Finding a specific tribute in the Aberdeen American News obits used to be as simple as picking up the paper off the porch. You’d flip to the back pages, scan the black-and-white columns, and find out who the community lost. But honestly, things have changed. If you’ve tried to look up a recent passing in Brown County lately, you’ve probably noticed that the digital shift has made things a bit more fragmented. It’s not just you; the way we track local history and say our goodbyes in South Dakota is evolving in real-time.
Losing that physical "ritual" of the morning paper is tough for some. My own neighbor still complains that the digital e-edition just doesn't feel the same as holding the news in his hands. He's got a point. But whether we like it or not, the Aberdeen American News obits have largely moved into the digital ecosystem managed by Gannett and Legacy.
Where the Aberdeen American News Obits Actually Live Online
Most people head straight to the main newspaper website, which makes sense. However, because the paper is part of the USA TODAY Network (Gannett), the obituary section is powered by a massive third-party database called Legacy.com. This is why when you click "Obituaries" on the Aberdeen News homepage, the URL suddenly changes.
It’s a bit jarring. One second you're reading about local city council meetings, and the next you're on a national platform.
But here is the thing: the Legacy platform is actually where the "Guest Books" live. If you want to leave a note for the family of someone like Richard Lee Hayes Sr. or Rachel Fitch—both of whom had notices recently—you’ll be doing it through that Legacy interface. It’s basically the central hub for the Aberdeen American News obits now.
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Don't Skip the Funeral Home Sites
If you can't find a name on the newspaper's site, don't panic. There is a "secret" that locals know: the funeral homes often post the full text before the newspaper does. In Aberdeen, a few key spots handle the majority of services.
- Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary & Crematory: They have a very active "Recent Obituaries" section. For example, they recently handled services for Paul Joseph Johnson and Colleen Marie Jones. Their site often includes video streams of the services, which the newspaper doesn't host.
- Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home: Another staple in the community. They often have detailed archives that are easier to navigate than a giant newspaper database.
- Carlsen Funeral Home: They serve the broader Aberdeen area and frequently update their listings with high-res photos.
The newspaper version of an obituary is often a "paid notice." Families have to pay by the word or line to get it printed in the Aberdeen American News obits section. Because it's expensive, some families choose to only post a short notice in the paper and put the long, beautiful story of a person’s life on the funeral home’s website for free.
The Search Struggle: How to Actually Find Someone
Genealogy is big in South Dakota. If you are looking for an ancestor from 1920, the current Aberdeen American News obits digital search might let you down. The "Recent" section usually only goes back a few years.
For the old stuff, you have to go to the archives. The Alexander Mitchell Public Library in Aberdeen is the gold mine here. They have microfilm—yeah, that old-school stuff—that covers the Aberdeen Daily News and American News going way back.
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If you are a digital-only person, GenealogyBank or Newspapers.com are your best bets for historical records. They’ve digitized a massive chunk of the Aberdeen archives. It's kinda fascinating to see how the language of death has changed. In the early 1900s, they were way more flowery. Nowadays, we tend to be more "just the facts."
Why Some Obits Are "Missing"
You ever look for a name you know should be there and... nothing? It happens.
Usually, it's because the family opted for a private service. Or, quite frankly, they couldn't justify the cost of the print notice. As of early 2026, a full-length obituary with a photo in a Gannett-owned paper can cost hundreds of dollars. That’s why you’ll see many people searching for Aberdeen American News obits only to find a three-sentence "death notice" instead of a full life story.
Pro Tips for Navigating the System
If you are the one tasked with writing or finding a notice, here is the "real talk" on how to handle it:
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- Check the E-Edition: If you have a subscription, the E-Edition (the digital replica of the print paper) is often easier to browse than the website. It looks like the physical paper, so you can see the layout exactly as it was intended.
- Use Facebook Groups: Weirdly enough, local Facebook groups like "Aberdeen SD News & Events" or community memorial pages often share links to Aberdeen American News obits faster than the Google search results update.
- The "Legacy" Filter: When you're on the Legacy site, use the "Filter by Date" tool. Don't just rely on the search bar; it can be finicky with middle names or nicknames. Search by the last name and the month of passing.
The landscape of local news is definitely different than it was a decade ago. We've seen the Aberdeen American News shift its publication schedule and its digital strategy multiple times. While the way we access the Aberdeen American News obits has moved from the driveway to the smartphone, the core purpose—honoring the people who built this corner of South Dakota—remains the same.
If you are trying to track down a recent notice, your best path is a "triple check": look at the official newspaper site, check the Schriver’s or Spitzer-Miller funeral home pages, and then do a quick scan of the local social media groups. Usually, the truth lies somewhere in between all three.
To stay on top of local notices effectively, start by bookmarking the specific "Local Obits" landing page on Legacy.com rather than the newspaper's main landing page. This bypasses the clutter and takes you straight to the search filters. If you're doing deep family research, a trip to the Alexander Mitchell Public Library's microfilm room is still the only way to guarantee you aren't missing the smaller, historical details that digital scanners sometimes skip.