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 or index lists provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the obituary clipping or transcription is even provided.
Below is a list of links to Maine obituary indexes, an alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information. If the newspaper clippings are available, or if the obituaries are transcribed, they will be denoted. 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 January, 2021; recently added links are in BOLD)
General U.S.
- Currentobituary.com index, 2001-2014
- Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2016
- U.S., Selected Jewish Obituaries, 1948-2002
- United Methodist Church Annual Conference Journal Memoirs and Obituary Index
- United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014
- United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012
Maine
- Andover Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Androscoggin County Obituary Index
- Aroostook County Obituary Index
- Bangor Daily News Transcribed Obituaries 2007-
- Biddeford and Saco Journal Obituaries Obituaries 1902-1975 (clippings)
- Biddeford Area Obituary and Newspaper Indexes (transcriptions)
- Bowdoin College & Medical School of Maine Obituaries (1867-1909)
- Bowdoin College & Medical School of Maine Obituaries (1891-1922)
- Bowdoin College Library Obituary Records (transcriptions)
- Central Maine Obituaries 1985- (transcriptions)
- Cumberland County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Cumberland County Obituary Index
- Cumberland County, Eastern Argus Obituaries, 1825 (short transcriptions)
- Cumberland County, Maine Baptist Herald Obituaries, 1824-1826 (short transcriptions)
- Cumberland County, Christain Mirror Obituaries, 1822 (short transcriptions)
- Daily Me Obituaries 2000-2015 (transcriptions)
- Dexter Obituary Database (transcriptions)
- Ellsworth Herald / Ellsworth American Death and Obituary Index 1851 to 1864
- Ellsworth Newspapers Obituary Index
- Franklin County Obituary Index
- Hancock County Miscellaneous Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Hancock County Obituary Index
- Kennebec County Obituary Index
- Knox County Obituary Index
- Knox County, Town of Union, Miscellaneous Obituaries (and cemetery records), 1986-2008
- Lincoln County Obituary Index
- Lincoln County News Obituaries 2006-present (transcriptions)
- Lincoln County, Lincoln Intelligencer & Lincoln Telegraph Obituaries 1820's (short transcriptions)
- Madawaska, Lajoie Funeral Home Obituaries 2009-present (transcriptions)
- Maine GenealogyBuff Obituary Files
- Maine Genealogy Network - Obituaries (clippings)
- Maine Genealogy Network Obituaries (clippings)
- Maine Military Obituaries 1700-1940 (clippings)
- Maine Miscellaneous Obituaries 1700's (transcriptions)
- Maine News Index
- Maine Obituaries - 2000- (transcriptions)
- Maine Obituaries - Obit City
- Maine USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Maine, Miscellaneous Obituaries from Newspapers (and other Vital Records) 1735-2006
- McArthur Public Library People Index
- Oxford County Obituary Index
- Penobscot County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Penobscot County Obituary Index
- Piscataquis County Obituary Index
- Presque Isle Obituary Index
- Sagadahoc County Obituary Index
- Sanford and Springvale Newspapers Obituary Index
- Scarborough Historical Society Obituaries (clippings)
- Somerset County Obituary Index
- University of Maine Alumni Obituaries
- Waldo County Obituary Index
- Washington County Obituary Index
- York County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- York County Obituary Index
If you wish to search this state's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Maine Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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