Read recent and archived obituaries and memorial notices from Daily Iowegian. (2024)

FAQs

How do I find an old obituary in Iowa? ›

The FamilySearch Library has two large alphabetical collections of Iowa obituaries. The original collections are at the Iowa Genealogical Society, where most of the obituaries were collected. These obituaries date from about 1850 to 1991.

Many funeral homes publish obituaries on their websites. These can usually be located with a Google search on the person's name. Local genealogical and historical societies, public libraries, and some newspaper publishers maintain clipping files of obituaries.

Legacy.com hosts obituaries for more than three-quarters of the 100 largest newspapers in the U.S., by circulation. The site attracts more than 30 million unique visitors per month and is among the top 40 trafficked websites in the world.

Death notices are short and to the point—Name, date of death and where/when the services will be held. However, the obituaries highlight the deceased's community involvement, accomplishments, interests and survivor's names of the beloved.

Read The Paper or Watch The Local News

If you receive a physical newspaper, review the obituaries section to see who recently passed. Searching for someone who died more than 30 days ago? Turn to sites like Google News Archives, US News Archives, or International News Archives.

MyObits: Obituary Listings on the App Store.

A basic online search may reveal an obituary or information about a memorial service. Type the person's name and words like “death,” “obituary,” or “memorial” and any personal information you may have, such as their date of birth or names of close relatives who could be mentioned as one of their surviving kin.

The death certificate will show the date the person died along with other information about their death. If you're able to go to the office in person to submit your request form, you may be able to receive a copy of the death certificate immediately.

Several factors affect the cost of publishing an obituary. On average, it will cost anywhere between $100-$1,000. Publishing it in local or smaller metropolitan newspapers costs around $60 to start. Large metropolitan newspapers charge anywhere from $263 to several thousands of dollars.

Is it common to read the obituary at a funeral? ›

It serves as a way to inform the community about the individual's passing and to honor their memory. During a funeral or memorial service, it is common for someone to stand up and read the obituary to the attendees. This reading may be performed by a family member, a close friend, or a designated individual.

Most obituaries are around 200 words long, which means using as few words as possible to avoid going over the word count. It's a good idea to make a plan before you write to ensure you stick to the most important points about the person who died.

Obituaries should never be written in the first person as they're not a personal tribute. As stated above, avoid including any personal addresses or phone numbers. Also, the cause of death is not necessary, as careers and education are not necessary details to include as well.

Obituaries and death notices are not required—but notices to creditors may be. You are under no legal obligation to take out a death notice or obituary.

Some may feel that it is too personal or private to share with the public, while others may not have the financial means to pay for its publication. Additionally, some families may prefer to grieve privately and not draw attention to the death.

Iowa law requires that birth and marriage vital statistics in the custody of the State Archives be 75 years or older and death vital statistics be 50 years or older to be made available to the public.

Submit a completed Application for a Certified copy of an Iowa vital record. All applications must be notarized. Submit a clear photocopy of the applicant's current government-issued photo identification. Each copy of a certified record costs $15.00.

The State of Iowa calls marriage, birth, and death records Vital Records. You may request certified copies of records by telephone, in-person, online, or through the postal service.

When writing an obituary for a woman who had a maiden name, simply write her first name and then in parentheses write her maiden name and then her married last name. For instance, Laura (Ingalls) Wilder, Marie (Sklodowska) Curie or Julia (McWilliams) Childs.