Alaska’s first newspaper was written by hand in Sitka in 1868. Alaska’s Digital Newspaper Program has put more than 150,000 pages of Alaska papers from 1898 to 1963 online for free.
Looking for a recent obituary?
For deaths in the last 25 years, start with Legacy.com’s Alaska obituaries, the obituary pages of papers such as Anchorage Daily News, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Juneau Empire, and the funeral home’s website. More on recent obituaries
At a glance
- Free historic newspapers
- Alaska’s Digital Newspaper Program, Alaska State Library
- Obituary or death index
- Finding articles in older Alaskan newspapers
- Death certificates
- Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records
- When records open
- Death records become public 50 years after death
Recent Alaska obituaries (2000 to today)
Most obituaries published since about 2000 are online. Daily papers post paid death notices and family-written obituaries in an Obituaries section, usually hosted by Legacy.com, and keep them online with a guest book. The largest daily papers in Alaska are:
Legacy.com’s Alaska page searches the obituaries of most of these papers and many smaller ones at once. Funeral homes also post obituaries on their own websites, often before the newspaper does and sometimes instead of it: search the person’s name with the town and “obituary” or “funeral home.” For obituaries no longer online, ask your public or state library: many offer NewsBank or ProQuest databases with the full text of recent newspapers, free with a library card.
Alaska obituaries in historic newspapers
The Sitka Times was produced by hand in 1868, shortly after the United States purchased Alaska from Russia. Printed papers followed in Sitka and Juneau in the 1880s, and the gold rushes of the late 1890s brought papers to Skagway, Dawson, Nome and Fairbanks.
Gold rush papers reported deaths on the trails and in the camps, from avalanches, drowning, disease and cold, and those notices were often reprinted in the deceased’s home-town paper in the lower 48. Later papers covered fishing, canneries, the building of the Alaska Railroad and the 1918 influenza epidemic, which devastated Alaska Native villages.
The Alaska State Library leads Alaska’s Digital Newspaper Program and contributes its pages to Chronicling America. The library also keeps indexes for finding articles, including obituaries, in older Alaska newspapers.
Where to find older Alaska obituaries
Digitized Alaska newspapers
- Alaska’s Digital Newspaper Program, Alaska State Library — Free digitized Alaska newspapers, 1898–1963.
Obituary and death indexes
- Finding articles in older Alaskan newspapers — The State Library’s guide to Alaska newspaper indexes, including obituary indexes.
Archives and libraries
- Alaska State Archives — Territorial and state records in Juneau, including older vital records and court records useful for confirming a death.
- Alaska Newspapers, FamilySearch Research Wiki — Volunteer-maintained guide to Alaska newspaper archives, indexes and microfilm, with local links.
Also search the nationwide archives: Chronicling America, FamilySearch, Find a Grave, Newspapers.com. See all nationwide obituary resources.
Alaska death records
Alaska death certificates are restricted to family and others with a legal interest; records over 50 years old are open. Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records in Juneau issues certificates, and the Alaska State Archives holds older vital records.
- Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records — the office that issues Alaska death certificates, with ordering instructions and fees.
- Where to Write for Vital Records: Alaska — the CDC’s summary of where to order, current fees and which years the office holds.
- Alaska Vital Records, FamilySearch Research Wiki — free death indexes and certificate collections, with the years each covers.
Tips for finding an obituary in Alaska
- Search the Lower 48 too. Many Alaskans came from elsewhere and were buried in their home state, so the hometown paper may carry the longer obituary.
- Check regional weeklies. Outside the cities, notices often ran in weeklies such as the Nome Nugget, Bristol Bay Times or Delta Wind rather than a daily.
- Use the State Library's indexes. The Alaska State Library has indexes to older Alaska newspapers, including obituary indexes for some titles.
- Look beyond the word “obituary.” Older papers reported deaths under headings like “Died,” “Deaths,” local news and personals columns, funeral notices and cards of thanks, and often listed married women under the husband’s name (“Mrs. John Smith”). See death notices vs. obituaries.
Common questions
How do I find a recent obituary in Alaska?
Search Legacy.com’s Alaska page and the obituary sections of papers such as Anchorage Daily News, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Juneau Empire, then check the funeral home’s website. Most obituaries since about 2000 are online.
How do I get a Alaska death certificate?
Order it from the Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records. Death records become public 50 years after death.
Are old Alaska newspapers online for free?
Yes. Alaska's Digital Newspaper Program has free digitized Alaska papers from 1898 to 1963, also searchable on Chronicling America.
Where are Alaska Native deaths recorded?
Check regional papers and tribal or village records, and ask the Alaska State Library: notices in remote areas were often printed weeks later or only in a regional weekly.