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.
Alabama
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Alabama Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Arkansas
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Arkansas Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Florida
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Florida Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Georgia
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Georgia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Kentucky
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Kentucky Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Louisiana
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Louisiana Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Mississippi
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Mississippi Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Missouri
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Missouri Online Historical Newspapers Summary
North Carolina
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on North Carolina 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 Carolina
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on South Carolina Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Tennessee
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Tennessee Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Texas
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Texas 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
Alabama
- Alabama Obituaries - Obit City
- Alabama USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Birmingham Area Newspapers Obituary Index
- Blount County Obituaries Index 1915-1940
- Covington County Newspaper Obituary Index
- Fayette County Public Library Obituaries
- Huntsville–Madison County Public Library Newspaper Obituary Index
- Lauderdale County Obit Index
- Miscellaneous Alabama Obituaries by County
- Ozark Dale County Public Library Obituary Database
- Pike County Obituaries
- Southern Democrat Obit Index
- Winston County Haleyville Journal and Miscellaneous Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Alabama Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Arkansas
- Arkansas Obituaries - Obit City
- Arkansas USGenWeb Obituary Project
- In Remembrance Death Index
- Arkansas Online Obituaries
- Ashley County Ledger Obituaries
- Benton Courier Obituary Index
- Bradley County Obituaries Index
- Craighead County Obituaries Index
- Fayetteville Public Library Obituary Records
- Hot Springs Sentinel-Record Index to Obituaries
- Lawrence County Times Dispatch Obituaries
- Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Obituary Records
- Saline County Obituary Index
- Yell County Obituaries
- Yell County Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Arkansas Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Florida
- Bay County Obituaries Index and Cemetery Burials
- Collier County: Naples Daily News Obituary Index
- Flagler County Obituaries
- Highlands County Obituaries Index
- Hillsborough County: Index to Obituaries in the Tampa Tribune
- Indian River County Library Obituary Indexes
- Lee County Genealogical Society Obituaries and Death Notices Index
- Naples Obituary Index
- Nassau County Cemeteries and Obituaries
- Orlando Obituary Indexes, 1949-1991
- Palm Beach County Obituary Index
- Palm Beach County Obituaries
- Pasco County Obituary Index
- Pinellas Genealogy Society Obituary Index
- Polk County Obituaries Index 1881-1960
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Florida Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Georgia
- Georgia Obituaries - Obit City
- Georgia USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Carroll County Obituary Index 1872-2008
- Fulton County Obituaries
- Jefferson County Obituary Index (1871-present)
- Glynn County Obituaries
- Gordon County Obituaries Search
- Savannah Morning News Obituaries Index
- Summerville News Newspaper Death Notices
- Sumter County Obituary Indexes
- Lumpkin County Genealogy Resources
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Georgia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Kentucky
- Kentucky Obituaries - Obit City
- Kentucky USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Anderson County Obituary Index
- Bath County Obituary Index
- Boyd County - Ashland Daily Independent Obituary Index
- Boyle County Genealogy and Vital Records Indexes
- Carter County Cemeteries, Transcribed Records and Images
- Daviess County/Owensboro Obituary Index
- Grant County Obituary Index
- Henderson County Public Library Obituary Finder
- Johnson County Obituaries
- La Center Obituaries
- LaRue County Herald Obituary Indexes
- Lawrence County Online Obituary Database
- Lexington Public Library Funeral Notices Collection
- Lexington Public Library Kentucky Room Local History Index
- Logan/Todd County Obituary Database
