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  • Pennsylvania obituaries
    • Main contributor: Craig Kanalley

    Pennsylvania obituaries can be valuable sources of information for family history research. Obituaries are death notices about recently deceased persons, deriving from the Latin obit, meaning death.[1] Traditionally they are published in newspapers and can be found through archives, libraries or digital databases.

    1962 - Alfred K Hettinger - Obit - 16 Aug - Allentown PA
    Obituary for Alfred Karl Hettinger (1901-1962) of Allentown, PA

    The following MyHeritage collections can be useful for finding obituaries in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

    Information contained in an obituaryInformation contained in an obituary

    Carrol Hagadorn Potter (1838-1901) in the New York Times
    Obituary for Carrol Hagadorn Potter (1838-1901), who died in Philadelphia. Military service is noted.

    The amount of information in an obituary can vary widely. Obituaries published in the 1700s and for most of the 1800s are more limited, often just including the name of the deceased, when they died, and where they lived.

    Obituaries published in the 1900s or later are more likely to be more detailed. In addition to survivors, such as spouse, children, and siblings, funeral information is often included. Occasionally obituaries are more detailed (like the Hettinger example above), providing a life sketch, education details, and work experience. Military service, immigration details, if applicable, and hobbies or interests may also be included.

    Since the amount of details can range from one obit to the next, one newspaper to the next, and one era to the next, it's best to pursue finding an obituary for each person of interest to see what is included. It is a great way to learn more about individuals and their families.

    How to find obituaries in PennsylvaniaHow to find obituaries in Pennsylvania

    It is first important to determine the date of death of an individual. In addition the Pennsylvania Death Index (1906-1964) on MyHeritage, the U.S. Social Security Death Index is a helpful source for death dates.

    Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg, PA
    Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg, PA. Official records for the state are held in Harrisburg.

    You might also check with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Health, as they have a Vital Records division. The Genealogy section covers what records they house (death records since 1906) and general guidelines for conducting research.

    Once you have a death date, you will want to check historical newspapers for the relevant time period. The following collections include digitized images of newspapers in Pennsylvania:

    • Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive: This collection developed and hosted by Penn State University Libraries is an invaluable treasure trove of historical newspapers across Pennsylvania's 67 counties. They date back to the 1700s and include newspapers from all of the major towns and cities in Pennsylvania. It's a great place to start.
    • Chronicling America - Pennsylvania Newspapers: This initiative from the Library of Congress has 102 newspapers for Pennsylvania, also dating back to the 1700s. The collection is not identical to the Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive, so be sure to check both resources for the dates and places of interest. You can search by keyword or surname at the top of the site to quickly search all of the digitized newspapers.
    • Power Library - Pennsylvania's Electronic Library: This offers an alternate way to search digitally available collections across Pennsylvania libraries and it may include additional resources. Search for a place name with the word "newspapers" to see a glimpse of what's available.

    Recent obituaries can be searched at Legacy - Pennsylvania Obituaries.

    Interior of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
    Interior of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, located in western PA.

    If you do not find the individual you are looking for in these collections, and you've already tried the county level Pennsylvania obituaries available at MyHeritage (linked at the top of this page), then you may need to pursue an archive or library to do further research. One place to check is the State Library of Pennsylvania. You might also try one of the following, either by visiting in person or contacting them:

    Research your ancestors on MyHeritage


    See alsoSee also

    Explore more about Pennsylvania obituariesExplore more about Pennsylvania obituaries

    References

    1. ↑ Obituary, Cambridge Dictionary definition. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/obituary


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