The Pennsylvania Department
Death Notices

The Resource

The Pennsylvania Department maintains an alphabetical Index to Death Notices/Obituaries that have appeared in the Pittsburgh papers--principally the Pittsburgh Gazette and its later incarnations. This Index is not comprehensive nor exhaustive: it has never been required to publish a death in the newspapers. For many individuals--especially in small communities--family, friends and neighbors knew of the death without the need of its publication.

The Death Notice Index held by the Pennsylvania Department is partly on microfilm and also partly in hard copy (mounted on index cards). The Department has begun entering death notice information on an internal database not available via the Internet.

At present, this Index covers ONLY the following time periods:

1786 - 1913 Microfilm Series #P-359

(There is no Index by name for intervening years 1914-1967.)

1968 - 1978 Microfilm Series #P-359a

1979 - 1988 Microfilm Series #P-359a

1989 - 1998 in Hard Copy

(Note: Transfer of this material to microfilm is to be scheduled.)

1999 - 2000 in Hard Copy

2001 - present. On internal database, Pennsylvania Department. Not available via the Internet.

(Note: There is usually a two/three week delay in the filing of death notices.)

What We Will Search & the Cost

The Pennsylvania Department will search the Death Notice Index for up to 5 names per request.
The Pennsylvania Department will search up to two Pittsburgh newspapers if an exact date of death--month, day and year--is provided.
The Pennsylvania Department will not search newspapers for a death occurring in the period 1914-1967 unless an exact date of death is provided.

Our base fee for 1-5 photocopies is $8.75. Please send a letter with the names that you wish searched and enclose a check or money order payable to "Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh." Please do not send cash. Address your letter to:

Pennsylvania Department
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213

If we locate more than five photocopies, we shall notify you of any extra costs.
If we fail to find the names that you request, we shall return your check or money order to you.
Due to the volume of requests, please anticipate a response time of six to eight weeks.

Pa Pitt

Return to Pa Pitt's Master Index

Last updated: 22 March 1999.