
One of the main goals for genealogists is to find obituaries. Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information, and 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 obituary information and transcriptions of obituaries from newspapers have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide the location in old newspapers where the obituary can be found. Sometimes the scanned newspaper clipping is included.
And remember you can always find online historical newspapers to search for obituaries for free on this website (links at Newspaper Links).
Here are a few articles that may be helpful:
- How to Find Historical Obituaries
- What is the Future of Obituaries?
- What is the Difference Between an Obituary, a Death Notice, an Obituary Index, and a Death Index?
- 32 Reasons Why Searching for Obituaries is Like Finding Gold
- 9 Ways to Effectively Find Obituaries in Online Newspapers
Each entry below will be appended with one of the five types of obituaries: Transcriptions, Clippings, Index, Abstracts, or Online.
Online entries present an obituary on a website that publishes online obituaries, generally, a phenomenon that occurs after the year 2000.
Indexes are just that, an index that at a minimum includes the deceased’s name and the name and date of the newspaper that the obituary appears in. Some indexes also include the date of death, so be careful if you are recording the date in your genealogy database. Make sure that it is the death date.
Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, 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.
Every county in the state has several links below to its obituaries. Unfortunately, several counties have only a small number of obituaries online in the collections listed.
(Updated May 2023)
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
North Carolina Obituaries
- Alamance County Death and Obituary Index (Transcriptions)
- Alamance County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Alamance County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Alamance County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Alamance County, Obituaries 1875-1914
- Alexander County, Newspaper Obituary Index 1986-1992
- Alexander County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Alexander County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Alleghany County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Anson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Anson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Ashe County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Ashe County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Avery County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Avery County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Beaufort County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Beaufort County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Beaufort County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Bertie County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Bertie County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Bladen County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Bladen County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Brunswick County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Brunswick County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Brunswick County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Buncombe County, Obituaries (Abstracts)
- Buncombe County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Buncombe County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Burke County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Burke County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cabarrus County Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cabarrus County, Independent Tribune Obituary Indexes
- Cabarrus County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cabarrus County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Caldwell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Caldwell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Camden County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Camden County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cape Fear Recorder, the People Press and the Wilmington Advertiser, Obituaries and items of genealogical interest, Aug. 26, 1829 to Dec. 24, 1833
- Carteret County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Carteret County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Caswell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Caswell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Caswell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Catawba County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Catawba County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Catawba County, Obituary Indexes
- Chatham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Chatham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cherokee County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cherokee County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Chowan County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Chowan County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Clay County, Obituaries (Index)
- Clay County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Clay County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cleveland County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cleveland County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Columbus County News Reporter Index
- Columbus County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Columbus County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Columbus County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Craven County Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Craven County, Obituaries (Index)
- Craven County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Cumberland County, Obituaries (Index)
- Cumberland County, Obituaries (Index)
- Cumberland County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Currituck County, Obituaries (Index)
- Currituck County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Currituck County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Dare County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Dare County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Dare County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Davidson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Davidson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Davie County Obituaries and Index (Clippings)
- Davie County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Davie County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Duplin County, Obituaries (Index)
- Duplin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Duplin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Durham County Obituaries Index 1848-1927
- Durham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Durham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Durham Obituaries – R. Kelly Bryant Collection
- Edgecombe County, Obituaries (Index)
- Edgecombe County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Edgecombe County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Fayetteville Eagle Semi-Weekly, Obituary Index 1858-1873
- Forsyth County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Forsyth County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Forsyth County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Franklin County Obituaries Index 1879-1954
- Franklin County Obituaries Index 1955-2000
- Franklin County Obituaries Index 2001-present
- Franklin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Franklin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Franklin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Gaston and Lincoln Counties Biography Index
- Gaston County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Gaston County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Gaston Gazette Newspaper and Obituary Index
- Gates County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Gates County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Graham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Graham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Granville County, Obituaries (Index)
- Granville County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Granville County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Greene County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Greene County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Greene County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Greensboro Patriot Death Records 1826-1899
- Greensboro Patriot Obituary Index
- Guilford County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Guilford County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Halifax County, Obituaries (Index)
- Halifax County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Halifax County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Harnett County Obituary Database
- Harnett County, Obituaries (Abstracts)
- Harnett County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Harnett County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Haywood County, Obituaries (Index)
- Haywood County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Haywood County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Henderson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Henderson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Hertford County, Obituaries (Index)
- Hertford County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Hickory Daily Record, Obituaries, 1915 – 1989 (Index)
- Hoke County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Hoke County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Hyde County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Hyde County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Hyde County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Iredell County, Obituaries (Abstracts)
