United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection is an index to obituaries from thousands of newspapers throughout the United States beginning with the year 1815. Records are being added to this collection periodically. This collection is created in partnership with GenealogyBank.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name of the deceased
 * The age of deceased.
 * Birth date and place
 * Death date and place


 * Names of parents, spouse or other relatives
 * Name of newspaper, date and place of publication
 * Mortuary or undertaker

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of deceased
 * Approximate death date of the deceased
 * The place of death

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information found in the record to locate the death record
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to determine an approximate birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. You could get a copy of the original record from the GenealogyBank website.
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.