“An obituary is a compact life story of the deceased;
it is likely the only life story of the subject person
ever to be written.”

For genealogists, obituaries have long been an absolute goldmine for family history information. The newspaper accounts provided a host of details about a deceased person.  However, the landscape for obituaries is changing.

Cost may be one of the major reasons.  A typical obit today may cost upwards of $500.00, a sum that might just be out of reach for some when you tie in all the other costs of a person passing.

Many newspapers are struggling with the onslaught of digital advertising and are forced to look for sources of revenue and will charge by the word. As a result, obituaries may not be available or may be quite costly.

Secondly, the funeral home may have a website and offer to place an obituary for the family.  Funeral homes go out of business and so do newspapers, increasing your challenges. 

Finally, there are online services that will provide hosting for your obituary.  But maybe the family simply chooses not to have one.  You will have to search.

Importantly, the landscape is changing. In the “good old days” newspaper obituaries were loaded with information that could include all the following:

Age – this is usually a part of an obit – even though it should never be construed as an exact age, even in years.

Awards – whether occupational or otherwise, add depth to the deceased’s life story.

Birth Date

Birth Location – be careful with these; although they typically state the actual location, “native of” should not be construed as the actual birth location.

Burial Information – the name of the cemetery is likely included even if the person is cremated.  Spreading of ashes may have occurred.

Cause of Death – sometimes included but not always

Church Membership – terrific information if one wants to contact the church for additional information​

College Degrees and Professional Certifications

Death Date – Based on the publication date of the newspaper, sometimes the exact date is listed or the day of the week so you can calculate the date of death.

Death Information of Others – “…brother of the “late” so and so. Indicates that that person is deceased also.

Death Location – this is not always entered in an obit, but generally it is.

Government Service – a specialized piece of occupational information that may provide clues for additional research.  They could have been an elected official.

Hobbies – sometimes, pastimes form a critical part of a person’s life and their story.

Interment Information – name of cemetery. Most cemeteries or the responsible municipality will have records of who is buried where in the cemetery.

Maiden Name – May not be written if the deceased is a married woman.  But if the obit names her brothers, their surname may be the surname of the deceased woman at birth.

Marriage “History” Hints – Notice any reference to “stepchildren. That may imply that the deceased had been married before. Helps to clarify whose children were whose.

Membership in Lodges, Associations and Clubs

Mortuary – this is useful because mortuary records often have much more information than what is written in the obit. So, a researcher can contact the mortuary for additional records.

Military Service – might be stated, especially if they served in a war. Notice if a flag is on the obit. That denotes a veteran.

Names and Residences of Children and Grandchildren – this is especially helpful when census records are not available. Where else are you going to find children’s names?

Names of Childrens’ and Grandchildrens’ Spouses – this is a fairly recent phenomenon in obituaries, where the name of the spouse of the children/grandchildren is entered. This can help for further cousin finding.

Name of Spouse

Names of Siblings – especially helpful if the deceased is a married woman with brothers.

Nativity – maybe this does not identify the exact place of birth – but at least where the deceased immigrated from.

Occupation

Parents’ and Grandparents’ Names

Picture of the Deceased – this could be a photo that you have never seen.

Religion – generally indicated by which church/temple is handling the funeral service.

Residences – generally state the most recent city of residence. Helpful for finding someone in a prior census or city directory. In older obits you may find the language: “Philadelphia and Baltimore papers, please copy.” This provides clues as to the deceased’s prior residences.

Schools Attended

Sports – what the deceased participated in and who they rooted for.

Unions – did they belong to a union? If so, maybe union records can become an additional set of records to search for additional info.

Volunteer – their life record might include volunteering for some critical service in the community. 

It is important to search for the person who wrote the obit if you can.  Was it a family member, a friend, or neighbor?  The author of an obituary may have been a child, a sibling, a grandchild, and who knows where they secured their information.  Some caution is required.  Depending on the author, the information could be quite different from reality.

So now, the task for the genealogists becomes that much more difficult. Where to look? Does the source still exist? What other sources are available for this information?

Join your local genealogical society to learn more.  You will find others who have worked through this challenge.

Ron Gilmore

Email:    rvg3@me.com

Website: https://rgenealogy.ca