California, Oakland, Alameda County, Newspaper Record Collection - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of card file indexes created from local newspapers and includes obituaries, wedding announcements, anniversaries, and birth announcements. The obituaries are mixed with biographical news stories. Some obituaries are included from the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register of persons who were natives of Oakland or the Bay Area and died in southern California. The card files for 1985-2002, 2003-2006 and 1986-2011 are located at the Oakland Family History Center. This collection is being published as images become available.

Record Content
Information found in this collection may include:

Obituary or Death Record
 * Name of deceased
 * Birth date and place
 * Death date and place
 * Names of parents
 * Name of spouse
 * Names of children
 * Name of cemetery
 * Place of residence
 * Name of newspaper
 * Date of obituary publication

Wedding or Anniversary Announcement
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Names of parents
 * Date of wedding
 * Ages of bride and groom
 * Name of officiator
 * Names of other relatives (sibling, grandparent)
 * Place of residence

Birth Announcement
 * Name of child
 * Name of parents
 * Birth date and place
 * Name of other relatives (sibling, grandparent)

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know your ancestor’s name and other identifying information such as:


 * The approximate event date
 * The person’s last name

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Date Range and Name Range" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
Once you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These records are often brief so it can be easy to confuse individuals. Compare what information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the record for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use age at marriage or death to calculate approximate birth year.
 * Use the event date or year to search for original birth, marriage, or death records.
 * Use the event date along with relative’s names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the locality and relative’s names to locate church and land records.
 * Use death or burial information to find grave markers, sexton's records, or a civil or religious death record.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married or died nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * If the officiator of a marriage was a minister, you may be able to determine to which religion or congregation your ancestor belonged. Look for church records of the marriage which may provide more information on the family.
 * Sometimes a person is buried in a city or town in which they did not die. Do not assume that a burial place is the same as a death place.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they were born, married or died, then try searching the records of a nearby locality.
 * If you cannot find your ancestor in civil records, try searching church records of baptisms, marriages or deaths. Oftentimes church records pre-date civil records.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first 	and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Related Websites

 * RootsWeb California Death Records Index
 * California Vital Index
 * FindAGrave
 * Billion Graves

Related Wiki Articles

 * Alameda County, California Genealogy
 * California
 * California Online Genealogy Records
 * California Newspapers
 * How to Find California Birth Records
 * California Vital Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: