One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries. Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information, and sometimes more importantly – information about the relatives of the deceased’s family and extended family. This family name information is often not found anywhere else.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists, a great number of indexes to death information and obituaries from newspapers have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes or index lists provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the obituary clipping or transcription is even provided.
Below is a list of links to Delaware obituary indexes, an alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information. If the newspaper clippings are available, or if the obituaries are transcribed, they will be denoted. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual obituary (e.g., library or genealogical society) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the obituary itself.
(Updated October 2021; recently added links are in BOLD)
General U.S.
- Currentobituary.com index, 2001-2014
- Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2016
- U.S., Selected Jewish Obituaries, 1948-2002
- United Methodist Church Annual Conference Journal Memoirs and Obituary Index
- United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014
- United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012
Delaware
- Delaware GenealogyBuff Obituary Files
- Delaware Obituaries – Obit City
- Delaware Obituary Collection (transcriptions)
- Delaware USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Delaware Obituary Archives (Index free only)
- Delaware Obituary Central (transcriptions)
- Kent County Miscellaneous Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Kent County Obituaries
- Kent County Obituaries and Death Notices (transcriptions)
- Kent County Obituaries and Funeral Announcements
- Laurel Star Obituaries 2011- (transcriptions)
- New Castle County Miscellaneous Obituaries (transcriptions)
- New Castle County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- New Castle County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Newark Post Obituaries – Obituaries
- Obituaries – Cape Gazette
- Seaford Star Obituaries
- Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes Obituaries 2010-present (transcriptions)
- Sussex County Miscellaneous Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Sussex County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Sussex County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Sussex County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- The News Journal Obituaries – Wilmington
If you wish to search this state’s historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Delaware Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Delaware Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
