Finding a specific life story in the Northland can be a bit of a maze if you don't know where to look. Honestly, when people talk about duluth mn tribune obituaries, they’re usually looking for a piece of the past or trying to navigate a difficult present. The "Tribune" as most locals call it—officially the Duluth News Tribune—has been the primary record-keeper for the Twin Ports since 1869. That is a lot of history.
Whether you're a genealogy buff trying to track down a great-grandfather who worked the ore docks or someone looking for a recent service date, the way you access these records has changed a ton lately.
The Paper Trail: Where the Records Actually Live
The first thing to understand is that the "Duluth Tribune" name changed several times. It merged with the Duluth Herald and eventually became the hyphenated News-Tribune before dropping the hyphen in 2000.
If you're hunting for a relative from 1920, you’re looking at microfilm. If it’s from 2024, you’re looking at a digital database. It’s kinda messy.
Most people start their search at the Duluth Public Library. They have a massive index that covers obituaries printed from 1942 all the way to today. You can literally walk into the Main Library on West Superior Street, sit at a microfilm reader, and see the exact page as it looked seventy years ago.
✨ Don't miss: Who Has Trump Pardoned So Far: What Really Happened with the 47th President's List
Modern Digital Access
For more recent stuff, the paper is owned by Forum Communications and partners with Legacy.com.
- Legacy.com handles the "live" obits. If someone passed away yesterday, that's where the guestbook and full text will be.
- NewsBank is the go-to for library card holders. If you have a Duluth library card, you can log in from home and search the full text of the paper from about 1995 to right now.
- GenealogyBank and Ancestry.com are the heavy hitters for the really old stuff. They’ve digitized a lot of the early Tribune runs from the late 1800s.
How Much Does it Cost to Post?
Let’s be real: putting an obit in the paper isn't cheap. In 2026, the cost is largely determined by the line count and whether you want a photo. The Duluth News Tribune uses a self-service portal (often through a platform called Column) or you can work through a funeral home like Dougherty or Sunrise.
Typically, you're looking at a base rate that covers about 10 lines of text. If you want a photo—and most people do—the price jumps. A "large" photo (usually about 1.5 inches) adds a significant chunk to the bill.
Pro Tip: Many families now choose to run a very short "death notice" in the physical paper to save money, then link to a longer, free memorial on a site like We Remember.
🔗 Read more: Why the 2013 Moore Oklahoma Tornado Changed Everything We Knew About Survival
Searching the Historical Archives
If you are digging into the 1800s or early 1900s, keep in mind that spelling was... optional back then. Editors often used initials instead of first names. If you can't find "Thomas Smith," try "T. Smith" or even "Mrs. Thomas Smith" if you're looking for his wife. That was the standard for decades.
The Minnesota Historical Society also maintains a digital newspaper hub. It is a lifesaver for those "out-of-towners" who can't make it to Duluth in person. They have the Duluth Minnesotian (the 1869 predecessor) and many of the early Tribune editions.
Common Search Mistakes
- Wrong Date: Sometimes the obit didn't run until a week after the death. Expand your search window by at least 14 days.
- Nickname Issues: My uncle was always "Buck," but the paper lists him as "Clarence." Use formal names.
- Spelling: Duluth has deep Scandinavian and Slavic roots. "Jensen" vs "Jenson" or "Olsen" vs "Olson" can break a search engine.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
If you need to find an obituary right now, follow this sequence:
First, check the Duluth Public Library’s online obituary index. It’s free and tells you the exact date the notice appeared. You don't need a card just to search the index.
💡 You might also like: Ethics in the News: What Most People Get Wrong
Second, if the death was in the last 10-15 years, head to Legacy.com and filter by "Duluth News Tribune."
Third, if you’re out of state and need a scan of an old microfilm record, the library staff can often email a copy for a small fee (usually around $3.00). It’s way cheaper than a flight to Minnesota.
Finally, for those placing a new notice, ask your funeral director if they have a "package" rate. They often get better pricing than individuals using the public portal. Verify every single date before you hit "submit." Correcting a mistake after the ink is dry is nearly impossible.
The archives aren't just names and dates. They are the record of the people who built this city on a hill. Whether it’s a long-winded tribute to a local legend or a three-line notice for a quiet neighbor, duluth mn tribune obituaries remain the most complete history of the people of the North Shore.