Finding a specific The Morning Call obituary used to mean walking down to the end of the driveway, snapping the rubber band off the paper, and flipping straight to the back of the local section. Now? It's different. You're probably staring at a screen, typing in a name, and hoping the digital archives don't fail you. Honestly, it’s a bit of a maze sometimes.
The Lehigh Valley—from the blast furnaces of Bethlehem to the busy streets of Allentown—has a deep, intertwined history. The Morning Call has been the primary record-keeper of those lives since the late 1800s. When someone passes, that notice isn't just a bit of data; it's the final word on a life lived in a very specific corner of Pennsylvania.
The Digital Shift of The Morning Call Obituary
Things changed a lot when Tribune Publishing, and later Alden Global Capital, took the reins. The way we access death notices has shifted from a purely local service to one integrated with massive platforms like Legacy.com.
If you're looking for a recent The Morning Call obituary, your first stop is usually their online portal. It's searchable by first name, last name, and date range. But here is the thing: the search bar can be finicky. If you miss a middle initial or get the date of death slightly off, the system might tell you there's nothing there. It's frustrating.
You’ve probably noticed that many modern obituaries are "guest books" too. People leave digital candles and notes. It’s a nice touch, but it feels a world away from the ink-on-fingers experience of the old print days. The paper still prints a physical obituary section, of course. Many families still insist on it. There’s something permanent about seeing a loved one’s name in newsprint that a URL just can't replicate.
Finding the Older Records
What if you're doing genealogy? That's a whole different ballgame. If the person passed away before the mid-90s, they probably aren't going to pop up in a quick Google search for The Morning Call obituary. You have to dig.
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The Allentown Public Library is basically the "holy grail" for this stuff. They hold microfilm archives of The Morning Call (and the old Evening Chronicle) that go back decades. If you’re not local, you can sometimes use the PA Power Library or Newspapers.com, though those usually require a subscription or a library card.
It’s tedious. You’re scrolling through grainy black-and-white images of pages from 1954, looking for a tiny block of text. But when you find it? It's a goldmine. You get the names of pallbearers, the church where the service was held, and often where they worked—maybe the Bethlehem Steel or Mack Trucks. These details tell the story of the Valley itself.
Why the Cost of an Obituary Matters
Let’s be real: putting an obituary in the paper is expensive. Most people don't realize that until they are sitting in a funeral home, grieving, and looking at a bill.
The Morning Call charges based on line count and whether you want a photo included. It can easily run several hundred dollars, sometimes over a thousand for a long narrative. Because of this, you’re seeing a trend where families write "shorter" notices in the paper and link to a longer story on the funeral home's website.
It’s a practical move. But it means the "official" record in the The Morning Call obituary archives might be getting thinner over time. We're losing some of the color—the stories about the deceased's legendary pierogi recipe or their 40 years of perfect attendance at the Great Allentown Fair.
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Accuracy in the Archives
Errors happen. Someone misspells a nephew's name. A date is off by one digit. Back in the day, a correction would run the next day in a tiny box. Now, digital obituaries can be edited, but the "version of record" in the newspaper's own internal database might stay the same.
If you are a researcher, you have to cross-reference. Don't just trust one The Morning Call obituary entry. Look at the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) or local cemetery records like those at Cedar Hill or Nisky Hill.
How to Effectively Search for a Recent Notice
If you're trying to find someone right now, don't just search the name. Search the name plus the town—like "John Doe The Morning Call obituary Whitehall PA." This helps bypass all the other John Does in the country.
Often, the funeral homes (like Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith or Stephens) will post the full text on their own sites 24 hours before it hits the paper. If you’re looking for service times and can’t find them in the Call, check the funeral home’s site directly. It’s usually faster and free.
The Role of Social Media
Facebook has sort of become the "new" obituary page for the Lehigh Valley. Local community groups often share links to The Morning Call obituary pages as soon as they go live. It’s how the neighborhood stays informed. But remember, the comments section on a shared obituary can be a mixed bag. It's always better to go to the source if you want the facts of the service.
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Preserving the History of the Lehigh Valley
Every time a The Morning Call obituary is published, a new brick is added to the wall of local history. These aren't just lists of survivors. They are records of the German, Irish, Italian, and Puerto Rican families who built Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton.
When searching through the 19th-century archives, the language is different. It’s more flowery. "Called to his eternal rest" or "Departed this life after a long illness." Today, we’re more direct. But the core purpose remains. We want to be remembered. We want people to know we were here.
Actionable Steps for Finding and Saving an Obituary
If you have found the record you need, don't just leave the tab open. These links can break over time.
- Take a Screenshot: This sounds basic, but digital archives move or go behind paywalls. Capture the full text and the photo.
- Use the Wayback Machine: If it's a significant public figure or an ancestor, plug the URL into the Internet Archive (archive.org). This ensures it exists even if the newspaper changes its website structure.
- Check the Local Library: For anything older than 20 years, skip Google. Call the Allentown Public Library or the Lehigh County Historical Society. They have the expertise to find things that aren't indexed by search engines.
- Verify via Find A Grave: Once you have the info from the The Morning Call obituary, check FindAGrave.com. Often, someone has uploaded a photo of the headstone, which serves as a final verification of the dates.
The process of searching for a life’s final summary is heavy. It's a mix of tech and emotion. Whether you're a grandson looking for a grandfather's legacy or a friend trying to find service times for a funeral on Hamilton Street, the archive is there. You just have to know how to navigate the modern digital landscape to find it.
Summary of Research Resources
For those needing deeper access to the history of the Lehigh Valley, the following institutions maintain physical and digital records that supplement The Morning Call:
- Lehigh County Historical Society: Located at the Heritage Museum in Allentown; best for deep genealogical research.
- Moravian Archives: Specifically for Bethlehem-based families with deep roots in the Moravian community.
- Easton Public Library: The go-to for obituaries for those who lived on the Northampton County side of the Valley.
By using a combination of the current digital portal and these physical archives, you can piece together a complete picture of a family's history in the region.