Obituaries
- Lee County Obituaries Indexes
- Livonia Public Library Obituary Indexes
- Lucas County Newspaper Index
- Madison County Genealogy Indexes
- Mills County Obituaries
- Linn County Obituary Index
- Page County Newspaper Indexes of Page and Taylor Counties
- Sioux City Journal Index
- Sioux County Obituaries
- Story County Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Iowa Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Kansas
- Kansas Obituaries - Obit City
- Kansas USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Allen County Index
- Barton County Obituaries
- Chase County Obituary Index
- Chautauqua County Obituary Index
- Cherokee County Obituaries Index
- Crawford County Obituaries Index
- Elk County Obituaries
- Franklin County - Obituaries
- Harvey County Database
- Harvey County Obituaries Indexes
- Harvey County Genealogical Society Obituaries
- Johnson County Obituary Index
- McPherson County Obituary Index
- McPherson Obituary Index
- Osage City Library Obituary Index
- Rooks County: Obituary Index for the Plainville Times
- Rossville Community Library Obituary Collection
- Rush County Obituaries Index
- Topeka and Shawnee County Obituaries Index
- Wichita Eagle & Beacon Obituaries Index
- Wyandotte County Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Kansas Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Michigan
- Michigan Obituaries - Obit City
- Michigan USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006
- Alger County Obituaries
- Allegan County Genealogy Indexes
- Alpena County Obituary Indexes
- Calhoun County Obituaries Index
- Charlevoix Obituaries Index
- Chippewa River District Library Obituaries
- Eaton County Obituaries
- Farmington Obituaries
- Flint Public Library Obituary Indexes
- Fremont Area Obituary Finder
- Gladwin County Obituaries
- Grand Haven Tribune Index
- Gratiot County Historical and Genealogical Society Obituaries
- Huron Daily Tribune Obituaries Index
- Isabella County Obituaries
- Kalamazoo Gazette Newspaper Index
- Livingston County Obituaries
- Macomb County Obituary Index
- Menominee County Obituaries
- Milford Times Obituary Index
- Monroe County Obituary Search
- Monroe County News Obituaries
- Muskegon County Obituaries
- Newaygo Obituaries
- Oakland County Historical Resources
- Oakland County Obituary Index 1890-1999
- Obituaries Index for the Grand Rapids Press and Herald
- Owosso Argus-Press Obituaries
- Rochester Avon Historical Society Obituaries
- Saginaw Obituary Index
- Shiawassee County Argus Press Obituary Index
- Southwest Michigan Obituary Index
- Upper Peninsula Obituary Database
- Warren Public Library Obituaries
- Washtenaw County Newspaper Notices
- Western Michigan Newspapers Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Michigan Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Minnesota
- Minnesota Obituaries - Obit City
- Minnesota USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Minnesota, Obituaries 1865-2006
- Blue Earth County Obituaries Index
- Carlton County Obituaries
- Clay and Steele County Obituaries, 1865-2006
- Dakota County Obituary Index
- Dodge County Obituary Index
- Duluth Area Obituary Index
- Hennepin County Obituaries
- Olmsted County Personals Index
- Scott County Surname Index
- Sherburne Obituaries
- Stevens County Genealogical Society Records, 1876-2006
- St. Cloud Daily Times Obituary Index
- St. Louis County - Duluth Public Library Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Minnesota Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Missouri
- Missouri Obituaries - Obit City
- Missouri USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Adair County Obituaries Index
- Callaway Obituary Index
- Cass County Memorial Card & Obituary Collection
- Christian County Obituaries
- Cooper County Genealogy Records
- Crawford County Obituaries
- Gasconade Valley Index of Obituaries
- Henry County Obituaries
- Hickory County Obituaries
- Jefferson County Obituaries
- Jefferson County Newspaper Index
- Lincoln County Obituaries Index
- Macon County Obituary Index
- McDonald County Obituaries Database
- Miller County Obituaries Index
- Midwest Genealogy Center Indexes
- Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society Indexes
- Polk County Genealogical Society Obituaries Index
- Shannon County Obituaries
- St. Francois County Obituary Index
- St. Joseph Public Library Obituary Database
- St. Louis Globe-Democrat clipping index
- St. Louis Globe-Democrat death notices index
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch death notices index
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch obituary index
- St. Louis Sun Obituary Index, 1989-1990
- St. Louis Argus Obituary Index
- Sullivan County Cemeteries and Deaths from Newspapers 1875-1899
- Westliche Post Obituaries Index 1876-1894
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Missouri Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Nebraska
- Nebraska Obituaries - Obit City
- Nebraska USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Nebraska Obituaries
- Custer County Obituaries
- Greeley County Obituaries
- Knox County Obituaries
- Omaha Obits Index
- Red Willow County Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Nebraska Online Historical Newspapers Summary
North Dakota
- North Dakota Obituaries - Obit City
- North Dakota USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Emmons County Obituaries
- Fargo Forum Obituaries
- Golden Valley County Obituaries
- Grand Forks County Obituaries
- North Dakota Obituaries Archive
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on North Dakota Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Ohio
- Ohio Obituary Index - This index is HUGE!
