Other Sources for Obits

Other Hints for Finding Obituaries

1. Many residents of Los Angeles lived somewhere else before moving to the Golden State. Look in the hometown newspaper for an obituary. Obituaries for Los Angeles residents who were born and raised in other parts of the United States -- particularly in small and medium sized communities -- are often found in their hometown newspapers.

2. Church newsletters sometimes include the text of obituaries. If the local church does not have a copy, you may be able to contact church regional or district headquarters, which often maintain files of congregational newsletters.

3. Some cemeteries maintain obituaries of the residents of that cemetery. Inquire to see if you can obtain a Lot Card. A Lot Card contains information on an individual -- or individuals - buried in a plot. You might be able to find out who bought the plot, and obtain current contact information for the family, in addition to death and burial data.

4. Along the same line, some funeral directors maintain obituary files. Also, don't forget to look in the funeral memory book. In addition to giving you leads on relatives and friends of the decedent, many funeral homes will include a copy of the obituary in the memory/guest book.

5. Begging may also yield a cherished copy of a yellowed, tattered obituary. Ask relatives and close family friends if they happened to keep a copy of an obituary. I was pleasantly surprised to find an obituary carefully tucked behind a framed photo of the decedent.

6. If the decedent was employed at the time of death, you may want to contact the Human Resources office at the place of employment. They may have put one in the personnel file.

7. Information librarians in the County's suburban areas may be willing to provide assistance in finding an obituary. Many of these libraries have the capability to process email requests; and several even have round-the-clock live online assistance. Use www.google.com and do a search for " library." You don't need to use the quotation marks.

8. Was this a "newsworthy" death, a result of a traffic accident, crime, or other circumstance? If so, the newspaper articles will be helpful in providing death information.

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   This page was last updated on August 16, 2002