How to Search for Specific People

Name of Deceased

  1. First, try using just a last name.
  2. If you need to narrow your results, try adding a first name.
    • When entering first names, keep in mind that variations that might be used - e.g. William, Bill, Will, etc..
    • Example: William OR Bill
  3. Try entering a date range that spans their entire lifetime.

Limit by Date

Another way to narrow your results is to restrict your search to a specific date range. Start with a wide range to find mentions over a lifetime, beyond just the obituary. Also keep in mind that the publication date of a obituary is not the same as the date of the person's death. Most obituaries or death notices are published within two weeks of passing.

Enter personal details

Under the Advanced Search link enter keywords to include. Some examples of words are useful in narrowing searches are:

  • the person's occupation
  • the name of a spouse or relative
  • the city or town where a person lived
  • the name of a person's employer
  • the college, university, or other school that a person attended

Remember to enclose phrases that you wish to match exactly in quotes (e.g. "naval academy").

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