Country of Arrival Records - Obituaries Everyone who has an obituary, in effect, has a small biography. Not only do obits usually list survivors, but sometimes religious and/or political affiliations. You may sometimes find a birthplace in the old country. Even if a birthplace is not listed, you may find a clue to lead you to your ancestor's origins. If survivors are listed, you may be able to trace these people. This works better if a brother, sister or parents are mentioned. A birthplace in Ireland may be listed in one of their records! You are more likely to find an obit in the local newspaper, than an ethnic one. Remember though, not every family printed an obit when a member died. Some newspapers charged a fee. Or your family may be like mine and believe an obit was an open invitation to burglars! In order to search for an obit, you will need a date of death, or at least a very good estimate. It's recommended that you search a full week's editions after the date of death if the newspaper was printed daily. (Obits tend to run for a few days.) If the newspaper was printed weekly, it's a good rule of thumb to search for two weeks after the date of death. Take care, Tracy