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How To Find An Obituary For A Specific Person

By Emily Hutton
  • Last Updated: Jun 14, 2023

The passing of a loved one can be a difficult time for anyone, and it is natural to want to honor their memory and life. One way to do so is by finding their obituary, a published notice of their passing that often includes biographical information and details about their funeral or memorial service. However, locating an obituary for a specific person can be challenging, especially if you need help figuring out where to start.

In this article, you’ll learn tips and resources for finding obituaries, including online and traditional methods. Whether you want to piece together a family tree, learn more about your ancestry, or pay your respects, this guide will help you navigate the process.

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Sources For Accessing Obituaries

Use these online and traditional methods to access the obituaries you need.

Funeral Home Or Cremation Service

The funeral home or cremation service that handled the arrangements for the deceased can typically provide a copy of the obituary directly. There, you can also access death records with additional information, such as the manner of death.

If you are unsure which funeral home handled the arrangements, you can use online resources such as Legacy.com or the Social Security Death Index to find the necessary information.

Local Libraries

Are you wondering, “How do I find an obituary from years ago?” Contacting a funeral home may not be so helpful. Instead, you can visit your local library or archives to find documents from decades or even centuries ago.

Newspapers

Finding an obituary in a newspaper isn’t as simple as sifting through the newspaper you have delivered every day. First, you’ll have to find a newspaper relevant to the deceased. 

Look for a newspaper in the area where the person lived or died. Nowadays, most newspapers have online archives and a free nationwide obituary search that you can use to find a deceased loved one.

Social Media

While you may still find the occasional obituary in a newspaper, these sources are no longer as common as they once were. Nowadays, you’re more likely to encounter an obituary in the form of a social media post. 

If you know the deceased’s name, you can search for them on Facebook. Facebook will typically memorialize pages of people who have recently passed away. 

A person’s page has been memorialized if you find the word “remembering” on their profile. The profile and all its contents will remain visible to the public, but some specific features may become limited for privacy reasons.

Friends and family of the deceased can still post photos and videos to the page to honor them. However, the page will no longer appear on the “People You May Know” feed or send birthday reminders.

You can also find news and information about their passing on related community pages.

Online Sources

If you’re searching for death notices to find an obituary for a specific person for free leads to dead ends, try online obituary databases. You can access a free nationwide obituary search on Legacy.com or Tributes.com.

The benefit of using these websites is the ability to filter through results. You can narrow your search by specifying locations, dates, names, and other details.

searching online

Why Can’t I Find An Obituary?

If you can’t find an obituary for a specific person, there are several reasons why that might be the case:

  • The obituary was never published due to personal reasons or privacy concerns.
  • The obituary was published in a newspaper that is no longer in circulation.
  • The obituary was published under a different name. Alternatively, the name was misspelled. 
  • The obituary was published in a newspaper outside of the person’s area of residence. Finding the appropriate newspaper can be challenging if your relative frequently relocated.
  • The obituary was not uploaded online. Not all newspapers have a digital archive, so you may have to request a copy saved in microfilm format.

If you’re having trouble finding an obituary, you can access other records to connect the dots. For instance, searching birth or divorce records on websites like Ancestry may lead you to a list of deceased family members.

Interpreting Obituaries

Reading and interpreting an obituary can provide valuable information about the deceased’s life and surviving family members. Use these tips for reading and understanding obituaries.

Understand The Format

Most obituaries follow a specific format that looks something like this:

  • Name and age
  • Date and place of birth
  • Date and place of death
  • Cause of death (optional)
  • Personal details, such as occupation, education, and hobbies
  • Surviving family members, such as spouses, parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren
  • Funeral service information
  • Charitable requests, if any
  • Closing statement

Note that while this is a typical obituary format, you may encounter variations depending on the author’s preferences.

Read Between The Lines

The tone behind an obituary can say a lot about the author’s relationship with the deceased. Obituaries written formally and with honorifics might suggest the author and the deceased had a somewhat distant relationship, whereas obituaries containing anecdotes may indicate a closer, more amicable relationship.

Note Special Accomplishments & Awards

If your loved one received recognition for special accomplishments, such as military services, academic honors, and charitable acts, consider contacting these establishments to learn more about your deceased relative.

List Charitable Requests

Some obituaries include donation requests for charitable organizations your relative was involved with. Reach out to these organizations to learn more about the role your deceased loved one played within their community.

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The Bottom Line

Finding an obituary for a specific person can be essential to the grieving process or genealogical research. While there are many sources for obituaries, including online databases, funeral homes, and newspapers, it can sometimes be challenging to locate them.

However, by contacting family members and thoroughly searching online resources and archives, you can increase your chances of finding the obituary you are looking for. Obituaries can provide valuable information about the life of the deceased and their surviving family members and can be a meaningful way to honor their memory.

Are you writing an obituary for the first time? While it can be a devastating and emotional experience, writing an obituary can also be cathartic and a meaningful way to celebrate your loved one’s life. Use our obituary templates to get started.

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