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Obituaries are notices of death that provide information about recently deceased persons. The word obituary originates from the Latin obitus, meaning death. Minnesota obituaries are typically found in the state's newspapers, though they can also be located through funeral homes. Online databases, local libraries, and archives house such records, including historical newspapers. MyHeritage has the following online collections that include Minnesota obituaries:
- Minnesota Obituaries on MyHeritage. This collection begins with the year 1813 and contains nearly 150,000 records, all specific to the state of Minnesota.
- Minnesota Newspapers, 1902-2009 on MyHeritage. More than 5,500 pages across 26 publications are online and these include obituaries.
- Newspaper and Funeral Home Obituaries on MyHeritage. A collection of 8.6 million records including obituary notices from newspapers and funeral homes in the United States (including Minnesota), dating back to the 1930s.
- United States and Canada, Index of Obituaries, 1900-2019 on MyHeritage. A collection that indexes 17.9 million obituaries in newspapers across the U.S. (including Minnesota) and Canada.
Minnesota shares a border with Canada for more than 500 miles, so you may also want to browse Canadian Obituaries on MyHeritage for potential connections.
Information contained in an obituaryInformation contained in an obituary
An obituary commonly includes the name of the deceased, date and place of death, age at death, and burial place. Typically surviving family members are named, such as spouse, children, and grandchildren. In rare cases, the individual's place of birth, parents' names, and siblings names are also provided. It is advisable to try to find an obituary for each of your direct ancestors and their siblings who may have died in Minnesota to piece together family groupings.
While most obituaries, especially older ones in the 1800s, are relatively brief, sometimes an obituary is more of a life sketch and includes biographical details. These additions like trade or occupation, military service, interests or hobbies, memberships or affiliations, and immigration details (as applicable) are much more common in 21st century obituaries.
How to find obituaries in MinnesotaHow to find obituaries in Minnesota
The Minnesota Historical Society has a searchable index of millions of pages of Minnesota newspapers available online. This is a great place to start to try to find obituaries in Minnesota, going back to the 1800s. From major publications like The Minneapolis Tribune, Saint Paul Dispatch, and The Duluth Herald to smaller ones across the state, plus the ability to narrow results geographically or by date, this is a valuable resource with digitized images.
The Library of Congress has even more digitized newspapers for Minnesota available at their Chronicling America project. These are searchable and begin with the year 1849.
For recent obituaries, including for the present year, Legacy.com has a Minnesota Obituaries landing page that breaks them down by county or city. This collection is also searchable by name and includes obituaries going back the last few decades.
If you are unable to find your family in digitized collections, it is worth visiting or contacting libraries or archives like the Minnesota State Archives in Saint Paul, the University of Minnesota, or the Minneapolis & Hennepin County Library. Another helpful resource is the Minnesota Genealogical Society.
Obituaries are not required by law in Minnesota, so you may not find one for a specific person. However, typically family members or friends like to have a listing for their loved one. In order to be published in a Minnesota newspaper, an official source like a funeral home, cremation service, or death certificate is required; oftentimes funeral homes will help with this process.[1]
Explore more about Minnesota obituariesExplore more about Minnesota obituaries
- Minnesota Obituaries on MyHeritage
- Minnesota - Collection Catalog at MyHeritage
- How to Locate an Obituary for Your U.S. Ancestor by Jeniann Nielsen on MyHeritage
- Digitized Minnesota Newspapers at Library of Congress Digital Library
- Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Minnesota Historical Society
- Minnesota Obituaries at Legacy
References
- ↑ Obituary information and guidelines, Brainerd Dispatch, Brainerd, Minnesota. https://www.brainerddispatch.com/obit-guidelines
