Before we give tips for finding Arizona obituaries of family members or friends, ask yourself the following questions.
- Are you trying to find a current obituary about a person who died in Arizona within the internet era?
- Are you trying to find the obituary of a person who died decades or centuries before – perhaps to fill in gaps in your genealogical research?
Keep reading as we advise you on finding an Arizona obituary based on your unique situation.
How to Find a Current Arizona Obituary
Did you recently hear about the death of a person who died in Arizona? Begin your obituary search by entering the name of the person, the word obituary, and “Arizona” into your favorite search engine. If the deceased had a common name, you might need to add additional search terms, such as the name of a family member or town where they lived.
Many times, you may be able to find obituaries on a funeral home or cremation provider’s website. However, it’s worth noting that obituaries aren’t legally required. You may find a death notice on a funeral home website without the accompanying article that tells the story of the person’s life.
You may also see through your online search that the obituary was printed in the local paper. Unfortunately, you may have to pay to access this information.
You may also be able to find a current Arizona obituary by looking at the social media accounts of the deceased or their family members. Sometimes people share the obituaries of lost loved ones on their Facebook page, tagging the deceased so their friends can be informed of the death and service information.
How to Find an Old Arizona Obituary
Please note that this article is about how to find an Arizona obituary – not a death certificate or grave. Since obituaries were often printed in the newspaper, accessing historic newspapers published in Arizona is one way to approach this task. You may also be able to quickly find an older obituary by searching genealogy websites like Ancestry.
Newspapers
The Library of Congress’s Chronicling America project participants have digitally archived 20 million newspaper pages. You may be able to find the obituary through this free source. Again, you’ll increase your likelihood of success by adding several specific search terms – including birth and death dates (if known.)
You may also search for historic newspapers through Newspapers (from Ancestry).
Although the digital archive of historic newspapers is increasing yearly, you may need to physically access historical newspapers from a state or local historical society or library.
Finally, don’t overlook the wide range of resources and information you can find from a family member’s scrapbook or archives. Look for newspaper clippings or funeral programs.
Genealogy Sites
Finding an obituary may be as easy as becoming a member of a genealogy site, such as Ancestry or GenealogyBank. People interested in genealogy often provide photographs of significant documents, such as obituaries, to a person’s profile.
Other Resources
If you are still struggling to find the obituary, consider hiring a researcher to find the document you seek. But, again, obituaries aren’t legally required. So, a researcher may only be able to uncover a death certificate (if the person died more than fifty years ago), a headstone, or nothing.
For low-cost direct cremation services in Arizona, contact Smart Cremation. Smart Cremation offers immediate need or pre-planned cremation services. Contact a member of our team to discuss your needs. And, as a service to the families, we also publish Arizona obituaries on our website.
Key Takeaways About Finding Obituaries in Arizona
- You can typically find current obituaries of family members and friends online through a simple search. Most funeral homes and cremation providers publish obituaries on their websites as a service to the deceased’s family.
- Older obituaries are becoming increasingly easier to find. Search old newspapers or genealogy sites. If you are unsuccessful with your own research, consider hiring an expert in genealogy to help.
