Obituaries in Erie, PA | Erie Times-News (2024)

FAQs

Why are some obituaries not published? ›

Publishing an obituary can be expensive , and the funds may be unavailable. The deceased has few family members or friends , so there might have, unfortunately, been no need for an obituary. Obituaries are also written for the living so that they may learn of an individual's passing.

Most of the time, if an obituary is available online, you will be able to find it with a Google search. However, if you still fail to see the results you want, consider looking through the websites of local funeral homes or newspapers. Unfortunately, you may have to pay to access content in a local online paper.

Find an Obituary

The Cremation Society of Pennsylvania ® online obituary search tool gives you access to obituaries from thousands of locations across North America. You can search by first or last name, state and publication date.

Posting an obituary is not a legal requirement and is a sentimental action. Families don't have to publish one if they don't want it or do not have the funds to do so. While you do not have to share a death note or obituary, you must file a death certificate with your state's office.

“The cost of an obituary will vary depending on where you choose to publish it. Local newspapers typically charge a fee per line, while online obituary websites and social media are free.” A baseline average cost across different mediums can range between $100-$1,000.

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. Legacy Inc. Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

​County Courthouses in ​​Pennsylvania

Courthouses are important places to look for birth, marriage and death records. These are usually found in the Register of Wills office in each county. Records in the Recorder of Deeds offices can also be useful.

These include Pennsylvania birth and death certificates for the brief, early period of county level record keeping 1852-1854 as well as those maintained by the state beginning in 1906. State level records are released each year as the protected privacy period ends and the records are declared public.

How long does it take to get death certificates from the funeral home in PA? ›

Applications are available upon request at the funeral home.

Certified copies are $20.00 each and only available locally up until 90 days from the date of death. After 90 days the certificate is filed with the state of Pennsylvania and certified copies may take four to six weeks to obtain.

When it comes to families of the deceased, their obituaries leave out cause of death information because it's simply their choice — in the end, it's not about how the person died. But rather about how they lived their life.

News Sites & Obituaries: Reach out to the websites or publications directly to request the content's removal.

While there are no rules when it comes to who writes the obituary, they're typically written by family members or close friends. When a loved one passes, the family usually decides who will write it based on their relationship to the deceased or writing ability.