Finding a specific tribute in the Cleveland Plain Dealer obits isn't as straightforward as it used to be. Remember when you just grabbed the thick Sunday paper off the porch and flipped to the back? Things changed. Now, you’re bouncing between Legacy.com, Cleveland.com, and digital archives that look like they haven’t been updated since the dial-up era. It’s frustrating.
Cleveland has a deep, messy history. Our stories are buried in those columns. If you are looking for a relative who passed away last week or trying to track down a Great Uncle from 1952, the path is totally different. Honestly, most people waste hours because they don’t know where the "paywall" ends and the "free" starts.
The Digital Split: Where the Cleveland Plain Dealer Obits Actually Live
Here is the deal. The Plain Dealer doesn't really "host" its own obituaries on its own independent site anymore. Everything flows through a partnership with Legacy.com. If you go to Cleveland.com/obits, you’re basically looking at a filtered version of the Legacy database.
Wait, there’s a catch. The "News Obituaries"—the ones written by actual journalists about famous locals or notable figures—are different from the "Death Notices" paid for by families. You’ll find the news stories in the regular search bar of Cleveland.com. But for the standard tributes with the little cross or flag icons? Those are in the obituary section.
Searching the Last 30 Days
If you’re looking for someone recent, it’s usually free. You can search by first and last name, or even just a keyword like "St. Ignatius" or "Steelers fan" if you’re blanking on the spelling.
- Today’s Obits: These usually post by 7:00 AM.
- The Sunday Bump: Sunday is still the "big" day. Many families wait to publish until Sunday because it has the highest print circulation, even in 2026.
- The Guestbook: This is the best part of the digital shift. You can leave notes, but be aware—these stay online forever.
How to Find the Old Stuff (The Necrology File)
This is where it gets kind of cool. If you are doing genealogy, the Cleveland Plain Dealer obits archives are a goldmine. But don't expect to find a 1920s obituary on a Google search. It won’t show up.
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You have to use the Cleveland Necrology File.
It’s a massive index maintained by the Cleveland Public Library. It covers the Plain Dealer from 1850 to 1975. After 1975, you have to switch to the "Cleveland News Index." If you have a library card, you can access the actual scans of the newspaper pages through the library's website for free. If you don't? You might have to pay a site like GenealogyBank or Ancestry.com to see the actual clipping.
Why the "Necrology" is Weird
In the old days, death notices were tiny. Sometimes it’s literally just: SMITH, John. Beloved husband of Mary. Services Friday. No long life stories. No list of 40 grandkids. It’s sparse. But it gives you the funeral home name, and that is the "skeleton key" to finding more records.
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Putting a Notice in the Paper: The Cost is Real
I get asked this a lot: "How much does it cost to put an obit in the Plain Dealer?"
Brace yourself. It’s expensive. We aren't talking about a $20 classified ad.
- The Base Fee: There’s a flat starting rate, often around $300 just to open the file.
- The Line Rate: You pay by the line. In 2026, those rates are roughly $12 to $15 per line depending on the day of the week.
- Photos: Want a picture of Grandpa in his Navy uniform? That adds a significant chunk—often $50 to $100 extra.
- The "Web Only" Option: You can skip the print paper entirely and just go digital on Cleveland.com for a fraction of the price, but most Clevelanders still want that physical clipping for the scrapbook.
Pro tip: Ask your funeral director to handle the submission. They have portals that make it easier, and they can usually give you an exact quote before you hit "submit."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
People mess this up all the time. First, check the spelling of the cemetery. I’ve seen "Lake View" spelled six different ways. Second, don't include the home address of the deceased. It sounds heartless, but burglars actually watch the Cleveland Plain Dealer obits to see when a house will be empty during a funeral. Just list the church or funeral home address instead.
Also, remember that the Plain Dealer only home-delivers on certain days now (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). If you want people to see the print version, timing matters. A Monday death notice might not be seen in print until Wednesday.
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Actionable Steps for Your Search
If you’re stuck right now, do this:
- Check the Funeral Home Site First: Almost every funeral home in Northeast Ohio (Busch, DeJohn, Chambers, etc.) posts the full obituary on their own website for free, often a day before it hits the Plain Dealer.
- Use the Middle Initial: Cleveland is a city of "John Smiths" and "Mary Kelleys." If you don't use a middle initial or a specific suburb (like Parma or Cleveland Heights) in your search, you’ll be scrolling for days.
- Visit the 6th Floor: If you’re really serious about history, go to the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland Public Library downtown. The librarians there are wizards with microfilm and can find things Google has completely forgotten.
- The "Legacy" Filter: When searching online, filter by "Newspaper" and select The Plain Dealer. Otherwise, you'll get results from the Akron Beacon Journal or the Morning Journal mixed in, which just confuses everything.
The way we remember people in Cleveland hasn't changed, even if the paper is thinner than it used to be. The Cleveland Plain Dealer obits remain the "final record" for the city. Whether it’s a tiny three-line notice or a full-page tribute to a local legend, it’s how we keep the history of the 216 alive.
Next Steps for You:
If you need to find an obituary from before 1976, go to the Cleveland Public Library’s website and search the "Necrology File." For anything recent, head directly to the Cleveland.com/obits page but keep a close eye on the "filter" settings to ensure you are looking specifically at the Plain Dealer records rather than national results.