Obituaries & Memorials - Connections, Concoctions, Embellishments & Errors!
Kim Marie Fischer Peters 2009
Newspapers
began promoting the publication of obituaries around the late 1800s.
Memorials
and Obituaries were placed throughout the paper as space permitted. Memorials
were usually written by friends - members of the deceased’s community, church, civic, or social
organization.
Funeral
Invitations, Memorials or news articles about a death are more common during this time
period. Actual obituaries composed by the family are not common.
Obituaries
and Funeral Notices gained popularity with the general public in the early 1900s.
Eventually, newspapers began grouping them together in one location.
Death
or Funeral Notices are now printed free of charge by most newspapers. Obituaries and
Memorials are usually considered to be classified advertisements.
Funeral Notices or Invitations
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Usually include the name and age of the deceased.
Announce wakes, funerals, and burials.
May appear in the newspaper’s evening edition the day of death as burials often took
place from the home the next day.
Death Notices
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Usually one or two lines.
Include the deceased’s name and age.
Include name of funeral home or crematory.
Usually appear a day or two after death.
Usually free.
Obituaries
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Usually include biographical information – birth, employment, military service.
Usually identify other family members.
Include funeral and burial information.
Usually placed in local and/or hometown newspapers.
May include a photo.
Are now considered classified ads.
News Articles
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Highlight the death of an individual of interest to the community at large.
Composed by newspaper writer.
May include biographical information.
May include a photo.
Memorials
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Usually composed by friends or family.
Usually appear at death or on an anniversary.
May include a photo.
Often employ emotional and flowery language.
May include omissions and embellishments.
Obituary Hunting HINTS:
1.
Women were sometimes identified by their husband’s name. Example: Jane Doe married
to John Doe is identified in obituary as Mrs. John Doe. Examine any “Mrs.” with the
correct surname found in an obituary index.
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2.
If using print resource with chronological obituary index (Example: Orlando Sentinel
notebooks and card file), DO NOT stop looking for the person when you find the first
entry. Funeral Notice, Obituary, or Article may have been published on three different
dates.
3.
Look for Memorials near the date of death at one, five and ten years after, even if no
obituary was printed at the time of death. Orlando Public Library does not index
Memorials.
Why Search For Obituaries? For the clues they provide and where they lead!
Identify family members
Maiden names
Place and date of birth
Cemeteries
Religious affiliations
Military service
Date and place of death
I.
→
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proves relations
birth records
parents
other family members
Church records
service records
wills and probate records
Determine Date & Place of Death
When and where your ancestor died will determine how you discover when and where your
ancestor died! The “records timeline” below provides general information on types of records that
may exist at different points in time.
1790→
Military pension files, census records, probate, tax indexes, church records, cemetery
transcriptions, bible records, probate records, vital record transcriptions +
1800→ City directories and newspaper transcriptions +
1850-1880→ U.S. Census Mortality Schedules +
1900→ State death indexes +
1962→ Social Security Death Index +
1990→ Online newspaper and obituary databases
Today digitized historical newspapers, books, directories and online newspaper obituaries are
added daily to numerous databases and web sites.
Free Online Resources
Social
Security Death Index (1962 forward) - Rootsweb
Records – Heritage Quest (library database)
Links to online death indexes, cemetery surveys, wills, etc. – DeathIndexes.com
Cemetery transcriptions – USGenWeb.org, USGWTombstones.org
City Directories - Heritage Quest, DistantCousin.com
State and local archives – digitized death certificates, funeral home records, city directories
Census
II.
Locate Newspaper
Identify all newspapers in print at the time and place of death – including ethnic and religious
denomination newspapers.
American Newspapers 1821-1936: A union list of files in the United States and Canada.
RG 016.07 Ame – Orlando Public Library
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Check city directory, consult local library or historical society.
Search newspaper online editions – obituaries usually free for 30 days.
Search newspaper databases like Proquest (library database).
Check WorldCat.org to locate microfilm and request via Interlibrary Loan.
Obituaries, Cemeteries, and Deaths – Online Resources
1.
Ancestry Library Edition – Obituaries, Social Security Death Index, Newspapers, Census
Records, City Directories, 1890 Census Substitute, Military Records, Vital Records,
digitized books, PERSI Index, World Directories, family histories. (Free in library)
2.
Central Florida Memory – www.CFMemory.org – Free Digitized Orlando area
directories and Carey Hand funeral home records from June 15, 1891 to November 10,
1927. Use Advanced Search and Exact Word search on Directory or Carey Hand
Funeral Home Records or Cemetery.
3.
DeathIndexes.com - This website is a directory of links to websites with online death
indexes, listed by state and county. Included are death records, death certificate
indexes, death notices and registers, obituaries, probate indexes, and cemetery and
burial records.
4.
FamilySearch.org – Microfiche, microfilm, and digitized texts. Search Catalog by
City/ State or County/State. Check subject headings for “Directories, Newspapers,
Cemeteries, Vital Records” – any topic that might pertain to date or place of death. Check
to see if available on fiche or film and order at a Family History Center. Check out new
digitized records in the online Pilot program.
5.
Heritage Quest – Digitized directories, Revolutionary War Pension files, family histories
and county histories and PERSI – Periodical Source Index. Check PERSI for
transcriptions of newspaper obituaries or surveys of local cemeteries. (The Orlando
Public Library Genealogy collection includes about 800 titles.)
6.
Local Historical societies and genealogical societies - Google search the place of death
for historical or genealogical societies and read their websites. Many have authored
cemetery transcriptions or obituary indexes.
7.
Lookup volunteers - RAOGK.org & USGenWeb.org. Locate the county/state of interest
and check for volunteers doing obituary lookups. Be sure to request source citation newspaper, publisher, date, page number, column number.
