Dissect Obituaries for New Clues

This presentation, titled Dissect Obituaries for New Clues, is part of the Genealogy Guys Learn series produced by Aha! Seminars. Led by George G. Morgan, the session provides a comprehensive methodology for locating, evaluating, and extracting genealogical data from death notices to extend family research. Participants learn to move beyond treating obituaries as simple announcements, instead viewing them as "thumbnail sketches" that point toward primary source records and alternative research paths.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the Four Types of Notices: Death information in public venues often follows a progression: a brief death notice of the passing, the obituary containing biographical details, a funeral notice with specific service arrangements, and a memorial notice for services held without remains or published on anniversaries.
• The "Sidestep Genealogy" Method: When a direct line leads to a dead end, researchers can use obituaries to identify siblings and then "sidestep" to investigate the records those siblings left behind. This often reveals shared parental information or family origins that were missing from the primary ancestor’s records.
• A Systematic Dissection Strategy: Effective analysis involves photocopying the obituary and underscoring every fact—such as names, ages, religious affiliations, military service, and pallbearers. Researchers should then create a list for each underscored item to determine what it implies, what documents could prove the fact, and where those original repositories are located.

Genealogists are encouraged to view the full webinar to see a live demonstration of this dissection method applied to a 1918 obituary, illustrating how a single clipping can lead to city directories, corporation records, and specific church archives. By following these leads, researchers can place ancestors into their proper social and community contexts. To further refine these skills, viewers should explore the additional resources in the syllabus, which provide frameworks for citing sources and verifying data against original primary records.