- Trimble County Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Kentucky Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Louisiana
- Louisiana Obituaries - Obit City
- Louisiana USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Baton Rouge Newspapers Obituaries Index
- Baton Rouge State-Times and Morning Advocate Obituaries Index
- Calcasieu Parish Public Library Obituaries Indexes
- The East Baton Rouge Advocate Obituary Index
- Jefferson Parish Library Times-Picayune Obituary Notices Index
- Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index
- Obituary Indexing for the Times Picayune
- Orleans Parish GenWeb Genealogy Archives
- Ouachita Parish Obituaries
- Rapides Parish Obituaries Index
- Sabine Parish Obituary Records
- St. Tammany Obituary and Biography Index
- Times Picayune Obituary Notices
- Washington Parish Library Obituary Indexes
- Washington Parish Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Louisiana Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Mississippi
- Mississippi Obituaries - Obit City
- Mississippi USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Attala County Obituary Index
- Hancock County Historical Society Genealogy Indexes
- Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library - Obituary Indexes
- Oktibbeha County Obituaries
- Prentiss County Obituaries
- Tippah County Obituaries 1836-1936
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Mississippi 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
North Carolina
- North Carolina Obituaries - Obit City
- North Carolina USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Miscellaneous North Carolina Obituaries via DigitalNC
- Alamance County Area Obituary Indexes and Abstracts
- Buncombe County Obituaries Index
- Cabarrus County Obituary Index
- Catawba County Obituaries Index
- Catawba County Newspaper Obituaries
- Craven County Obituaries
- Davidson County Obituary Indexes
- Davie County Obituaries
- Franklin County Obituaries Index 1879-1954
- Franklin County Obituaries Index 1955-2000
- Franklin County Obituaries Index 2001-present
- Harnett County Obituary and Cemetery Burials Search
- New Bern Obituaries Index
- Johnston County Obituaries
- Lexington Dispatch Obituary Indexes
- Mitchell County Obituaries
- North Carolina Baptist Obituary Notices
- Onslow County Genealogy Indexes
- Raleigh News and Observer Newspaper Index
- Randolph County Obituaries Index
- Union County Public Library Obituary Indexes
- Wayne County Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on North Carolina 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 Carolina
- South Carolina Obituaries - Obit City
- South Carolina USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Beaufort County Obituary Index
- Dillon County Obituaries
- Greenville County Obituary Index
- Greenwood County Obituaries
- Horry County Obituaries
- Lexington County Obituary Index
- Marlboro County Obituaries
- Richland County Obituaries
- Savannah Morning News Obituaries 1913-1926 and 1987-1996
- Spartanburg County Obituaries
- York County Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on South Carolina Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Tennessee
- Tennessee Obituaries - Obit City
- Tennessee USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Anderson County Obituary Index
- Bradley County Obituary Index
- Chattanooga Obituaries
- Davidson County - Nashville Obituary Indexes
- Knoxville Obituary Index
- Montgomery County Obituary Index
- Morgan County Obituary Archive
- Nashville Tennessean Obituaries
- Nashville Newspapers Death Notices
- Scott County Death Indexes
- Shelby County - Memphis Appeal Obituaries Index
- Sumner County Obituaries
- Tipton County - Covington Leader Obituaries Index
- Warren County Obituaries
- Williamson County Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Tennessee Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Texas
- Texas Obituaries - Obit City
- Texas USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Amarillo Globe-News Obituaries
- Burnet County Obituary Index
- Collin County - McKinney Obituary Indexes
- Colorado County Obituary Database
- Corpus Christi Obituary Index
- Dallas County Obituaries
- Denton County Obituary Index
- Dimmit County Obituaries
- Fort Bend County Libraries Obituaries
- Fredericksburg Genealogical Society Indexes
- Harris County - Baytown Sun Obituary Index
- LaSalle County Obituaries
- Menard County Obituary Index
- Mexia Obituary Index 1950-1999
- Montgomery County Obituary Search
- Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel Newspaper Obituary Index
- Potter County Obituaries 1996-2007
- San Antonio Obituary Index
- Smith County Obituaries
- Tarrant County: Obituaries
- Texas Obituary Project
- Travis County Obituaries
- Victoria County Obituaries
- Wise County Obituaries
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Texas 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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