Last Updated on June 18, 2022 by
You may need help researching obituary records. Public libraries have copies of the old newspapers, and some have started digitizing them. But these efforts can take years, and you may not be able to locate every obituary. In the meantime, you can try looking up the deceased’s name in an obituary index. If these methods do not work, consider hiring someone who does.
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Editing and proofreading an obituary
To ensure accuracy, proofreading and editing an obituary are essential parts of the writing process. Editing means revising sentences and checking for spelling and grammar, while proofreading ensures that everything is correct. Basic details such as the deceased’s date of birth and death, family members, and final service details should be included. For those writing obituaries for a family member, you may wish to have someone read it aloud to you for feedback. Proofreading will also ensure that everything is clear and the tone of the obituary is appropriate.
To ensure the obituary is straightforward, take a look at the obituaries in your local newspaper. Some newspapers provide a template for obituaries, but others don’t. Either way, you’ll want to follow the style guidelines of the newspaper. Otherwise, you’ll risk having your obituary rewritten because it doesn’t meet newspaper-style guidelines.
Spelling the deceased’s name correctly.
In most cases, the person giving you this information is a family member, so it isn’t uncommon for them to provide incorrect information or misspell the deceased’s name. You can also encounter errors if the deceased lived in Minnesota and died in a different state. If the name on the death certificate doesn’t match the deceased’s actual name, you may need to seek help with funeral archives.
Finding obituaries in newspapers
When trying to find obituaries in newspapers, a good initial strategy is to search the newspaper where your ancestor lived or where their family resided. However, you should also consider looking at newspapers in neighboring states and regions like the Chicago Tribune obituaries – Chicago, IL – GenealogyBank. For this purpose, Newspapers Map is helpful. This tool lists newspapers for a given geographic area. You can then start searching for obituaries in those newspapers.
You can also search for obituaries in your local newspaper by using online resources, such as reference databases. Newspapers are archived electronically, but older issues can be found on microfilm or other physical media. Often, local libraries will be able to help you locate obituaries, albeit for a fee. In addition, photocopies of index entries can be ordered. This way, you can quickly locate obituaries and view them in print.
Using obituary indexes
The use of obituary indexes helps locate obituaries from a variety of sources. Obituaries are published notices placed in newspapers following a death. Newspaper staff usually write them, so they are longer than death notices or classified ads placed by family members. In addition to obituaries, newspapers also contain thousands of marriage announcements.
While this method can be beneficial in some cases, the library cannot guarantee the quality of the obituaries included in its archives. They have been instructed to include whatever articles were available on a person, thinking that genealogists would want everything. However, this means that genealogists may have to pay a fee for several references – which isn’t exceptionally high. But it does cover the cost of the time and effort used to look up a single authority.
To start, look for newspapers in the area of the death. The Hayes Index contains obituary notices from counties throughout Northwest Ohio, including Sandusky County. If you can’t find a newspaper with a suitable date, you can also visit the library to look up the titles. You can find the library’s Research Services desk in Bates Hall, located on the second floor of the McKim Building. Then, fill out the appropriate request slips for each title. In many cases, it takes several days for the library to receive a complete set of obituaries.
