Listed are indexes and databases designed to help users research Alaska death notices.
Alaska is a vast state, spread out and divided between bustling hubs and desolate outlands. Snow, bitter cold and roads created of nothing but glimmering ice can make even something as simple as doing an Alaska obituary search an adventure.
Because so much of the state is less than accessible for many months every year, using the internet to do your search for Alaska obituaries can be a far better, more sensible option. As with any other type of computer based search, the more information that you have, the better it is for you. You can narrow a search down by location if you have a city or area name which makes things go much faster.
If you are searching for an Alaskan Inuit record, keep in mind that these are not always documented or available right away. Some of these records are kept as family lore only and are never officially recorded or written down.
You can do a more traditional search for Alaska obituaries by asking for records from the public offices of the local government. However, some of these public records are slightly behind the times so the searches may take slightly longer than in other states. The older the record, the more likely they are to be harder to come by, many of the very old records and obituaries as well as other vital statistics have not quite made it to the modern era and may not be on any computer database.
For most of these Alaska obituary searches, you fill out a request form and may need to pay a fee. You may also need to show your picture id so that you can prove that you are who you say you are.
You might think it sounds strange to suggest taking to your Facebook or Twitter accounts for information on Alaska obituaries, but the idea is a valid one. You can post that you are looking for information for a particular person and see what leads you can generate. You might be surprised by how interconnected we all really can be as the links and the tips start pouring in. the more people in your social networks, the more search links you will have.
Another social option is the message boards on various genealogy web sites. You post your request, your question or if you have it, your own information. Other people who are also searching may have tips that can save you time and effort and they may also be able to give you encouragement for your search as well.
Alaska obituaries can be a bit hard to come by as the state is sparsely populated and comprehensive databases are few and far between. An excellent place to start is with the Anchorage Newspapers Search Engine that is located on the website for the Anchorage Municipal Library. This is a massive database that not only covers most of the cities, but many of the rural areas, as well. Currently, the database only goes back to 1981, but there is an intention to expand it further back so that more and more listings will be searchable.
At the time of this writing, it appears that you do need some kind of library card or permission, so you may want to contact the library to see how those outside of the state can access Alaska obituary records. In addition, you may also want to consider searching British Columbia & Yukon, Canada records for the person you are looking for, as the border between Canada and the United States is poorly patrolled, especially back in the distant past.
Listed are indexes and databases designed to help users research Alaska death notices.
Volunteers make up the primary resource for helping to lookup Alaska death notices from regions within that state. Through them, you can receive help locating the appropriate county for the search, hunt for the record online, and even allow you to request the document so that they can find it for you and send it to you.
Below is a list of Alaska newspaper obituaries to aid in genealogical research.
Featuring news from the Chugiak-Eagle River community, the Alaska Star has been providing local and statewide coverage for 35 years. On their homepage, a "Community" section is located at the top. A drop-down menu allows visitors to access obituaries. Pictures and biographical and service information are provided by date, going back several months.
The Arctic Sounder reports on news from the Northwest Arctic and North Slope of Alaska and is issued each Thursday. Local death notices can be found by going to the Sounder's homepage and selecting the "Birth/Obituaries" option from the menu on the left. Current birth announcements and obituaries are listed.
The communities of Dillingham, King Salmon, and Naknek receive local and state news from the Bristol Bay Times, a weekly publication owned by Alaska Newspapers, Inc. Obituaries can be found by going to the Times's homepage and selecting the "Birth/Obits" option on the menu. Organized by date, obituaries follow the birth announcements.
The Cordova Times is the oldest newspaper in Prince William Sound, located in the Gulf of Alaska. A menu, located on the left of Cordova Times's homepage, provides several options. Select "Births/Obits" to be directed to death notices. Obituaries contain biographical information, including the decedent's connection to Prince William Sound, and service information.
Aleutians and Pribilof Island communities in Southeastern Alaska are served by the Dutch Harbor Fisherman, a weekly publication featuring local and state news. Readers can access obituaries by visiting the Fisherman's homepage and selecting the "Birth/Obits" option on the left side of the screen. Notices include detailed biographical sketches of the decedents and funeral information.
Local newspapers are a good source for obituaries because they typically contain more detailed information than statewide or national papers. For deaths occurring in Homer, consult the Homer News. Obituaries can be found under the "Town Crier" section of the News's homepage. Several months' worth of notices are accompanied by photos and information.
When researching a death, local newspapers are valuable resources because they provide more information than do national publications. Deaths in Juneau are reported by the Juneau Empire, which covers Alaska's capital. Obituaries can be found by clicking on the link at the top of the Empire's homepage. Photos and in-depth biographical information are provided.
The Nome Nugget is the oldest newspaper in Alaska. Founded in 1900, the weekly publication covers local, regional, and statewide news. Under the front page photo on the Nugget's homepage is a table of contents where you can find Obituaries. Organized by date, the notices provide a great deal of biographical information.
The Peninsula Clarion has been covering news for the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska since 1970. For deaths of residents of the Peninsula and surrounding region, locate the Obituaries – found under the "News" section on the Clarion's homepage. In addition to funeral or memorial service information, biographical details and photos are provided.
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