Obituary

Who Can Obtain An Obituary?

December 17th, 2012

Ask The Funeral Expert:

Can I obtain a copy of my sisters obituary?

I am her brother, closest living relative.  Fred

The Funeral Expert Reply:

Most obituaries are public notices of a person’s death. So almost anyone can get a copy of someone’s obit if they subscribe or buy the newspaper in which the obituary is published.  The obituary can be published both online and in print.
Often it is the funeral home who submits the obituary to the local newspaper. Funeral homes often will also publish an obituary on their website. However this isn’t the only way an obituary can be submitted to a newspaper. Many newspapers charge a fee to publish the obituary. So family members can submit obituaries as well.
To get a copy of your sister’s obituary you can do one of three things:
  1.  Contact the funeral home that provided the funeral services. They should be able to give you a copy of the obituary submitted to the local newspaper or published on their website.
  2. Contact the local newspaper where your sister’s funeral was held. They should be able to give you a copy of the published obit.
  3. Search for your sister’s name + obit on the internet. If the service was held in the last decade, you should be able to find the obit online.
Keep in  mind that obit do not serve the same legal function as a death notice or death certificate. If you need proof of your sister’s passing, you can contact the state in which your sister died and petition for a copy of her death certificate. You will need certain information to get a death certificate such as full name, year of birth, year of death, social security number and other personal identification information. The requirements are usually listed on the state’s death certificate request form.
Hope this information was helpful. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

 

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How To Find An Obituary

December 14th, 2012

Ask The Funeral Expert:  My mothers obit

My mother was killed in 1976 her name was Leola Murdock -Brown and I would like to get an obit. Because I never got one. Wilda

Funeral Expert Reply: 

Wilda,

There are several ways in which you can find an obituary for someone.  However, it depends on how much information you have about the deceased and how many years since their passing.  Since your mother’s was in 1976, it maybe harder to track the obit down.

A simple Google or Bing search using their complete name, year of death and the word obit (Leola Murdock -Brown 1976 obit) will often times give you the information you need to find an obituary.  However, I was unable to find your mother’s obituary with the information you gave me. The only reference to a Leola Murdock Brown was connected with a 1998 obit for a John Murdock. In that obit a Leola Murdock Brown was listed as a survivor.  Normally this method works for deaths that have occurred in the last 10 years. Obituaries over ten years can be more tricky to find.

If you know the name of the funeral home in charge of the service, you can contact them.  Most funeral homes send an obituary to a the local newspaper where the funeral home is located or to the home town of the deceased. They should be able to give you the name and contact information of the newspaper.  With that information you can call the newspaper’s archive department and get a copy. The newspaper will more than likely charge you a nominal fee.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find your mother’s obituary information with the information you gave me. The only reference to a Leola Murdock Brown was connected with a 1998 obit for a John Murdock. In that obit a Leola Murdock Brown was listed as a survivor.

You might try several of the genealogy sites. These sites often have a database of obituaries. You might also try the newspaper in her home town or the town in which she lived at the time of her death.

Sorry that I couldn’t have been more of a help.

 

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