Newspapers.com Obituaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of an index to obituaries and death notices from Newspapers.com. Index records will be published as they become available. The first newspapers indexed are the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the Pennsylvania Reading Times, the San Bernardino Daily Sun and the Scranton Republican.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The records usually contain:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Age
 * 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 the Collection?
To begin your search you will need to know:
 * The name of the deceased.
 * The approximate death date.
 * 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 Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * 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
 * 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

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
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries

Record Finder
Consult the  United States Record Finder Table to find other records

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.