African American Obituaries

United States

African American Genealogy

Obituaries

African American Genealogy Wiki Topics
Beginning Research
Introduction Research Steps	Record Finder Search Strategies
Original Records
Bible Records Business Cemeteries Census Church Records Compiled Genealogies Court Records Freedman's Bank Freedmen's Bureau Funeral Homes Land and Property	Military Records Newspapers Obituaries Occupations Online Records Oral History Probate Records Slavery and Bondage Southern Claims Commission Taxation Vital Records
Compiled Sources
Biography	Periodicals
Background Information
History Melungeons	Migration Periodicals
Finding Aids
Archives & Libraries Family History Centers] Further Reading	Internet Sources Resources Societies

Online Resources

• CAAGS Obituary and Funeral Home Collection at California African American Genealogical Society - index & images
• Obituaries at Legacy
• Obituaries at DeathIndexes
• Obituary indexes at Ancestry
• African American Funeral Programs & Obituaries at International African American Museum - images, available for several states

Introduction

Obituaries provide such information as the deceased’s name; age; birth date and place, including foreign town and country of birth; and parents’ names. They also contain the names and residences of living children, relatives, or other family members; maiden name; and occupation. Previously deceased family members are frequently mentioned. They may also indicate previous places of residence, immigration information, religion, and any social organizations or activities the deceased was involved in.

United States Obituaries and United States Newspapers list sources for finding obituaries and the newspapers that published them.

Obituary files may be kept in local public libraries and by newspaper publishers. Some obituaries have also been published and indexed in genealogical periodicals that are available in the FamilySearch Library. These are referenced in the "Places" section of the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), which is described in United States Periodicals.

Use obituaries to:

• Find information about your ancestor, such as birth, marriage, death, and burial
• Learn the names of family members, such as parents, spouse(s), children, brothers, and sisters

Content

A few obituaries were published in the 1800s, but the practice became common only after 1900. Obituaries range from one-line death notices to biographies of several paragraphs. They may give:

• Full name (including maiden name for women)
• Death date and place
• Burial date and place
• parents' names
• Occupation
• membership in religious or charity groups
• Biographical information
• Places of residence
• Names and places of residence of surviving children and grandchildren

Searching Obituary Records

Before searching obituary records you must know:

• Your ancestor's name at death (including a woman's married surname)
• Your ancestor's approximate death date
• The town or county where you ancestor lived or died or where the funeral occurred

Search Steps

To find newspaper obituaries from a library in the town of your ancestor's funeral:

1. Find a library at Public Libraries in the United States closest to where you ancestor died. The listings are arranged by state, then county or town.
2. Go to the Library's website to locate an email address or phone number for the reference librarian.
3. Contact the library to find out if they have an obituary program available for users. There may be a small fee.
4. Give them your ancestors full name (including maiden name), date of death and place of death.

To find newspapers and obituary indexes in your ancestor's area, the following sources are helpful:

• Obituaries: A Guide to Sources, 2nd ed., by Betty M. Jarboe, Boston, Massachusetts, published by G. K. Hall, 1989. FS Library book 973 V43j 1989. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library. This book lists over 3,500 sources of obituary indexes and abstracts, arranged by state, then author or title. Includes an appendix that describes obituary indexes at major libraries in 18 states.
• Newspapers in Microform: United States, 1948-1983], Library of Congress, 1984. FS Catalog film 011.35 N479s, V1 Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, and V2 Online at FamilySearch Digital Library. Arranged by state, then town. Lists newspaper title, years of operation, parent and spin-off papers, and places where microforms are available.
• Gale Director of Publications and Broadcast Media, annual, 4 volumes, Gale Research. FS Catalogy Book 970 B34a. Arranged by state, then town. Lists addresses and telephone numbers of current newspapers and publishers.

Tips

• Some people had more than one obituary. If you find a short death notice, look for a longer obituary in a later newspaper.
• Small-town newspapers often print more detailed obituaries than larger newspapers do.
• Newspapers sometimes report the gathering of relatives during an illness or after a death. If you do not find an obituary for your ancestor on their death date, search the newspaper for two weeks before and two weeks after.
• Look for newspapers at the newspaper office or a library in your ancestor's town. The FamilySearch Library and FamilySearch centers have indexes to obituaries and newspaper collecitons, but few actual records.
• Most newspaper publishers will not search their files for you, but some will photocopy an article if you can provide a specific date and event.
• Many newspapers can be viewed online. Several of these can be found at Newspapers.com, ChroniclingAmerica.loc.gov, NewspaperArchive.com, Google News, and many others. Others can also be found in search engines using terms such as "state (insert your state's name) digital Newspaper archive."
• More information about newspapers can be found on the Research Wiki at United States Newspapers.