Losing someone is heavy. It's a weight that doesn't just go away, and honestly, trying to navigate the digital maze of local news sites to find a service time or a shared memory shouldn't make it harder. If you’re looking for wdbj7 obituaries past 30 days, you’ve probably noticed that the way we track local passings in Southwest Virginia has changed quite a bit over the last few years.
It used to be simple—you grabbed the paper or watched the evening news. Now, it’s a mix of television station partnerships, legacy databases, and funeral home hubs.
Where the WDBJ7 Records Actually Live
WDBJ7, like many local news leaders, serves as a primary conduit for information, but they don’t always "host" the obituary themselves in a permanent, internal database. Most of the time, when you click on their "Obituaries" tab, you're being redirected to a partnership with services like Legacy.com or a regional obituary aggregator.
This is actually a good thing. Why? Because it means the records are searchable by name, date, and location across multiple sources.
If you are hunting for someone who passed in the last month, here is the reality:
The wdbj7 obituaries past 30 days are usually updated daily through these feeds. If a name isn't there, it might be because the family opted for a private service or the funeral home hasn't pushed the data to the central "Roanoke Times" or "Legacy" feed yet.
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Recent Names in the Roanoke and New River Valley Areas
Looking at the mid-January 2026 window, the local listings have been quite active. For instance, we’ve seen recent notices for individuals like Harry W. "Chip" Scruggs Jr. and Mary Harris Furr, both of whom were prominent in their respective communities. These aren't just names; they are lives that shaped Roanoke, Salem, and Vinton.
- Larry Joseph Brewster, Sr. (Covington) – January 13, 2026
- Dallas Sutherland Dobbs (Clifton Forge) – January 14, 2026
- Winfred Lee "Winky" Doss (Rustburg) – January 13, 2026
- Kim Reed McElroy (Brookneal) – January 13, 2026
These entries often appear on the WDBJ7 site via their regional obituary partnerships, but you’ll find more detail if you go straight to the source.
The "Secret" to Finding Recent Listings Faster
Sometimes the WDBJ7 site can be a little clunky on mobile. If you’re frustrated, honestly, just skip the middleman. Most obituaries in the Roanoke area are handled by a few key funeral homes. If the person lived in Roanoke proper, check Oakey’s Funeral Service or Simpson Funeral Home.
Oakey’s, in particular, has a very robust "Recent Obituaries" section on their own site that often updates several hours before the news stations or the Roanoke Times feed. They cover the North, South, Vinton, and Roanoke Chapels. For example, recent January 2026 listings for Temple Boitnott and Ursula Ann Martin were visible there immediately.
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Why the "Past 30 Days" Filter Matters
Most people look for the wdbj7 obituaries past 30 days because that's the window for "Celebration of Life" services.
In Southwest Virginia, it’s common for families to hold services two or even three weeks after a passing, especially if they have family traveling in from across the country. If you’re searching for a service that happened last week, the "recent" tab on most news sites will still have it. But once you hit that 30-day mark, the records often move into "Archives," which sometimes requires a subscription to the local newspaper or a more specific search on a site like Ancestry or GenealogyBank.
Navigating the Search Filters
When you get to the WDBJ7 obituary landing page (or the Legacy portal they link to), don't just scroll. It’s a mess.
- Use the "Last 30 Days" dropdown. This is usually a filter on the left-hand side or top bar.
- Search by "Keyword" rather than just name. If you remember they worked at Norfolk Southern or were a teacher at Patrick Henry High School, sometimes that keyword helps if you aren't 100% sure of the spelling of the last name.
- Check surrounding counties. WDBJ7 covers a massive area. Someone might be listed under Lynchburg, Blacksburg, or even Martinsville rather than Roanoke.
What if You Can't Find Someone?
It happens. Sorta frequently, actually.
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If a name is missing from the wdbj7 obituaries past 30 days list, it doesn't mean the person didn't pass. Often, the family chooses a "Death Notice" instead of a full obituary. A death notice is a short, text-only blurb that usually only appears in the print edition or a very specific part of the website.
Also, keep in mind that some funeral homes in smaller towns like Floyd or Wytheville might not have a digital-first workflow. They might post to their own Facebook page before they ever send a notification to a news station like WDBJ7.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
If you are looking for information right now, follow this sequence for the most accurate results:
- Step 1: Go to the official WDBJ7 website and navigate to the "Obituaries" section under the "Life" or "Local" tab.
- Step 2: If the name isn't there, check the Roanoke Times obituary portal on Legacy.com. Since they are the primary print partner in the region, they often have the most "official" records.
- Step 3: Visit the websites of Oakey’s, Lotz, or Hamlar-Curtis directly. These homes handle a huge percentage of the local volume.
- Step 4: Look for a "Memorial Page" on social media. Many families in the Roanoke Valley now use Facebook to organize services rather than paying for a lengthy newspaper write-up.
Finding these records is about knowing which "bucket" the information fell into. Between the television station's feed and the local funeral home sites, you should be able to find exactly who you’re looking for within that 30-day window.