About this project

This index is a joint project of the Oshkosh Public Library and the Winnebagoland Genealogical Society. Volunteers from the Winnebagoland Genealogical Society read newspapers on microfilm and recorded the names and dates of obituary publication. The Oshkosh Public Library created and maintains the database and web site. While every attempt has been made to index accurately, there is a possibility of error in transcription, database entry or on the part of the newspaper. If you believe an obituary has been omitted, and you have the exact date of death, you may request that a volunteer search for it.

Search Tips

Date Tips

Remember that only the years 1861 through November 2000 and January 2001 to recent issues are indexed.

Name Tips

During this time period, an obituary for a women was frequently listed under her husband's name only. So an obituary for "Jane Smith" may actually appear only as "Mrs John Smith" and needs to be searched with the last name "Smith" and the first name "Mrs".

Some obituaries use initials rather than the person's name spelled out. The obituary may be listed under "G. Smith" rather than "George Smith". This would need to be searched using the last name "Smith" and the letter "G" as the first name.

Capitalization is not required. Names may be typed in either upper or lower case.

Omit punctuation marks such as a period "." Type last name "Smith" first name "G" rather than "G."

If you are uncertain of the exact name or spelling, type in as much of the name as you know. For example, type dickens for the last name if you do know if the name is dickenson or dickensen. You might then find it useful to Resort the search results.

Search Results

Results are displayed alphabetically by name and include all variations of the name you enter. If you enter "smith" you will see results displayed alphabetically as "Coppersmith, Goldsmith, Hammersmith, Hoffsmith" and then "Smith." If you enter "lee" as the last name, you will see "Bleecker, Colee, Conlee, Decleene, Fleener, Gleed, Killeen, Kirkfleet, Kleeber, Kleeman, Klees" and then "Lee." This search result format does allow genealogists to search for name and spelling variations.

No attempt has been made to cross index or correct misspellings in the newspaper's printing. There is no legal requirement for obituaries to be printed in the newspaper.

There may be multiple listings for individuals because death or funeral notices have been indexed in addition to obituaries. In the 1930s to 1950s, the first notice is usually an obituary listing facts of the deceased's life, survivors and funeral plans. The second is a funeral notice, often telling who the pallbearers were, sometimes who sang, and out-of-town relatives who attended sometimes listed. This practice was discontinued in the early 1960s. After that time, a second notice is likely to be a correction or addition to the family information.

Highlighted Names

Click on these names for additional information, usually the names of the spouse.

Resort
The Resort function allows the search results to be displayed in order by date or first name rather than by surname. A date sort can be used when the first name is uncertain but you have an approximate date, such as "Uncle Bud was killed in a car crash when I was small." The first name sort allows you to easily search a truncated last name such as "Anders . . " and then sort to group all Andersons and Andersens by first name.

Help/Feedback

To obtain help, report problems or make suggestions, please email us.

Requesting photocopies of obituaries

Due to high demand, please limit your requests to six at one time. Requests for photocopies must be made by mail with payment enclosed. Please enclose $5.00 for each item requested (one obituary and one funeral notice, for example, would be $10.00). Residents of the Winnefox Library System (residents of Winnebago, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Wisconsin counties) receive a discounted price. Please make checks payable to the Oshkosh Public Library. Requests can be sent to:

Oshkosh Public Library
Reference Department - Vital Records
106 Washington Ave.
Oshkosh, WI 54901

Requests will be filled as time and volunteer availability permits. Preference will be given to Winnefox Library System (Winnebago, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara counties) residents. Fees for Winnefox Library System residents are 25 cents per microfilm copy (the amount paid by users in the library building) plus 50 cents postage per batch of up to six items rather than $5.00 per copy.

If you believe an obituary has been omitted and you have an exact date of death, you may request that a volunteer search for it. You may request an obituary search for obituaries appearing in years not included in this index if you have an approximate date of death. The more information you can provide, the quicker we will be able to process your request. For all time periods be aware that there is no legal requirement for obituaries to be printed in the newspaper. For obituaries that could have appeared in the Neenah News Times (May 19, 1919-December 31, 1943), The Daily News Times (January 3, 1944-December 31, 1949), or the Twin Cities News Record (January 1950-May 1984), please contact the Neenah Public Library at (920) 886-6315 or http://www.neenahlibrary.org/. For obituaries that could have appeared in the Menasha Record (1903-1949) or earlier Menasha papers, please contact the Menasha Public Library at (920) 967-5166, x720 or http://www.menashalibrary.org/. For obituaries that appeared in the Winneconne News during the years 1871-1874, 1876-1879, 1909-1911 and 1929-1969, try the Winneconne Vital Records Database.

Return to the index home page