Minnesota, Obituaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes an index and images to newspaper obituary files filmed by FamilySearch at the Southwestern Minnesota History Center, Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota. The collection covers the years 1960 to 2003.

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

Obituaries
 * Name of the deceased
 * Age
 * Death date
 * Names of parents, spouse, children, siblings or other relatives
 * Name of newspaper, date and place of publication
 * Birth date and place
 * Other details such as military service

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The date of death
 * The place of death
 * The names of other family members and their relationships

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?

 * Search for the death or cemetery record
 * 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

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries
 * 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
 * Consult the Minnesota Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Minnesota.
 * Minnesota Guided Research
 * Minnesota Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * Southwest Minnesota Historical Center. Obituary file index, ca. 1873-1953
 * Prairieland Genealogical Society, Southwest State University, Marshall, Minnesota. Obituary file, ca. 1960-2003
 * Southwestern Minnesota History Center, Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota. Obituary files, ca. 1985-1990
 * Prairieland Genealogical Society, Southwest State University, Marshall, Minnesota. Obituary index card file, ca. 1873-1961

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.