Connie Lenzen, CG^SM

E-mail: clenzen@dialoregon.net

OREGON OBITUARY SEARCHES

There are three kinds of death information in Oregon newspapers. All three can be called "obituaries."

1. Death notice. This is placed by the undertaker. It usually contains the name of the deceased, the death date, and name of the funeral home.When the deceased was without funds, this would be the only notice.

2. Funeral notice. This is a short (around 25 words) notice of when and where the funeral was to take place and the names of the survivors. Depending upon the time period, these were either free or there was a fee for the service. During the 1970s, there were concerns about privacy, and some families were reluctant to place funeral notices in the paper.

3. Obituary. This is a mini-biography of the deceased. It can contain information about birth date and place, death date and place, the name of spouse and when they married, the names of children, etc. An obituary like this may lead you to other relatives. Since the late 1980s, the Portland newspaper, the Oregonian, has not charged for the service. Before that time, there was a fee, and people would think twice about paying the extra money.

Many Oregon newspapers have been preserved on microfilm. The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) in Portland has a large collection. For a list of newspapers on microfilm at OHS, click here.

I make regular trips to OHS and to other local libraries with good newspaper collections and can offer a quick turnaround time.

Contact me to arrange for an obituary search.