Legacy Obituaries Oklahoma (2024)

FAQs

How do I find an old obituary in Oklahoma? ›

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.

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.

Internet Public Library – Finding Obituaries – An updated guide on searching for obituaries. Legacy.com – This site allows you to search for recently published obituaries, a small fee is required to view most results. Obituary Central – A database that searches for obituaries and performs cemetery searches.

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.

First, there is no legal requirement that an obituary or death notice be published in a newspaper. For official records, see the county clerk where you think the person died. Second, some newspapers charge for or limit the number of obits in the paper. If the family does not want the extra expense, no obit.

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.

A death notice is a brief, factual statement that announces someone's death to the public. An obituary also includes facts surrounding a person's death, but also includes biographical information, stories, and anecdotes to help honor that person's memory.

Often when an autopsy is performed additional information may be required to obtain a final determination. As a result, the actual cause of death is not initially listed on the death certificate.

What information should you never include in an obituary? ›

What Not to Include in an Obituary. Obituaries should never be written in the first person as they're not a personal tribute. As stated above, avoid including any personal addresses or phone numbers. Also, the cause of death is not necessary, as careers and education are not necessary details to include as well.

Because the family either didn't want to have the death publicized, or the person had no family. An obituary is not required by law. A family typically must pay for an obituary. Usually friends and family know that the person passed, so the immediate family does not do the extra step of submitting an obituary.

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.

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.

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.

When writing an obituary for a woman who had a maiden name, simply write her first name and then in parentheses write her maiden name and then her married last name. For instance, Laura (Ingalls) Wilder, Marie (Sklodowska) Curie or Julia (McWilliams) Childs.