56. Obituaries – A Changing Landscape
For genealogists, obituaries have long been an absolute goldmine for family history information. These newspaper accounts provided a host of details about a deceased person including:
And possibly, much more. The author of an obituary may have been a neighbour, a friend, a child, a sibling, a grandchild and who knows where they secured their information. Some caution required.
However, the landscape is changing.
First, many newspapers are struggling with the onslaught of digital advertising. As a result, obituaries may not be available or may be quite costly. A recent example indicated a cost of over $500. Yikes! Some folks simply cannot afford that.
Secondly, the funeral home may have a website and offer to place an obituary for the family.
Finally, there are online services that will provide a hosting for your obituary or maybe the family simply chooses not to have one.
But now, the task for the genealogists becomes that much more difficult. Where to look? Does the website still exist? What other sources for this information?
Ron Gilmore
Website: https://www.rgenealogy.ca