Finding a specific tribute in the Greensboro News & Record obits can feel like trying to find a single needle in a very large, very Southern haystack. It’s not just about a name and a date. It’s about that one story of a grandfather who worked at the Cone Mills or a teacher who spent 40 years at Grimsley High.
Greensboro has a soul built on textiles and civil rights. The obituaries reflect that. Honestly, if you grew up here, you know the "News & Record" is basically the town square.
The Digital Maze of Greensboro News & Record Obits
Searching today is a bit different than it was back in the 90s. Most people start at Legacy.com because the Greensboro News & Record partners with them. It’s efficient. You type in "William Brown" or "Naomi Marks," and boom—there they are.
But here is where people get tripped up. The free search on most sites only goes back about 30 days. If you’re looking for someone who passed away in the early 2000s or, heaven forbid, the 1950s, a simple Google search usually fails you.
For the deep history, you've gotta head to GenealogyBank or the Greensboro Public Library’s digital archives. They have scans of the old Greensboro Daily News and the Greensboro Record before they merged in 1984.
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Why Small Details Matter
A "Death Notice" and a full "Obituary" are not the same thing.
A death notice is basically a legal "just the facts" blurb. Name, date, funeral home. Usually, it costs around $55 for a flat rate. A full obituary is the narrative. That’s where you see the photo of them in their garden and read about their "famous" pound cake recipe. In 2026, these narratives start at about $90, but they can get pricey if you want a long story and multiple photos.
How to Find That One Specific Person
If you are hitting a brick wall, try these strategies. They actually work.
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- Search by the spouse’s name. In older archives (think 1940s-1970s), women were often listed as "Mrs. John Smith." It's frustrating, but that's the reality of the records.
- Use the funeral home name. Hanes Lineberry and Forbis & Dick are the big ones in Greensboro. Sometimes their internal websites have the full text when the newspaper link is broken.
- Check the "Go Triad" section. Sometimes local artists or musicians get longer tributes in the entertainment inserts rather than the standard obituary columns.
Submiting a Notice in 2026
If you’re the one who has to write it, take a breath. It’s a lot of pressure. You can submit directly through the Lee Enterprises "Adportal" or call them at (336) 271-1502.
Most people use the funeral director to handle the submission. It’s easier. They know the deadlines—which vary depending on whether you want it in the Sunday print edition or just online.
Pro tip: Double-check the spelling of the survivors. You do not want a family feud starting over a misspelled nephew's name in the paper of record.
Beyond the Name: The Archive Value
The Greensboro News & Record obits are more than just sad news. They are a massive database of Guilford County history. Researchers use them to track how the city changed from a "Jeansboro" textile hub to the modern city it is now.
You’ll see the shift in where people lived. Names from the old Irving Park estates give way to the growth in Summerfield and Oak Ridge. It’s a map of our community’s life and death.
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Actionable Steps for Your Search
- Start at Legacy.com for anything from the last few years.
- Visit the Greensboro Public Library (Central Branch) if you need the 19th-century stuff. They have microfilm and digital access that isn't behind a paywall.
- Verify with the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) if you aren't 100% sure about the exact date of death before you pay for an archive search.
- Keep a copy. If you find a digital obit you love, screenshot it or save it as a PDF. Digital links break, but a saved file is forever.
Searching the archives doesn't have to be a chore. It’s basically just hanging out with the ghosts of Greensboro for an afternoon. You’ll probably learn more about this town than you ever expected.
To get the most accurate results, always include the middle initial and the city—Greensboro, High Point, or Jamestown—to filter out common names that appear across North Carolina.