- Iredell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Jackson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Jackson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Jackson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Johnston County Obituaries
- Johnston County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Johnston County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Jones County, Obituaries (Index)
- Jones County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Lee County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Lee County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Lee County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Lenoir County, Obituaries (Abstracts)
- Lenoir County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Lenoir County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Lexington Dispatch Death and Obituary Indexes
- Lincoln County, Obituaries (Abstracts)
- Lincoln County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Macon County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Macon County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Macon County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Madison County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Madison County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Madison County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Madison Messenger Obituary Clippings
- Martin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Martin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Martin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- McDowell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- McDowell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- McDowell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Mecklenburg County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Mecklenburg County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Mecklenburg County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Miscellaneous North Carolina Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Miscellaneous North Carolina Obituaries via DigitalNC (Clippings)
- Mitchell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Mitchell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Montgomery County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Montgomery County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Moore County, Obituaries (Abstracts)
- Moore County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Moore County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Nash County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Nash County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- New Bern Obituary Index
- New Hanover County, Obituaries (Index)
- New Hanover County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- New Hanover County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- North Carolina Baptist Historical Collection – The Biblical Recorder, 1834-1970
- North Carolina Baptist Historical Collection Obituaries
- North Carolina Civil War Obituaries
- North Carolina Digital Collection – Deaths and Obituaries (Abstracts)
- North Carolina Miscellaneous source Records, 1700-1970
- North Carolina Obituaries – Obit City
- Northampton County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Northampton County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Onslow County, Obituaries (Index)
- Onslow County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Onslow County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Orange County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Orange County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pamlico County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pamlico County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pamlico County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pasquotank County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pasquotank County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pasquotank County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pender County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pender County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pender County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Perquimans County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Perquimans County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Perquimans County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Person County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Person County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Person County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pitt County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pitt County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Pitt County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Polk County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Polk County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Polk County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Raleigh News and Observer Newspaper Index
- Randolph County Death and Obituary Index
- Randolph County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Randolph County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Randolph County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Richmond County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Richmond County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Richmond County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Robeson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Robeson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Robeson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Rockingham County Obituary Clippings
- Rockingham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Rockingham County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Rowan County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Rowan County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Rutherford County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Rutherford County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Rutherford County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Sampson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Sampson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Sampson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Scotland County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Scotland County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Scotland County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Stanly County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Stanly County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Stanly County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Stokes County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Stokes County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Stokes County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Surry County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Surry County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Swain County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Swain County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Thomasville Times Obituary Indexes
- Transylvania County Death and Obituary Index
- Transylvania County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Transylvania County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Transylvania County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Tyrrell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Tyrrell County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Union County Obituary Indexes
- Union County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Union County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Vance County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Vance County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wake County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wake County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wake County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Warren County, Obituaries (Index)
- Warren County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Warren County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Washington County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Washington County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Washington County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Watauga County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Watauga County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wayne County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wayne County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wilkes County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wilkes County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wilkes County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wilson County Obituary Index
- Wilson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wilson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Wilson County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Yadkin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Yadkin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Yadkin County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Yancey County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
- Yancey County, Obituaries (Transcriptions)
If you wish to search this state’s historic newspapers for obituaries, click on North Carolina Online Historical Newspapers Summary
For other Free North Carolina Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
3 replies on “Free North Carolina Obituaries and Obituary Index Links”
Gaston-Lincoln Biography & History Index includes obits. Project still in progress. http://gastonlibrary.libguides.com/biography_index . Also Gaston Gazette index, 1998 to current, https://gastonlibrary.libguides.com/serials/GastonGazette-microfilm-index .
looking for charles Jordan Hamilton he died on Sept.11 1991
Fred G Hamilton in 1977
Died in North Carolina and left 9 living children. Married to Mary Wyche Brown. Farmer/Preacher.