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 Maryland 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
Maryland
- African American Funeral Programs
- Allegany College of Maryland Obituary Collection, 1983-1994 (clippings)
- Allegany County Cumberland times News Obituary Collection, 1889-1912 (clippings)
- Allegany County Obituaries
- Allegany County Obituaries and Death Notices
- Allegany County, Obituary Collection, 1885-2014
- Annapolis Daily Capital Index of Death Notices & Obituaries
- Anne Arundel County Obituaries
- Anne Arundel County Obituaries (short transcriptions)
- Anne Arundel County Obituaries and Death Notices
- Anne Arundel Death and Obituary Index
- Baltimore Area Newspaper Obituaries (short transcriptions)
- Baltimore City Obituaries and Death Notices
- Baltimore County Obituary Indexes
- Bel Air Times, Death Notices, 1882 – 1899
- Calvert County Obituaries and Death Notices
- Caroline County Obituaries and Death Notices
- Carroll County Obituaries
- Carroll County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Cecil County Obituaries and Death Notices
- Cecil County Obituary Indexes
- Cumberland Times Obituary Excerpts (transcriptions)
- Dorchester County Historical Society Obituary Collection, 1923-2013
- Frederick County Gazette Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Frederick County Obituaries
- Frostburg Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Garrett County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Garrett County Obituaries Database (clippings)
- Harford County Obituaries
- Hartford County Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Jednosc-Polonia Death and Obituary Index Search
- Maryland GenealogyBuff Obituary Files
- Maryland Obituaries – Obit City
- Maryland, Obituaries of some Revolutionary soldiers copied from old newspapers
- Maryland State Archives Biographies (has obituary info)
- Maryland USGenWeb Obituary Project
- Mid Maryland Roots – Miscellaneous Obituaries
- Montgomery County Obituaries
- Prince Georges County Obituary Indexes
- Saint Mary’s Beacon Newspaper Index
- Washington County Obituary Index
- Washington County, Maryland, Obituary Index, 1790-2007
- Western Maryland Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Worcester County Obituaries (transcriptions)
If you wish to search this state’s historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Maryland Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Maryland 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
