Nevada Obituaries

Nevada’s best-known early paper, the Territorial Enterprise, was founded in 1858, and a young Mark Twain wrote for it. The Nevada State Library and Archives lists its online historic newspapers in one place.

Recent Nevada 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 Nevada are:

• Las Vegas Review-Journal
• Reno Gazette Journal
• Las Vegas Sun
• Nevada Appeal (Carson City)
• Elko Daily Free Press

Legacy.com’s Nevada 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.

Nevada obituaries in historic newspapers

The Territorial Enterprise began in Genoa in 1858, when Nevada was part of Utah Territory, and moved to Virginia City during the Comstock silver boom. Samuel Clemens first signed his name as Mark Twain while working there. Comstock papers recorded deaths in mine fires and accidents, along with gunfights and epidemics.

Boom towns such as Austin, Eureka, Tonopah, Goldfield and Ely each had papers during their mining rushes, and many disappeared when the mines closed. Reno and Las Vegas became the state’s main newspaper towns in the 1900s.

Nevada has no single statewide digital newspaper site. Many papers are on Chronicling America through a project led by UNLV with the Nevada State Library and Archives and the University of Nevada, Reno. Washoe County Library’s genealogy staff can help with Reno newspapers and obituaries.

Where to find older Nevada obituaries

Digitized Nevada newspapers

• Online Newspapers, Nevada State Library and Archives — The state library’s list of historic Nevada newspapers available online.

Obituary and death indexes

• Genealogy resources, Washoe County Library — Genealogy help for Reno and Washoe County, including local newspaper resources; ask staff about Reno obituaries.

Archives and libraries

• Nevada Newspapers on Microfilm, UNLV Libraries — UNLV’s Nevada newspaper microfilm holdings.
• Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records — State archives and the library’s historic newspaper collection in Carson City.
• Nevada Newspapers, FamilySearch Research Wiki — Volunteer-maintained guide to Nevada 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.

Nevada death records

Nevada has registered deaths statewide since 1911. The Office of Vital Records issues certified copies to family and others with a legal interest; county recorders and the Nevada State Archives hold older records.

• Nevada Office of Vital Records — the office that issues Nevada death certificates, with ordering instructions and fees.
• Where to Write for Vital Records: Nevada — the CDC’s summary of where to order, current fees and which years the office holds.
• Nevada Vital Records, FamilySearch Research Wiki — free death indexes and certificate collections, with the years each covers.

Tips for finding an obituary in Nevada

• Search the home state. Many people who died in Las Vegas or Reno had moved there, so check the paper back home.
• Ask Reno’s library. Washoe County Library’s genealogy staff can help with Reno newspapers and obituaries.
• Check mining-camp papers. Virginia City's Territorial Enterprise and other camp papers reported 1800s deaths.
• 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