An obituary can be a valuable resource for genealogical research. Obituaries often list information on major life events, family relationships, and more. How do you find one for your Connecticut ancestor?
Obituaries as we think of them today begin in the late 19th century. Prior to that, Connecticut newspapers tended to provide what are called death notices. Occasionally, they may list a family relationship. Most often they’ll just include the individual’s name, date of death, place of death, and sometimes age.
Obituaries could appear in any paper that served the area. Larger papers did exist covering several towns, but those papers had the most thorough coverage of deaths in the large city. The Hartford Courant, for example, had more obituaries for Hartford. Smaller papers will often have better coverage of smaller towns. To find an appropriate newspaper, consider using the State Library’s newspaper finder.
If you’re unable to access the listed paper or are having trouble finding the appropriate record, consider contacting the public library in the town where your ancestor resided at the time of their death.
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