How to find your ancestor’s obituary
Researcher
Thu Aug 28 2025
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< 5 minutes read
Obituaries reveal personal stories, connections and legacies, offering us a moving glimpse into how our ancestors were remembered by those who loved them.
What is an obituary?
An obituary is a published notice of someone’s death, often appearing in a local or national newspaper. While some are brief - little more than a line announcing a passing - others read like mini-biographies, weaving together details about a person’s life, family, career, and contributions to their community.
Obituaries are invaluable for genealogical research. They can reveal:
- Full names and nicknames
- Dates of birth and death
- Family relationships (spouses, children, siblings, even in-laws)
- Occupations, military service, or achievements
- Hometowns and places of residence
- Religious or community affiliations
Sometimes, an obituary is the only written record that ties together several generations of a family, making it a treasure for building out your family tree.
What’s the difference between an obituary and a funeral notice?
A funeral notice (or death notice) is usually shorter and more practical, giving the time and place of a service. An obituary, meanwhile, is more descriptive and narrative, aiming to honour a person’s life as well as inform the local community. Both can be found within historical newspapers, and both are worth seeking out. The notice may confirm logistics, while an obituary adds colour and context.
How to find someone’s obituary
The best place to start is with old newspapers. Local titles are especially valuable here, since they often reported in detail on members of their community.
Findmypast holds the biggest collection of British and Irish newspapers online, with pages spanning over 300 years. Its handy search tool makes exploring the archive easy.
- Search newspapers online. Begin with what you know, carrying out a search with a name or keyword.
- Narrow down your results. Use the date and location filters to locate articles from shortly after your ancestor’s passing, in their local area.
- Hone your search. If you don’t have any luck, try searching name variants (like maiden names, initials, nicknames or alternative spellings).
Sometimes you won’t find an obituary at all, as not everyone had one. In those cases, broaden your search to funeral notices, cemetery registers, or articles about community events in which your ancestor was involved. Follow our advice for how to find out what people said about your ancestor when they died.
Finding obituaries for US ancestors
Luckily for anyone with American roots, obituaries were especially common in the United States, where newspapers flourished in every city and town. While the style and depth vary, many American obituaries are rich in family detail, making them goldmines for genealogists.
Useful resources for locating US obituaries include:
- Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank, two of the largest online archives of U.S. newspapers.
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress), a free database of digitised newspapers from 1777–1963.
- State and county archives. Many hold digitised back-issues or obituary indexes.
- Local libraries. Many American libraries run obituary look-up services, often for a small fee.
When searching, remember that obituaries sometimes appeared in community or church newsletters, especially in smaller towns. It’s also worth looking in newspapers from places your ancestor once lived, as families sometimes published obituaries in multiple locations.
Obituaries are more than records of death – they’re snapshots of life, stitched together with memory, affection, and sometimes humour. Finding one can feel like sitting beside your ancestor’s friends and family as they reflect on a life lived. For your family tree, it means weaving in the stories that bring names and dates to life.
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Search for stories in the newspaper archive
From big events to the ups and downs of day-to-day life, historical newspapers offer a fascinating insight into your ancestor's experience. Understand their world by delving into digitised newspapers today.