SMCGS Databases Online: The SMCGS Obituary Collection

This SMCGS Obituary Collection currently includes over 57,000 indexed and scanned obituaries as well as a large collection of obituaries that are indexed elsewhere.  This project started when the society received the obituary morgue of the Redwood City / Peninsula Times Tribune when they closed their doors.  That original collection was indexed by the SMCGS Computer club.  As it became more troublesome to store and use the obituaries in their original envelopes the society decided to photocopy the obituaries.  The copies were then placed in binders in the SMCGS Library. Eventually the pages started to wear so it was decided that we should scan the pages.  This was the start of the collection that exists today.  

You will find the following collections in the index

• PTT Redwood City Tribune / Peninsula Times Tribune - obituary morgue (1969-1992)  Indexed by SMCGS Computer Club - copied and scanned by Barry Goyette and Cath Trindle
• MISC Obituaries contributed by a variety of sources, newspaper generally unknown (mainly 1960s-1990s) - Copied, Scanned and Indexed by Barry Goyette and Cath Trindle
• SMCHA Obituaries culled from the Biographical files of the San Mateo County Historical Association and added to SMCGS  (mainly 1970-1995 some earlier) - Indexed and scanned by Jo Rebuck, Lauren Perritt , Donna Farmar, Celeste Guillory, Cath Trindle - a work in progress
• DJ Daily Journal - Scanned and Indexed by Jo Rebuck
• BORK Obituaries of San Mateo County Individuals listed in Southern California Newspapers Collected by Eleanor Borkenhagen - Scanned and indexed by Cath Trindle
• DP Daily Post - Scanned and Indexed by Jo Rebuck
• DN Daily News - Scanned and Indexed by Jo Rebuck 
• VET Veteran's Memorial - Scanned and indexed by Cath Trindle 
• DN Daily News - Scanned and Indexed by Jo Rebuck 
• SMCT San Mateo County Times - assorted pages - Scanned and indexed by Cath Trindle

This is an ongoing project.  As the SMCHA culls more obituaries we will add them to the collection.  Additionally if anyone has access to other papers in the county and would like to contribute it would be appreciated.

The following collections which are indexed on Obituary Daily Times are also available in our scanned files.

• Pacifica Times Tribune 1999 + collected and indexed by Chris Havanar scanned by Jean Ann Carroll
• San Mateo Times 1999 + collected and  indexed by Chris Havanar scanned by Jo Rebuck, Donna Farmar, Lauren Perritt and Cath Trindle

To obtain a copy of any obituary in our index or from the collections listed for the Obituary Daily Times see Research Services under Research on the SMCGS website.

Check out the other SMCGS Databases and good luck with your research.