These are the first obituary records to be added to GenWed.com. Some have very little data, little more than a line or two, while others have a more information for genealogy researchers.
Since they are from a large newspaper, most offer the basic information. The most basic information that can be gleaned from an obituary:
- Name
- Age at time of death
- Date of death
- Funeral home
- Immediate survivors
But if you are really lucky and the paper had room that day, you can find the basic information, plus:
- Maiden name if married
- Place of residence
- Place of death
- Date and place of birth
- Parents names
- Survivors (wife, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters)
- Relationship and residence
- Wife's maiden name
- Date, time, and place of service
- Officiate at service
- Place of burial or inurnment
- Picture of deceased
And if you are really, really, lucky the obituary will also contain some personal history. (Smaller town newspapers usually have more information in their obituaries.) Personal history might
include:
- Military service and dates
- Rank on discharge
- Marriage date and place
- Previous marriage
- Occupations and Employment
- Interests and memberships
As you can see, obituaries can offer a wealth of information and clues to finding other records. The information in obituaries is usually collected by the funeral home family members, and then then
given to the local newspaper. Since this is second-hand information, you should always try corroborate it with other sources.
