Finding a specific person in the Blytheville Courier News obituaries archives is a bit of a treasure hunt. If you've spent any time digging through Mississippi County history, you know things aren't always in one neat, digital pile. Honestly, it’s a mix of high-tech databases and old-school microfiche.
The Blytheville Courier News has been the heartbeat of the Chickasawba District for generations. It has survived floods, economic shifts from timber to steel, and even a massive fire in 1926 that wiped out many early Methodist church records (which, unfortunately, included some of the town's earliest settler data). When you're looking for an obit here, you're looking for more than just a date. You’re looking for a story of a life lived in the Arkansas Delta.
Where to Start Your Search
Digital is easiest, so start there.
Ancestry.com actually has a specific database for the Courier News covering 1968 through 1977. It’s a fully searchable text version, though the accuracy depends on how well the computer read the original ink. If your person died in the 70s, this is your gold mine. For more recent folks—think 2000 to 2026—Legacy.com is the primary host. They partner with the paper and local funeral homes like Cobb and McDonald-Horne to keep things updated.
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The Offline Reality
But what if you're looking for something from 1945? Or 1982?
You’re going to have to go "analog." The Mississippi County Museum in Osceola is a sleeper hit for genealogy. They house cemetery records, monument records, and history books by local legends like Mabel Edrington.
- The Mississippi County Library System: The Blytheville branch (Main Street) is the "keepers of the flame." They hold the microfilm.
- The Arkansas State Archives: Located in Little Rock, they have the most comprehensive collection of state newspapers.
- GenealogyBank: They have a massive Arkansas collection, often including snippets that other sites miss.
Why the Chickasawba District Records Matter
Blytheville is unique because it’s one of two county seats in Mississippi County. This means legal notices and obituaries might be split between the Blytheville and Osceola records depending on where the family lived.
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If you can’t find an obit in the Courier News archives, try searching by the funeral home name. Cobb Funeral Home and McDonald-Horne have been around a long time. Their internal records often contain the original draft of the obituary which might have more "flavor" than the edited version that made it to print.
Pro Tips for the Archive Hunt
Names change. Spellings get weird.
In older editions of the Blytheville Courier News, women were almost never listed by their first names. Look for "Mrs. Henry Smith" instead of "Jane Smith." It’s frustrating, but that was the style for decades. Also, check for nicknames. In the Delta, someone might have gone by "Bubba" or "Sissy" for eighty years, and the obit might lead with that.
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Searching for a "Doc" Perkins or a "Boo Boo" Brown? (Both are real examples from recent local records). Use the "advanced search" on Legacy or Ancestry and put those nicknames in the "keyword" box rather than the "first name" box.
The 1926 Record Gap
Keep in mind that the 1926 fire at the First Methodist Church didn't just burn pews; it burned the history of Reverend Henry T. Blythe’s era. If your search takes you back to the late 1800s or very early 1900s, you might hit a wall. In those cases, the History of Mississippi County by Mabel Edrington is your best backup.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
Don't just click around aimlessly.
- Verify the date of death first using the Social Security Death Index (SSDI). This narrows your search window so you don't waste hours on microfilm.
- Contact the Blytheville Public Library. Ask specifically if they have the Courier News on microfilm for your target year. Most librarians there are used to these requests and are incredibly helpful.
- Check "Genealogy Trails" for Mississippi County. It’s a free site run by volunteers who transcribe old news items, including "Sick List" news and "Visiting" news, which often mentions relatives visiting for funerals.
- Search by location, not just name. Sometimes searching for "Blytheville, AR" and the funeral home name on Google Images will pull up a scanned clipping that hasn't been indexed by text yet.
The archives aren't just a list of names. They’re a record of the people who built the lumber mills, farmed the cotton, and worked the Nucor steel plants. Whether you're doing a deep dive into your family tree or just trying to find a service time, these resources are the best way to piece together the history of the Arkansas Delta.