An obituary is a mini-biography: it often lists surviving relatives, the maiden name, church, occupation, and where someone was born. Here is how to find one without paying.
How to find them
- Search the Library of Congress's Chronicling America — millions of newspaper pages from the 1770s–1960s, fully free and keyword-searchable.
- Try the deceased person's name in our database first to confirm the death year and place, which narrows the newspaper search.
- Check the local public library — most offer free remote access to newspaper databases with your library card.
- Look at county genealogical and historical societies, which frequently post obituary indexes for their area.
Names, dates, and places from the public record across all 12 Midwestern states.
Search the database →The catch to know about
Obituaries published after roughly 1963 are still under copyright and often sit behind paywalls — but the death date and place (free) usually lead you to a library copy at no cost.
We trace your whole family line and write it into a book and an interactive site — flat rate, records-based, no DNA test.
See how it works →Frequently asked questions
Where can I find old obituaries for free?
The Library of Congress's Chronicling America is the best free source for pre-1963 newspapers. Your public library card usually unlocks free access to newer newspaper databases from home.
Can you find an obituary with just a name?
It helps enormously to know the death year and town first. Search the name in our free database to pin those down, then search the newspapers for that place and year.