The cost is $20.00 per name per paper. For example, to search for a person's obituary in the San Jose Mercury is $20.00. To then search for the same person in the San Francisco Chronicle would cost another $20.00. We use Pay Pal to process these orders. The cost, which is for the search time, is the same whether we find anything or not.

The System Reference Center will search the San Jose Mercury or San Francisco Chronicle search for seven days after the date of death. We look for obituaries, funeral announcements, and death notices. We look for spellings that we can find associated with the name. Many people who die do not have obituaries or death notices in the newspaper, since this practice is voluntary. Generally, the local paper will publish a free death notice or funeral announcement. Family and friends pay for the obituaries.

However, the best way to obtain copies of obituaries or death notices from the San Jose Mercury and the San Francisco Chronicle it to do it yourself by going to the King Library in San Jose for the Mercury or the San Francisco Main Library for the Chronicle. Below are directions to these libraries.

• San Jose Public Library
• San Francisco Public Library

Before you go to the library or order a search, you should always verify the name and date of death in the California Death Records (1940-1997) and the Social Security Death Index. Sometimes the record will be in only one of these.

* California Death Records

* Social Security Death Index

For suggestions for research you can do yourself and for other sources, see the Obituary and Genealogy link in the Webliographies section.

Document Delivery
The System Reference Center will deliver materials to you upon the receipt of this form with the prepayment information. Please complete and fax the request form below. The System Reference Center will contact you before starting work to verify your request and give you contact information for follow-up.

System Reference Center Document Delivery Form

You will need to have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader on your computer to get these documents. If you do not have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader on your computer, you will need to download this free plug-in first.

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