One day, I decided to see if the area in which she lived had more than one newspaper. It did! It had three papers—daily, evening, and weekly editions. So I looked at the film for all the papers at the time of her death. I had found her short obit in the evening newspaper years before with no info on her family. But in the daily newspaper there was a full obit with her siblings' names. I then got their death certificates and, low and behold, found their parents' names.

So if you don't find an obit in one paper, check to see if the area where your ancestors lived has more than one paper.

Note: It is also a good idea to check the papers of surrounding areas, as well as those near the decedent's birthplace or where the person grew up. Often, family members back home posted obituaries to let old friends and neighbors know.

Thanks to Carolyn Obertein for today's Quick Tip! If you have a tip you would like to share with researchers, you can send it to editor@ancestry-inc.com.