8.
Other sites to explore:
Legacy.com – over 700 newspapers. Obituaries for a small fee.
Newspaper online editions. Obituaries free for at least 30 days.
USGenWeb.org – cemetery surveys and volunteer obituary lookups.
USGWTombstones.org – tombstone transcription project at USGenWeb.
AncestorHunt.com, DistantCousins.com, Intenment.net, ObituaryCentral.com, Obituary
Database.com, GenealogyBank.com, GenealogyToday.com, DAddezio.com.
9.
Social Security Death Index - GenealogyBank.com, SSDI.Rootsweb.Ancestry.com,
Ancestry.com and Ancestry Library Edition. (Check each for date of last update)
10.
State & University online archives – Check digital collections. Google search your state
university or archive using terms: cemeteries, obituaries, genealogy. Florida Archives www.floridamemory.com/Collections/
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11.
WorldCat.org – Locate cemetery and newspaper transcriptions, newspaper indexes and
directories and other texts relating to the location you are searching. Interlibrary Loan or
Lookup Angels to get copies of needed information. Keyword search for location - city
state county - and “Directory or Obituaries or Cemeteries.”
Obituary, Cemetery, and Death Resources at the Orlando Public Library
1.
750+ Genealogy periodical titles. Search the Periodical Source Index (Heritage Quest)
for cemetery surveys, bible records, wills, probate and obituary transcriptions.
2.
Directories in print, microfilm or microfiche

1890 census substitute – City Directories for 85 cities and surrounding towns.
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Pre 1860 U.S. Directories

Orlando / Orange County directories: telephone, street, criss cross, and
gazetteers: 1887 to present. 1915-1960 – microfilm, 1961 forward - print. Some
originals and/or reprints from other Central Florida areas. A few pre-1915 on
www.CFMemory.org and reprints in the genealogy collection at RG 925.924.
3.
1700+ published family histories in print at RG 929.2.
4.
Newspapers – microfilm and online. Orlando newspapers 1915–present on microfilm;
obit index 1949 to present. New York Times–1851 to present on microfilm; print index
1851 to 1999. Southeastern Regional Newstand – ProQuest online database.
5.
Print resources at the Orlando Public Library – www.OCLS.info.
Search catalog for cemetery surveys, newspaper transcriptions (mentions, obituaries,
and death notices), family histories, bible transcriptions, will and probate indexes, etc.
6.
Orange County cemetery surveys and Carey Hand Funeral Home Records: 1891 – 1927
(also available at www.cfmemory.org). Additional cemetery surveys, obituary and death
notices, bible transcriptions from around the country.
7.
Selected print resources:
African American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography R 015.73035 Afr
American Newspapers 1821-1936: A union list of files available in the United States and
Canada. RG 016.07 Ame
Bibliographic Checklist of African American Newspapers. RG 016.07 Hen
Bibliography of American Directories through 1860. RG 016.973 Spe
Checklist of Canadian Directories 1790-1950. RG 971 RYD
Chronological Tables of American Newspapers, 1690-1820. RG 016.0713 Lib
City directories of the United States, pre 1860-1901: Guide to the Microfilm
Collection. RG 016.973 Cit
Google Your Family Tree: Unlocking the Hidden Power of Google. RG 929.1 LYN
The Handy Book for Genealogists. RG 929 Han
How To Do Everything With Your Genealogy. RG 929.1 Mor
Native American Periodicals and Newspapers, 1828-1982. RG 016.07 Nat
Newspaper Indexes: A Location and Subject Guide For Researchers. RG 016.071 Mil
Newspapers in Microform. RG 016.0713 Lib
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The Official Guide to Ancestry.Com. RG 929.1 Mor
The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. RG 929.1 Sou
8.
U.S. Federal Census Population Schedules 1790-1930 and U.S. Federal Census
Mortality Schedules 1850-1880. Online and print resources.
9.
Variety Obituaries 1905-1986. Obituaries published in Variety magazine, including a
comprehensive index. R 790.2 VAR
Bibliography
Ancestry.com. “Life after death: Tips for searching obituaries.” 2004.
(http://www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=Legacy.Display&xo=rescms&xn
=1&xr=453&xz=&x_id=453 : accessed 22 January 2009)
Deathindexes.com. “Obituaries Research Guide: Online obituary indexes, death notices,
memorials and finding aids.” (http://www.deathindexes.com/ obituaries.html : 4 February 2009)
Eichholz, Alice Ph.D., CG, editor. Ancestry’s RedBook: American State, County, & Town
Sources, 3rd Edition. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 2004.
The Handy Book for Genealogists, United States of America. Eleventh Edition. Logan, Utah:
Everton Publishers, Inc., 2006.
“How Do I Find Obituaries?” (http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/nml/obitsources.html : accessed 4
February 2009)
Gronlund, Gregg. Obituary questions handout.
Howell, Cyndi. Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. (http://www.cyndislist.com/
obits.htm : accessed 2 October 2008)
Internet Public Library: Pathfinders. “Finding Obituaries.” (http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/ entry/77286 :
accessed 4 February 2009)
Johnson, Steve. “How to use obituaries.” (http://www.genealogyandhow.com/lib/
research/obituaries.htm : accessed 22 January 2009)
Morgan, George G. How to Do Everything with Your Genealogy. Emeryville, CA: McGrawHill/Osborne, 2004.
Morgan, George G. The Official Guide to Ancestry.com. 2nd Edition. Provo, Utah: The
Generations Network, 2008.
Sievers, Christine. “Searching for obituaries.” (http://www.genealogytoday.com
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The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra
Hargreaves Luebking, editors. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry, 2006
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