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How to Find a Recently Published Obituary

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There are many reasons to look up an obituary. You may be looking for an obituary to find more information about a person who died, or perhaps you seek a keepsake in honor of that person. Whatever the cause for the search, it's not always easy to know where to look for an obituary. The tips below will help you find one no matter where the obituary was published.

Search Your Local Newspaper

If you receive a local newspaper and the deceased person lived in your area, this is the best place to start. Obituaries typically have an established section in each edition of a printed newspaper. If you do not have a newspaper subscription, obituaries are often available in the online version of local newspapers. While there may be a fee for service for the full online newspaper access, obituaries are typically viewable for free.

Search the Local Newspaper Where the Deceased Lived

If you do not live in the same area as the person whose obituary you're looking for, you may need to find the newspapers that cover their local area. Obituaries are usually published for people in the area where they were last living, or in some cases, in their hometown. Prominent figures may have published obituaries in several newspapers based on the communities that they have lived or worked in. If you know at least one location where the person was living, a good bet is to find the online version of the local newspaper for that city or town.

Find the Funeral Home or Other Facility Handling Services

If you know what funeral home or religious center is handling the services for the deceased, you could try searching there for obituary information. Funeral homes often post information about deceased individuals online so that family and friends can leave messages and memories for those affected by the death. If the facility has a website, the obituary may be posted there. Alternatively, you could also visit in person and ask for a printed announcement or contact the facility by phone to see if any printed information can be mailed to you.

Search Genealogy Websites

The family of the deceased may upload obituary information to a genealogy website in order to keep the family records. Genealogy giant Ancestry.com allows users to upload photos and other content and link it to an individual in their family tree.

Search Obituary Compilation Websites

Websites such as tributes.com exist solely for the purpose of gathering large numbers of obituaries together in a searchable format. They do this by partnering with newspapers and funeral homes who add new obituaries to the existing database. While such websites may have the largest number of items to search through, it may not be as up to date as going directly to the source.

Simple Google Search

If you are not able to find what you are looking for using the methods above, a simple Google search may be helpful. If you are looking for information on a particular person who has died, try to be as specific as possible with your search words. Use the person's full name and any location information that you have about where they were last living. If the person has a very common name, like John Smith, try searching one of their family member's names instead. Obituaries often list family members, so this may help you narrow down a wide search.

Utilize Social Media

There may be times when you don't have enough information on the deceased to know where to begin with your search. Perhaps you don't know where services are being held, or where the deceased was last living. Social media can be a great way to gather more information. Using social media, you could quickly and easily reach out to others who may have known the deceased, and they can share any pertinent information with you. This could help you find what you need, or at least give you a starting direction.