Legacy Obituaries Oklahoma (2024)

FAQs

How do I find old obituaries in Oklahoma? ›

Welcome! Ok2Explore is a free searchable index of births and deaths that occurred in the state of Oklahoma. Included is limited information on births occurring more than 20 years ago and deaths occurring more than 5 years ago.

In OK, there is no legal mandate to publish an obituary in a newspaper when someone dies. The official state paperwork is a death certificate, which is filed with the state's office of vital statistics by a medical certifier or a licensed funeral home director, not by the family of the deceased individual.

There could be several reasons why you're having difficulty finding an obituary. The person you're looking for may not have had an obituary, the newspaper that published it could have gone out of business, or it could have never been saved or digitized.

Some people choose to include cause of death, but this is optional depending on how much information you would like to share.

Birth and Death Certificates

Some Oklahoma birth and death information is available online through Ok2Explore, a free searchable index from the Oklahoma State Vital Records Division.

Each case has an available "Report of Investigation" prepared by the Medical Examiner. If an autopsy was performed, that report will also be available. There is a $10.00 fee for a non-autopsy case report and $20.00 fee for an autopsy case. Immediate family members will receive a complimentary copy by request.

Can You Bury a Body at Home? There are no state laws in Oklahoma that prohibit home burial, but local governments may have rules governing private burials. Before conducting a home burial or establishing a family cemetery, check with the town or county clerk to see if there are any zoning rules you must follow.

The family might not have a service, so they felt no need for an obituary, as obituaries are often used to provide information on the funeral. The family may have disagreements about what to include in the obituary.

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.

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.

When you find out an old friend died? ›

Tips for coping with the death of an old friend

Know that any bereavement can trigger feelings and emotions. Reach out to friends or family that might have known the person that died. Often we want to connect with those that knew the person. But not everyone feels the same so take their lead.

MyObits: Obituary Listings on the App Store.

When writing an obituary, leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. And don't include the deceased's home address.

If you like to be technical, names should be listed as follows: first name, spouse's first name in parenthesis, then surname (ex: Tom (Sarah) Johnson). If the spouse or partner's surname is different, include their surname in the parenthesis along with their first name (ex: Tom (Sarah Williams) Johnson).

What does it mean when you can't find an obituary? Well if you're looking in a newspaper for it & don't see it, that could mean the family didn't pay for it to appear in the paper. It's very expensive to put an obituary in newspapers. It could also mean the family chooses to keep it private.

FREE PUBLIC INDEX SEARCH

OK2Explore is a free searchable public index of births and deaths that occurred in the state of Oklahoma. It includes information from records of births occurring in Oklahoma 20 or more years ago and records of deaths occurring in Oklahoma five or more years ago.

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.

Ancestry is a handy source for those researching and preserving a family tree. The website will help you complete a detailed search for obituaries published from 1930 to current times. Additionally, you may be able to find the Texas obituary you are looking for by looking at other users' family trees.

You may still place orders through the mail, but it may take 6 weeks for processing and delivery. Please note that incomplete or incorrect information may result in delays in your order being processed no matter the order method.