### How to Search the Digital Directory The online directory offers several search and filtering tools to help you locate specific records: * **First and Last Name Search:** You can search using the individual's full name or a partial name. A partial search is highly beneficial if you are unsure of the exact spelling of a first or last name. * **Date Range Filtering:** If you do not know the exact date of publication but have a general idea of when the person passed away, you can narrow your search by selecting specific date ranges or browsing by month. * **Alphabetical Browsing:** For those who prefer to browse manually, the database allows you to filter listings by the first letter of the deceased individual's last name. ### Information Provided in Modern Records
Once you locate the correct listing, the individual memorial page typically provides several key details: * **The Full Obituary Text:** The biographical details, surviving family members, and career highlights as submitted by the family or funeral home. * **Service Information:** Specific details regarding the scheduling, location, and timing of visitations, funerals, or memorial services. * **Interactive Guest Books:** A space where visitors can leave condolences, share personal memories, or upload photos. * **Memorial Links:** Direct links to send flowers to the family or make charitable donations in memory of the deceased. ## Finding Historical Obituaries (Pre-2000) Because the newspaper's official online directory only covers relatively recent history, researchers looking for older records must utilize alternative archives. The *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette* has undergone various mergers and name changes over its long history, meaning older obituaries might be found under predecessor names like the *Pittsburgh Gazette*, *Pittsburgh Daily Post*, or the *Pittsburgh Press*.
### The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) is the premier local resource for historical research in Western Pennsylvania. The Main Branch in the Oakland neighborhood houses an extensive microfilm collection of local newspapers. * **Microfilm Archives:** The library holds microfilm copies of the *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette* and its predecessors dating back to the late 18th century. * **Obituary Index:** CLP staff and volunteers have compiled historical indexes to help researchers locate the exact date and page number of older obituaries. * **Remote Research Requests:** If you do not live in the Pittsburgh area, the library's Pennsylvania Department offers research services. For a small fee, library staff can look up and copy specific obituaries if you can provide the name and the approximate date of death. ### Online Historical Newspaper Databases
For digital access to historical editions of the paper, subscription-based genealogy platforms are highly effective. * **Newspapers.com:** This platform hosts a massive, fully searchable digital archive of the *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette* spanning multiple centuries. Because the pages are digitized using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, you can search for the deceased person's name directly within the scanned newspaper pages. * **Ancestry.com:** Ancestry subscribers can often access these same newspaper records through integrated search results, linking historical obituaries directly to family trees. * **Local Library Access:** Many public and university libraries in Pennsylvania provide free access to these databases for cardholders or visitors using library computers. ### Google News Archive A free, digitized resource is the Google News Archive. While Google has stopped actively updating this service, the existing archive contains scanned microfilm pages of the *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette* and the *Pittsburgh Press* covering large portions of the 19th and 20th centuries. While you cannot search these archives as easily as database search engines, you can browse issues chronologically if you know the exact date of publication.
## Strategies for an Effective Search If you are having difficulty finding a specific record, keep the following search tips in mind: * **Account for Spelling Variations:** Historical records and OCR scans often contain typographical errors. Try searching for common misspellings, maiden names, or just the last name combined with the year of death. * **Search by Date of Death:** Obituaries are typically published two to five days after an individual passes away. If you know the date of death, browse the newspaper issues published in the immediate days following that date. * **Check Predecessor Newspapers:** If a person passed away during a time when the *Pittsburgh Press* was the dominant afternoon paper, the obituary may have been published there instead of, or in addition to, the *Post-Gazette*.
