Chester Ward, Jr.

genealogical research- chesterward@mindspring.com

Kentucky Newspapers Obituaries

Kentucky Death Certificate Photocopies from Microfilm

Kentucky Libraries and Courthouse Research

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Kentucky Newspapers Obituaries

I often travel to the University of Ky. in Lexington. Almost all newspapers ever printed in Ky. are available on microfilm at the University. Available newspaper microfilm can be located in the UK library online catalog, at www.uky.edu. In addition, most of the newspaper microfilm is listed at Rootsweb, at this web address.

http://www.kygenweb.net/ukfilm/index.html

The fee is $12 per obituary for all dated before 1940. For those after 1940, the fee is $6. There is no extra charge for postage. Generally, longer searches are necessary for earlier obituaries, thus the difference in fee.

Obituary search before 1940, $12 per obituary or 12 obituaries for $100

Obituary search 1940 and later, $6 per obituary or 12 obituaries for $50

I won’t search forever, of course. I try to search at least 3 issues on and after the date of death. The search time for an obituary before 1940 averages about 30 minutes, while after 1940 about 15 minutes. If nothing is located in that amount of time, I might have to stop searching, depending on my schedule. I can let you know what issues of what newspapers I did search, allowing you to plan additional searching at a later time. Some obituaries are printed many days or weeks after a death.

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Kentucky Death Certificate Photocopies from Microfilm

I frequently visit the Daviess Co. Library, where copies of Ky. death certificates 1911-1956 on microfilm are shelved.  I make photocopies for $1.00 each, prepaid, which includes postage. (For a quicker response you can include a self-addressed envelope.) 
       A fully completed death certificate includes name, address, spouse, birth and death dates and places, burial place, undertaker, race, cause of death, parents and their state of birth, occupation, physician's name, and informant's name. The amount of information included, and its accuracy depends on the knowledge of the informant. Most are fully completed, and of course, virtually all include the date and cause of death.
       The most useful online index to the death records is available at RootsWeb. Information needed to request death certificates is also available at the Kentucky Vital Records Index  maintained by the Univ. of Ky.
       After submitting a search for a great-grandmother's death certificate, I receive the following report. This is what you need to print and send with your request for photocopies.

       Last Name First Name MI     Age     Death Place        Residence       Death Date  Volume    Certificate       Death Volume

          WARD       JANE             072       DAVIESS                               10-26-1934    050       24549                 1934

View an image of the death certificate.

       You must send all the information from the index for me to find the certificates on microfilm.

       I will usually have your copies in the mail within one week. Please send payment in advance. I accept checks or money orders. (I no longer accept funds through PayPal. Sorry.) Please do not send cash.

 BE SURE THE CERTIFICATES YOU REQUEST ARE DATED NO LATER THAN 1956!

Certificates dated after 1956 can be requested from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics.

      I can handle requests for any number of copies.  My address is:

Chester Ward, Jr.

821 Glenn Ct.

Owensboro, KY  42303-0520

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Kentucky Libraries and Courthouse Research

(Hourly Research)

I often visit the Kentucky Room of the Daviess Co. Library, and the library of West-Central Ky. Family Research Assoc. I visit the Kentucky Dept. of Libraries and Archives in Frankfort, Ky., about once a month. I am in Louisville about as often, at the Filson Historical Society, the SAR library, or the Jefferson Co. Archives.

My hourly fee for work in Owensboro is $12 per hour. For work away from here, I add to my hourly fee according the distance involved. For example, my hourly fee for Louisville, Frankfort or Lexington research is $25. My hourly fee for work in Evansville, Ind., is $15. Just email if you have a specific question about my fees.

Before requesting my help, try to organize all the material you’ve collected regarding the research question. Otherwise, I can’t be faulted if I search the same records you’ve already covered. Send your notes to me, clearly indicating the information you want. Please send a check or money order for $15. I will evaluate your problem and write or email a response. If your problem can be solved in one hour, then $15 will probably cover all your costs.

I can’t promise I will find answers to your questions, but I will certainly try. You will receive a complete list of the materials I cover while researching your problem.

I can furnish many work references on request.

Email me at mailto:chesterward@mindspring.com