Obituary & people search
Search Minnesota Obituaries
Look up obituaries, death records and people by name.
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Obituary guide
How to find an obituary in Minnesota
For a recent death, start with the funeral home's website and the obituary pages of the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press or your regional paper. For an older obituary, the Minnesota Historical Society's death certificate index and the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub are the best starting points, along with the newspaper archives at Hennepin County Library and Saint Paul Public Library.
What to have ready
- Full name, including a maiden name
- Approximate date and place of death (city and county)
- Age at death or birth year
- Names of close relatives (spouse, children, parents)
Tip: Knowing the county narrows the search the most. The MNHS death index lists the county of death and the certificate number.
Where to look, by when the person died
| When the person died | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Last few years | Funeral home websites; the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Duluth News Tribune and Post Bulletin (Rochester); Legacy.com's Minnesota page |
| 1990s to recent decades | Hennepin County Library's genealogy databases (Star Tribune full text, library card needed); Saint Paul Public Library's obituaries and death notices |
| Older or historic | MNHS's Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub; the Star Tribune Archive at Hennepin County Library (1867 to one month ago, in the library only); Chronicling America; microfilm at public libraries; county historical societies |
| Official death record | The MNHS death records index covers 1904–2001. See how to order a Minnesota death record. |
Major newspapers' obituary pages
All four obituary pages loaded on our check. Other news content on these sites may need a subscription.
Libraries and archives
- MNHS People Finder: includes the death certificate index (1908–2001) and death cards (1904–1907)
- Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub
- Hennepin County Library genealogy: Star Tribune articles from 2008 to three months ago through ProQuest, plus the full-page Star Tribune Archive
- Saint Paul Public Library obituaries: the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch for 1861–1961 is searchable in the Digital Newspaper Hub
Timeline expectations
- Recent obituaries: these appear online once the family or funeral home publishes them, so timing varies.
- Digitized archives: Hennepin County Library's Star Tribune Archive runs from 1867. Outside the Twin Cities, coverage varies.
- MNHS index: MNHS notes gaps, including many 1996 deaths. A missing index entry doesn't mean there's no certificate.
Tips
- Search the MNHS death index first. It gives the exact date, county and certificate number you'll use to find the newspaper notice.
- For Saint Paul deaths, the Pioneer Press is often the paper of record. For Minneapolis, start with the Star Tribune.
- For greater Minnesota, check the regional dailies and the county historical society.
Last verified:
Note: Coverage years, fees and web addresses are set by the libraries, archives and newspapers listed and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not affiliated with them.