- Akron Beacon Journal Obituary Indexes
- Barberton Public Library Obituary Indices
- Cleveland News Index
- Cleveland Jewish Obituary Indexes
- Columbus News and Obituary Index
- Crawford County Obituaries, 1860-2004
- Dayton Obituaries Index Search
- Fayette County Obituaries
- Gallia County Obituaries
- Hamilton County Newspaper Index
- Henry County Genealogical Society Obituary Indexes
- Huron County - Willard Area Obituary Index
- Indexes to the obituaries in the Akron Beacon Journal
- Jefferson County Obituaries
- Lake County Obituary Index
- Louisville Public Library Obituary Database
- Medina County Obituary Finder
- Muskingum County Obituaries
- Perry County Obituaries
- Richland County Newspaper Index - Obituaries
- Salem News obituary index
- Stark County Obituaries Indexes
- Stark County Obituary Index
- Stow-Munroe Falls Obituary Index
- Summit County Obituary Indexes
- Summit County Obituaries
- Toledo Blade Obituary Index
- Tuscarawas County Obituaries
- Union County Obituary Indexes
- Warren County Obituary Indices
- Warren Tribune Chronicle obituary index
- Williams County Obituary Index
- Worthington News Index
- Youngstown Vindicator Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Ohio Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Oklahoma
- Edmond Newspapers Obituaries Index
- Choctaw County Obituaries
- Coal County Obituaries Index
- Kay County Obituaries
- Major County/Fairview Obituaries
- Muskogee Newspaper Oklahoma Death & Obituary Indexes
- Oklahoman Obituary Index
- Payne County - Obituaries in the Stillwater NewsPress 1940-2003.
- Tulsa World Obituaries
- Tulsa County Death Notices
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Oklahoma Online Historical Newspapers Summary
South Dakota
- South Dakota Obituaries - Obit City
- South Dakota USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Brown County Obituaries
- Butte County Obituaries
- Faulk County Obituaries
- Hand County Obituaries
- Hyde County Obituaries
- Madison Daily Leader Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on South Dakota Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Obituaries - Obit City
- Wisconsin USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Appleton Obituaries
- Central Wisconsin Obituary Index
- Clark County Obituary Indexes
- Eagle Historical Society Obituaries
- Eau Claire Obituary Indexes
- Forest Republican Obituary Database
- Green County Obituaries
- Janesville Gazette Obituaries Index
- LaCrosse Obituary Index
- Lake Geneva Obituary Index
- Neenah Obituaries
- Oshkosh Obituary Indexes
- Outagamie County Newspaper Index
- Rhinelander Area Newspaper Obituary Index
- Richland Observer Obituary Index
- Ripon Obituaries
- Rock County Obituaries Index
- Sauk County Obituaries
- Stevens Point Journal Index
- Trempealeau County Obituary Indexes
- Waukesha County Obituaries
- Waushara County Obituary Database
- Wisconsin Obituaries
- Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle Obituary Index
- Wood County Genealogy Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Wisconsin Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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