I’ve read a lot of obituaries since I started genealogy research in the 1980s. A few quick reminders:
- Not every obituary is complete. Spouses, children, survivors, and other details can be omitted.
- Most obituaries are not checked for accuracy. The newspaper or funeral home takes the family at their word–usually.
- Stated relationships may not be entirely accurate.
- Space or cost may have played a role. Obituary charges or space limitations may have impacted what was published.
- Errors are not always intentional.
- Relationships may not be clear. Sometimes long lists of survivors are poorly edited and can easily be interpreted in more than one way.
- Not everyone had an obituary.
These reasons are why it is always good to find as many obituaries as you can for a person and to research them for their family members as well–even if you are not related to all of them.
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