FAQs
Obituaries are usually printed in a funeral program, a newspaper, or in a local history. And remember, in addition to the local paper in the area where the person died, obituaries are often published in newspapers in the town or towns where the person lived or grew up.
Why are some obituaries not published? ›
Obituaries are not required by law , so the deceased's family might have chosen to forego publishing one. Publishing an obituary can be expensive , and the funds may be unavailable. The deceased has few family members or friends , so there might have, unfortunately, been no need for an obituary.
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.
How do I find an obituary in Pennsylvania? ›
Find an Obituary. The Cremation Society of Pennsylvania ® online obituary search tool gives you access to obituaries from thousands of locations across North America. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date.
How do you find a person who passed away? ›
Read The Paper or Watch The Local News
If you receive a physical newspaper, review the obituaries section to see who recently passed. Searching for someone who died more than 30 days ago? Turn to sites like Google News Archives, US News Archives, or International News Archives.
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. There are two obituary feeds within The Obituary App.
How much does it cost to put an obituary in the local newspaper? ›
An average obituary can easily be $200.00-500.00. Costs vary by publication. Newspapers charge by the line and can average $450 for a complete obituary. The average obituary cost begins at $200.00 and increases due to the amount of content, including a photograph and the length of the obituary.
Is it disrespectful not to have an obituary? ›
Posting an obituary is not a legal requirement and is a sentimental action. Families don't have to publish one if they don't want it or do not have the funds to do so. While you do not have to share a death note or obituary, you must file a death certificate with your state's office.
Why do obituaries cost so much? ›
Why does it cost so much to post an obituary? Publishing an obituary in the newspaper is expensive because of the limited space papers have. Newspapers value every inch of each page, so they must charge to use that limited space for an obituary.
How can I find out if someone has died? ›
A basic online search may reveal an obituary or information about a memorial service. Type the person's name and words like “death,” “obituary,” or “memorial” and any personal information you may have, such as their date of birth or names of close relatives who could be mentioned as one of their surviving kin.
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.
Is it common to read the obituary at a funeral? ›
An obituary is written to tell the story of your loved one. These will often be in the funeral program. There will even be a part of the funeral where the obituary will be silently read by everyone in attendance at the funeral.
Are Pennsylvania death records online? ›
Pennsylvania legislation allows access to statewide death records 50 years and older and statewide birth records 105 years and older. Indexes to the records are available at the Pennsylvania Department of Health website. Additional online records include those kept by the various counties or cities of Pennsylvania.
Are obituaries required in PA? ›
In PA, there is no legal mandate to publish an obituary in a newspaper when someone dies. The official state paperwork is a death certificate, which is filed with the state's office of vital statistics by a medical certifier or a licensed funeral home director, not by the family of the deceased individual.
How do I find out a cause of death in Pennsylvania? ›
If you have questions about Pennsylvania death certificates, contact the Division of Vital Records using one of the following methods:
- Online contact form – Allow two to three business days for a response.
- Call 724-656-3100 or toll-free at 844-228-3516, Mondays through Fridays 7:15 am to 10:00 pm.
How do I find someone who died in California? ›
Two state-level California Death Indexes can be found at Ancestry.com (a database anyone can access from any library branch and Central Library) or FamilySearch.org (a free internet database).
How do I find an obituary for a specific person in the US? ›
Your public library website may have a family history or genealogy section that includes access to digital newspapers. Memorial sites such as Legacy.com host obituaries from newspapers; in addition, users can publish obituaries directly to the site.
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.
How do I find an obituary for a specific person in Florida? ›
Begin by entering the name of the person, the word obituary, and “Florida” into your favorite search engine. If the deceased had a common name, you might need to add additional search terms, such as the name of a family member, the town where they lived, or the date of death.