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.
Connecticut
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Connecticut Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Maine
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Maine Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Massachusetts
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Massachusetts Online Historical Newspapers Summary
New Hampshire
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on New Hampshire Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Rhode Island
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Rhode Island Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Vermont
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
Connecticut
- Connecticut Obituaries - Obit City
- Connecticut USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Connecticut Jewish Ledger Obituary Database
- Cheshire Herald Obituary Index
- Fairfield Citizen News Obituaries Index
- Fairfield County - Greenwich Library Index
- Norwalk Obituary Index
- Ridgefield Press Obituaries Index
- Simsbury Death Notices and Obituaries
- Stamford Obituary Index
- Westport Library Obituaries Index
- Wilton Bulletin Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Connecticut Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Maine
- Maine Obituaries - Obit City
- Maine USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Maine Genealogy Network Obituaries
- Andover Obituaries
- Cumberland County - Snow Index to Brunswick Newspapers
- Dexter Obituary Database
- Goodall Library Obituary Index 1977 - Present
- McArthur Public Library People Index
- Sanford and Springvale Newspapers Obituary Index
- York County - Obituaries Index for Sanford and Springvale Newspapers
- University of Maine Alumni Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Maine Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Obituaries - Obit City
- Massachusetts USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Barnstable County Obituaries Index
- Barnstable Patriot Newspaper Index
- Boston Public Library Obituary Index
- Bristol County Obituary Index
- Chelmsford Newspapers Obituary Search
- Falmouth Enterprise Obituary Index
- Fall River Herald News Obituary Index
- Franklin County News Archive
- Lincoln Public Library obituary index
- Lynn Public Library Obituaries
- Middlesex County Obituary Database
- Zimmer Newspaper Index Digitization Project
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Massachusetts Online Historical Newspapers Summary
New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Obituaries - Obit City
- New Hampshire USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Amherst Historical Society Genealogy Indexes
- Belmont Obituary Indexes
- Dartmouth College Alumni Obituaries
- Derry Obituary Index
- Dover Obituary Index
- Rochester Public Library People and News Index
- Keene Vital Records
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on New Hampshire Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Obituaries - Obit City
- Rhode island USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Providence Journal Obituary Archive
- Rhode Island Obituary and Death Notice Collection
- Washington County Obituary Index
- West Warwick Times Name Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Rhode Island Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Vermont
- Vermont Obituaries - Obit City
- Vermont USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Bennington Genealogy Indexes
- Hartford Obituaries and Death Notices Indexes
- Miscellaneous Vermont Vital Records of the Early 19th Century
- Northeast Kingdom Vermont Genealogy Indexes
- Washington County Deaths, Funerals, Births & Fires
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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