The Obituary Project

Obituaries, funeral programs and death announcements are invaluable sources of historical information regarding our ancestors. Well written documents provide not only a narrative on the life of a person, but contains names, facts and other clues to enhance genealogical research.

The African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC) maintains an online searchable database of obituaries, funeral programs and death announcements. The database is a donated collection from our members, and is available to our members and the public. If you would like to donate to the collection, please contact us at obits@aagsnc.org.

THE OBITUARY PROJECT IS TAKING A BREAK. WHEN WE RETURN, WE WILL HAVE MORE ITEMS WITH IMPROVED SEARCH FUNCTIONS. PLEASE STAY TUNED AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

Here are additional sources for searchable online obituaries and funeral programs:

Genealogy Bank.com
https://www.genealogybank.com/explore/all-obits

Family Search.org
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/United_States_Obituaries

You may also find pertinent information through Find-A-Grave at https://www.findagrave.com/, which is a database of cemetery records that also provides some clues regarding survivors and family members.

Here is a helpful guide to preparing an obituary for your loved ones, and here are tips on preparing a death announcement.