By Joe
June 6,2023
It’s common for family members, close friends, or the funeral home to place an obituary, or formal written announcement and published notice of a person’s death, in the local newspaper. If you’re looking to hunt down or want to find an old obituary but don’t want to pay a fee, there are several ways to locate old ones – from more recent deaths to those that occurred centuries ago. Regardless of why you’re searching, obituaries are a valuable link to the past.
Free Obituary Resources at a Glance
These resources can be helpful starting points in finding obituaries without paying a fee.
- Old newspapers or newspaper archive sites; Legacy.com offers a free newspaper obituary search
- Genealogy websites – some are totally free, like FamilySearch; others, like Ancestry.com offer free trials
- Specific funeral home or funeral home aggregate sites, such as Tribute Archive
- Online memorial websites, such as EverLoved
- State-specific death indexes or obituary resources – check places such as DeathIndexes.com or National Archives Vital Records
- Specific religious or historic archives or websites
Getting Started With Your Obituary Search
Before beginning your search for an obituary, gather as much information about the deceased as possible. This will help narrow your search and make it more productive. It will help if you know at least one or two of the following pieces of information:
- Full name, including maiden name for women
- Date and place of birth
- Date and place of death
- Places of employment
- Schools attended dates of attendance
- Degrees received
- Family members or next of kin, including spouse, children, grandchildren, parents and siblings
- Cemetery where buried
- Funeral arrangements
Using Online and Print Newspapers to Find Free Obituaries
One of the easiest and most popular places to find free obituaries: the newspaper. Whether in print or online, this is a great starting point if you know where the deceased lived or died.
Speak with a Licensed Funeral Director
Here at a Casket Emporium we have a staff of funeral directors who can help you with Funeral Arrangements, setting up Cremation Arrangements, Ash Burials, Scattering and even helping with Obituaries. We are the only online company who has actual funeral home experience. Call us anytime @ 800 618 4642 and we will help you with the arrangements you are setting up.
