Virginia, Winchester, Evening Star Obituaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection includes obituaries from the Winchester Evening Star and an index. The obituaries are arranged by year, then alphabetically by name.

Newspapers included obituaries from their beginning issues.

This collection includes the years 1899 to 1909.

Obituaries were written as a public announcement of death.

The information is generally reliable, but may contain some inaccuracies.

Record Content
These records generally contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Residence
 * Names of family members
 * Cause of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Undertaker

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * The person’s name
 * The approximate death date
 * The person’s last known residence

Search the Collection
To search the collection 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 look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s 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 video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
Once you have located your ancestor’s obituary, 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 obituary 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 the birth date or year to search for birth records.
 * Use the birth 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.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * 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.
 * 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 of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * 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?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Related Websites
Handley Regional Library

Related Wiki Articles

 * Winchester, Virginia
 * Frederick County, Virginia
 * Virginia
 * Virginia Newspapers
 * Virginia Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Winchester, Evening Star Obituaries, 1899-1909

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.