PRIMARY SOURCES

Obituaries One of the final public acts of remembrance, obituaries often review important moments in an individual’s life. Typically posted in newspapers, obituaries might be very brief merely stating a name, date of death and place, to elaborate articles recounting a person’s accomplishments. These sources, however, must be treated as a secondary source and used as a guide rather than absolute fact. During times of grief information from the family might be forgotten or incorrect, or the reporter writing the obituary, not knowing the person, embellishes the narrative for a better read. Despite the potential problems with obituaries, the importance of the information outweighs the pitfalls. These documents might hold some of the only clues about the details of someone’s life. By using obituaries as an outline you can create a whole new set of research avenues that might have your uncovering valuable information in different towns and states. You Might Learn About: • Family relationships, names of parents • When a person married, name of spouse • Surviving siblings • The individual’s place of birth • Birth date or age at time of death • Military service • Occupations during lifetime • The cause of death • The person’s migration to the community • Immigration experience • Where the burial site is located • Any fraternal societies or other organizational memberships • Key events that happened during his or her lifetime. • Religious affiliations • The residence at the time of death Where to Find These Sources • Local or regional newspapers • Church newspapers • Ethnic newspapers • Local history libraries or genealogical societies • Genealogical periodicals • Obituary abstracts or compilations • Some online websites have obituary information from volunteers For more information, check out: Obituaries: More Than Meets the Eye by Kory L. Meyerink, AG Cyndi’s List - Obituaries USGenWeb Archives - Obituary Project