Before we give tips for finding Florida obituaries or death notices, consider the reason for your search.
Are you trying to find an obituary about someone who died in Florida within the internet era?
Are you trying to find the obituary of a person who died in Florida decades or centuries before – perhaps to fill in gaps in your family history research?
Keep reading as we advise you on how to find a Florida obituary.
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How to Find a Recent Florida Obituary
Finding a current obituary should be as easy as a simple internet search on your favorite browser. Begin by entering the name of the person, the word obituary, and “Florida” 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, the town where they lived, or the date of death.
Many times, you may be able to find obituaries on a funeral home or cremation website. However, it’s worth noting that writing an obituary is not 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, only readers with subscriptions to the online newspaper may be able to access this information.
Finally, you may also be able to find a current Florida 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 Florida Obituary
Since obituaries were often printed in the newspaper, accessing historic newspapers published in Florida 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, including the Tampa Tribune. You may be able to find the obituary through this latest technology that allows you to search for a specific name. 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 (a resource offered by 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 to find the Florida obituary.
Finally, take advantage of 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 family tree or 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 looking for 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 Florida, contact Smart Cremation. As a service to the families, we also publish Florida obituaries or death notices on our website. Smart Cremation offers immediate need or pre-planned cremation services in Florida. Contact a member of our team to discuss your needs.
Key Takeaways About Finding Obituaries in Florida
- You can typically find current obituaries or death notices 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.
