"My ancestor died in Denver some years ago, and I need to find their obituary."
This is one of the top questions we receive here in DPL's Western History/Genealogy Department and it's one that's easier to answer than you might think.
The best way to fast-track your Denver obituary search? Check out the Denver Obituary Project Indexes. This is an Index of obituaries and funeral notices that appeared in the Denver Post or Rocky Mountain News from 1923-2014. (Note that this index will give you the citation to the obituary or funeral notice and is not full-text).
With this citation, you have two options for obtaining the obituary:
- Visiting the Western History/Genealogy Department's newspaper collection (Central Library, Level 5). A friendly staff member will get you set up on a microfilm reader, where you'll be able to print or scan the obituary you need. This is the fastest way to retrieve a obituary.
- Ordering a scan. If you have a citation for the obituary or funeral notice, you can place an order to have the item scanned and emailed to you. Note that given the volume of requests the Western History/Genealogy Department receives, orders take 3 weeks to complete. This is the slowest way to retrieve an obituary or funeral notice.
Here's how to order a scan:
1. On the Western History/Genealogy Department webpage (history.denverlibrary.org), click on the CONTACT button in the upper right-hand corner:
3. Fill out the request form using the obituary citation information you retrieved from the Denver Obituary Indexes. Note that fields with a red asterisk must be filled out.
**If you do not have obituary citation information for your request, please fill out the form with as much detail as possible (please note that the full date of death, including month, day, and year, must be provided in order for your request to be completed).**
4. If you have a second obituary request to make, click the blue REQUEST 2 button (above the SUBMIT button). If not, click the SUBMIT button. Requests are fulfilled within 3 weeks.
[Interested in learning more? Check out our Obituaries, Cemeteries & The Dead research guide.]
Comments
I am looking for information on the cause of death on Tamela (Tammie) Lea Olesen. Her remains were found in a field off of Gun Club Road in Aurora, CO on May 15, 1996. Anything you can do to help would be much appreciated.
Thanks for asking, Carol. We were not able to find any newspaper articles with that information. However, if you are a family member, you can request a copy of the death certificate from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
Trying to find death information for Anna Jackson Anderson - death 1901
Hi Phil,
As I mentioned in the guide above, our Denver obituary indexes only run from 1922-2014, so Anna won't be part of that index. However, if you have a more precise date of death, you could put in an obituary request into our system detailed above. Be sure check out our Obituaries, Cemeteries & The Dead Research Guide, which contains suggestions and databases where you may be able to track down a date of death.
I am Researching a GG Uncle of mine(Eugene Fausey) that perished in Denver, Colorado on July 31 1906(reasons UNknown). I HAVE found him in the Research Bar at Colorado.gov/Research Website. ID# 777346, Death Archive: R95, Origin: Denver Dept. of Health. The body was shipped back to Fremont,Sandusky,Ohio for Burial. Why can I not view/find it to disseminate the information I need (Ancestry speaking) ?? Thanks for any Help.
Hi David,
Please see the information below from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:
Kate : Thank you so much for the quick response Help. I see under the PDF titled:" Eligibility and Identification Criteria ", the Section that "inlaws/aunts/uncles/nephews/etc/etc". are entitled, as a Proof of a Family Tree is suffice to obtain/view a Death Certificate. Am I, or am I not considered a "Nephew" per se., being that I am a "Great Nephew" ? Is there a "fine line/gray area" ? I ask because it does not mention the word "Great" is eligible, nor do I see that ONLY "immediate" qualifies, even though the List mentioned may imply, "If you don't see it mentioned, then it isn't eligible". If I am Eligible, please direct me the steps/forms I can take,if not, please disregard the latter, and I do apologize for wasting your time on this matter.
Hi David,
I recommend speaking with someone directly at the Vital Records Section of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment to check on this. Click the following link for their contact information: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/vital-records-contact
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