FAQs
Many funeral homes publish obituaries on their websites. These can usually be located with a Google search on the person's name. Local genealogical and historical societies, public libraries, and some newspaper publishers maintain clipping files of obituaries.
How do I find an old obituary in Wisconsin? ›
The Wisconsin Historical Society has thousands of obituaries available for family researchers through different databases and physical collections. Wisconsin Name Index (WNI) Collection is an online index of three basic categories of information: obituaries, newspaper clippings and biographical book excerpts.
What is the largest obituary website? ›
The Web site hosts obituaries and memorials for more than 70 percent of all U.S. deaths. Legacy.com hosts obituaries for more than three-quarters of the 100 largest newspapers in the U.S., by circulation.
Who are the survivors in an obituary? ›
When you list the survivors, make sure that you list them in order of closest relation to the deceased: spouse, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, parents, and siblings.
Can you search if someone has died? ›
There are several ways to do this: A General Search: To start a general inquiry, collect any identifying information about the person you believe to have passed. Type into a search engine the person's name followed by the word “death” or “obituary”.
Is there an app for local obituaries? ›
As funeral homes across America post obituaries to their respective funeral home website, The Obituary App organizes them all into particular cities. Now, a user can look at all the obituaries posted by multiple funeral homes in one place.
How to find out if someone died in Wisconsin? ›
Vital Records services, including requests for birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates, are available by U.S. mail, online through VitalChek, or by phone through VitalChek at 877-885-2981. Appointments can still be made for in-person genealogy research.
How do I look up when someone died? ›
Places to look for Death Records
- Church records of deaths and burials.
- City and County civil registrations.
- Family Bibles and personal histories.
- FamilySearch in the Catalog Search, Records Search, and Historic Books.
- Google and other website search sites, and don't forget to search Google Books.
Are causes of death public record in Wisconsin? ›
Basic demographic information and the manner of death are public record in Wisconsin. The rest of the information is confidential and treated as such.
Are obituaries public domain? ›
Copyright and Obituaries. To be clear, obituaries are protected by copyright. They are creative works of expression that are fixed into a tangible medium of expression. Both the text and the images that make up an obituary are protected by copyright (even if the facts and information are not).
The late Douglas Legler, from Fargo, North Dakota, may have the funniest and most concise obituary ever. The whole obituary reads "Doug Died." And that's exactly the way he wanted it.
What does a good obituary look like? ›
Obituary Example: Announcing the Funeral. [Full name], [age], of [where they lived], sadly left us on [date of death] due to [cause of death]. They leave behind [list of surviving family members]. A service will be held in their honor at [time] on [date] at [location].
What not to put in an obituary? ›
When writing an obituary, leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. And don't include the deceased's home address.
What are two types of obituaries? ›
There are two types of obituary advertisem*nts: Death notices and memorial advertisem*nts. The cost is commonly included in funeral packages but can also be paid for personally. Additionally, some funeral providers, like Eirene, offer complimentary online memorials on their website.
Are ex wives included in obituaries? ›
If the deceased was divorced, it can be worth it to include this information in the obituary, especially if they were close afterwards or had children. The obituary should list the names of the ex-spouses as well as any children from those marriages.
How do I find someone who died in California? ›
The California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) maintains a permanent, public record of every death that has occurred in California since July 1905.
How do I find an obituary for a specific person in MA? ›
Obituaries in Massachusetts and other parts of New England can generally be found in the local town or county papers. Many obituaries for Boston and the surrounding area can be found in: Boston Athenaeum. Index of Obituaries in Boston Newspapers, 1704-1800.
How do I find an old obituary in SC for free? ›
However, many of the county libraries in South Carolina have special indexes for obituaries from local newspapers and may have the newspapers on microfilm. See the LibGuide at statelibrary.sc.libguides.com/sc-obituary-resources for information on how libraries help users with information in this field.
How do I find an obituary for a specific person in NY? ›
New York Public Library subscribes to many databases that can help researchers locate obituaries and death notices. The most useful are our newspaper databases. Oftentimes obituaries can be located by entering a person's name and week of death into the newspapers databases.