When you read a newspaper, what sections do you always have to read, and never skip. Maybe it’s the weather, the sports, business, word puzzles, or horoscopes. But do you ever read the obituaries? and I’m talking about, even if you don’t know anyone named.

It only takes a couple of minutes.

I’m not sure exactly when this habit began for me but whenever I have a newspaper, I read the obituaries.

I don’t know if others would find that strange, but I don’t. I view it the same as walking through a cemetery seeing headstones.

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Obituary Details

These little pieces, a few sentences to a couple of paragraphs, try their best to portray and express a person’s entire life.

In the moment it is a challenging emotional process because it’s also like a final farewell. and you want to get it just right.

But when you read someone else’s obituary, you can learn so much about them.

There’s also the possibility of you knowing a person they are related to, and then you have the chance to pay your respects.

When it comes to genealogy, there are a lot of take aways for important family research details about your ancestors, descendants, and other relatives.

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Key Information for Family Research

Helpful information to look for:

• Photograph
• Full Name and/or Nicknames
• Birth Date and Location
• Death Date and Location
• Memorial / funeral/ burial details
• Residence over the years
• Number of years married
• Occupation and time working there
• Personal interests and hobbies
• Involvement in the community
• Details about personality
• Pre-deceased by / survived by
• Favorite quotes/songs
• Medical conditions / cause of death

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Diving Deeper in to an Obituaries Details

Some of these items you should look in to further beyond just surface level.

For example, with any names mentioned, it can help you determine both maiden and married last names, nicknames, and alterations in spellings.

If you find out a maiden name, that extends a whole new branch of your family tree.

Another example, is if it says 45 years married, that gives you guidance on what year and maybe even month/day of wedding date.

This opens up opportunities for locating where they were married for church/venue records and announcements in the paper, and photos.

Wedding information usually also lists the bridal party and witnesses.

Continuous research

So as you can see, the family history records spiral out from obituaries to an array of details to grow your research further.

Don’t over look any of the obituary sentences while they describe your ancestor.

They leave behind puzzle pieces or clues to tell your family story.

In the end, an obituary is a personal summary that teaches you about your loved ones past.

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