Finding a record of someone who passed away in the Kanawha Valley isn’t always as easy as a quick Google search. You’d think in 2026 everything would be a click away, but local history—especially the kind printed on newsprint—tends to hide in dusty corners. If you are looking for charleston wv newspaper obituaries, you are likely dealing with the Charleston Gazette-Mail. It’s the big player. But there is a whole world of archives, microfilm, and funeral home listings that most people completely overlook.
Honestly, the way we track deaths in West Virginia has changed. It used to be that the morning paper was the only source of truth. Now? It’s a mix of paywalled archives and digital memorials. If you’re trying to find a relative from the 1950s or just checking service times for a friend who passed last week, you need to know where the bodies—or at least the records—are buried.
The Reality of Charleston Gazette-Mail Obituaries
The Charleston Gazette-Mail is the result of a 2015 merger between the Charleston Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail. Because of this, when you search for older records, you’re actually looking through two distinct editorial histories.
Most people head straight to Legacy.com. It's the standard. You'll find recent names like Eugene Ward Ball or Sandra Hizer Kidd there. But here's the kicker: Legacy only goes back so far. If you need something from the early 2000s or late 90s, that digital trail gets thin. For anything truly "archival," you’re looking at NewsLibrary or GenealogyBank.
These services aren't free. Usually, you’re looking at about $2.95 for a single obituary or a monthly sub that runs around $19.95. It feels a bit like paying a toll to visit a grave, but for many, it’s the only way to get the full text.
Why the Library is Still King
If you’re in town, don’t sleep on the Kanawha County Public Library (KCPL). They keep the Charleston Daily Mail (from 1914) and the Charleston Gazette (from 1924) on microfilm.
- You need an exact date of death. The library doesn't have a magic "search by name" button for the old stuff.
- It costs twenty-five cents per copy.
- If you aren't local, you can mail them a request. You’ll need a self-addressed stamped envelope and a quarter for each record.
It’s old school. It’s slow. But it’s the most accurate way to find those small "Death Notices" that never made it into the big digital databases.
How to Search Charleston WV Newspaper Obituaries Like a Pro
If you're hitting a brick wall, you're probably searching too narrowly. I've seen people spend hours looking for a name and finding zero results because they forgot about nicknames or maiden names. In West Virginia, "Junior" or "Bub" might be the name everyone knew, but the paper probably listed them as "Robert."
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The "Hidden" Funeral Home Archives
Sometimes the newspaper isn't the best source. The cost to run a full obituary in the Gazette-Mail can be steep. Because of that, some families opt for a "Death Notice" (just the basics) in the paper and put the long, beautiful story on the funeral home's website for free.
Check the digital walls of places like:
- Barlow-Bonsall Funeral Home
- Snodgrass Funeral Home
- Cunningham-Parker-Johnson
- Callender Funeral Home (specifically for the Rebecca Street area)
These sites often host guestbooks and photos that the newspaper archives strip away. If the person lived in Sissonville or Alum Creek, they might appear in these local funeral home listings even if the Gazette-Mail search comes up empty.
The Vital Records Shortcut
The West Virginia Culture Center is a goldmine. Their Vital Research Records Project has been digitizing birth, death, and marriage certificates for years. You can search these for free online. While a death certificate isn't an "obituary" in the storytelling sense, it gives you the exact date of death, cause of death, and the parents' names.
Once you have that exact date from the state records, going back to the newspaper microfilm becomes ten times easier.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't trust the spelling in old obituaries. Seriously. Back in the day, typesetters made mistakes, and families in grief aren't always the best proofreaders. If you're looking for "Hanna," try "Hannah." If you're looking for a woman, search for her husband's name—"Mrs. Thomas Brotherton" was a very common way to list women in the mid-20th century.
Another thing? The "In Lieu of Flowers" trap. If you are reading an old obit to find where someone is buried, look for the phrase "Interment at..." or "Burial will follow in..." If it says "Private," you might be out of luck unless you contact the cemetery directly, like Spring Hill or Sunset Memorial.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
If you are starting a search today, follow this path to save yourself a headache:
- Start with the Culture Center: Use the West Virginia Vital Research Records online to pin down the exact death date. It's free and definitive.
- Check the Funeral Home: Search the name plus "funeral home Charleston WV." You might find a full biography and a photo gallery without paying a cent.
- Use Legacy for 2010–Present: This is the easiest window for digital searches.
- Hit the Microfilm for Pre-1990: If you can't find it online, the Kanawha County Public Library is your best bet. Send them a letter if you can't make the trip to Capitol Street.
- Watch the Surname Variations: West Virginia genealogy is full of similar names. Double-check the middle initial and the age to make sure you haven't found a cousin with the same name.
Getting the full picture of a life lived in Charleston takes a little digging. Whether you're doing genealogy or just trying to remember an old neighbor, the records are there—you just have to know which archive to unlock.