Arizona Obituary Index to Arizona Newspapers - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Arizona

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of an index and images of cards and newspaper clippings from the following newspapers:


 * Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)
 * Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff)
 * Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
 * Daily News Sun (Sun City)
 * Independent (White Mountain, Show Low)
 * Mesa Tribune (Mesa).

These records are housed at the Mesa Family History Center. The collection covers the years 1993 to 1994.

Sample Image
Obituaries usually include the following:


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Occupation and residence
 * Names of surviving family members
 * Cause of death
 * Date, place and time of funeral services or burial

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


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

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page. Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors 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.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Surname Range" which takes you to the images

Look at the images one by one. Again you will need to compare the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. Be aware that you may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * These records are often brief so it can be easy to confuse individuals.
 * 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.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?
Once you have located your ancestor’s obituary, 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.
 * These records are often brief so it can be easy to confuse individuals.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for a burial record in cemeteries near where your ancestor lived.

Citing 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: