Finding a record of someone’s life in Curry County isn't as straightforward as it used to be. You might be looking for a grandfather’s legacy or a friend’s service details, but if you type clovis news journal obituaries into a search bar, you’re going to hit a bit of a historical speed bump.
The paper you’re looking for doesn't technically exist anymore. Not under that name.
In 2016, the local media landscape in Eastern New Mexico shifted. The Clovis News Journal and the Portales News-Tribune merged to become The Eastern New Mexico News. It sounds like a small detail, but for anyone doing genealogy or trying to track down a death notice from three years ago, it changes everything about where you click.
The Name Change Confusion
Honestly, people in Clovis still call it the "Journal." It’s a habit. But if you’re searching digital archives, you have to know that the Clovis News Journal obituaries effectively "stopped" in late 2016. After that, everything is filed under the new masthead.
If you are looking for someone who passed away in the 1950s or 1980s, you are looking for the original publication. If they passed away in 2024, you’re looking for the merger.
New Mexico history is lived in these columns. Clovis is a rail and ranching town. The obituaries here often reflect that—stories of Cannon Air Force Base veterans, long-time farmers from the High Plains, and educators who taught three generations of the same family. It’s a tight-knit community.
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Where to Actually Find the Archives
Don't expect a perfectly clean, free search engine on the newspaper's home page. It's usually behind a paywall or tucked away in a third-party database.
1. Legacy.com and the Modern Era
For anything recent (roughly 2005 to today), Legacy is the primary host. They partner with The Eastern New Mexico News. You can search by name, but be careful with the dates. Sometimes a death occurs on a Monday, but the "published date" isn't until the Thursday edition.
2. The Library of Congress and UNM Digital Collections
If you’re going deep—we’re talking 1911 to the 1930s—the University of New Mexico (UNM) Digital Repository is a goldmine. They have digitized old issues of the Clovis News from the era when the town was basically just a massive train yard and a few dusty streets.
3. GenealogyBank and Newspapers.com
These are paid services, but they are often the only way to find a scan of the actual physical page. This matters because "death notices" (the short ones) often don't get indexed by name the same way full obituaries do. Seeing the page lets you see the surrounding community news, which gives context to the life lived.
How to Submit an Obituary in 2026
Maybe you aren't searching for a record but need to create one. Dealing with a loss is heavy enough without navigating a clunky newspaper submission system.
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The current process for the Clovis area is handled through the merged newsroom. You've basically got two options:
The Funeral Home Route
Most local spots like Muffley Funeral Home or Steed-Todd handle the "placement" for you. It’s easier. They know the deadlines—which are strict for the print editions—and they ensure the formatting matches what the editors require.
The Direct Submission
If you're doing it yourself, you’ll likely need to contact the Eastern New Mexico News advertising department. Be prepared: they charge by the line. A photo usually adds a flat fee.
Pro Tip: Write it in a Word doc first. Read it out loud. Once it’s printed in the "Journal," correcting a typo in a dead person’s name is a nightmare involving "Correction" notices that never feel quite right.
Why These Records Matter for Curry County
In a place like Clovis, an obituary is more than a notification. It's a social map.
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You'll see mentions of the "Original Townsite," "Hillcrest Park," or "the old high school." These details help historians understand how the town grew. When the Clovis News Journal started in the 1930s, the obituaries were often front-page news. Today, they are tucked in the back, but they remain the most-read section of the paper.
Common Pitfalls in Your Search
People often search for a maiden name and find nothing. In older Clovis records, women were frequently listed only by their husband's name (e.g., "Mrs. John Smith"). It’s frustrating and archaic, but that’s how the archives are built.
Another issue? Misspellings. The editors at the Clovis News Journal over the decades were human. "Curry" might be "Cury." "Portales" might have a typo. If your search fails, try searching just for the last name and the month/year of death.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
If you are currently looking for clovis news journal obituaries, follow this specific order to save time:
- Check Legacy.com first. Use the filter for "The Eastern New Mexico News" to cover the modern era.
- Visit the Clovis-Carver Public Library. If you are local, they have microfilm. It’s the only way to see what was published in the "gap" years that haven't been digitized yet.
- Search the UNM Digital Repository. This is specifically for those early 20th-century records.
- Try Find A Grave. Often, volunteers will transcribe the obituary from the Clovis News Journal and paste it directly onto the memorial page. It’s free and often faster than a newspaper archive search.
Tracing a life through the Clovis News Journal requires a bit of detective work, but the information is there. You just have to know which name the paper was using when the ink hit the page.
To get the most accurate results for a specific person, verify the exact date of death through the New Mexico Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records before you start paying for newspaper archive subscriptions. This prevents you from searching the wrong month or year in the digital stacks.