Finding a specific person's tribute in the Furniture Capital isn't as straightforward as it used to be. You used to just grab the morning paper off the porch, flip to the back, and there they were. But things have changed. Honestly, if you’re looking for High Point NC obituaries today, you’re probably bouncing between three different websites and still feeling like you might have missed something.
It’s frustrating. You want to pay respects, check a service time, or maybe you're doing the deep-dive genealogy work to trace your family's roots back to the old furniture factory days. Whatever the reason, the digital shift has scattered these records across funeral home sites, newspaper archives, and third-party memorial pages.
Where the Records Actually Live
Most people start with the High Point Enterprise. It makes sense; it’s been the local voice since 1885. But here’s the thing: many families are opting out of the traditional newspaper print because it's expensive. Like, really expensive. You might pay hundreds of dollars for a few paragraphs.
Because of that, the real "hub" for High Point NC obituaries has shifted toward the funeral homes themselves. If the person you're looking for lived in the Triad, they’re likely listed on one of these three portals:
- Cumby Family Funeral Service: They handle a massive portion of the local services. Their "Recent Obituaries" page is updated almost daily and usually includes full galleries and guestbooks where you can leave a note.
- Sechrest-Davis Funeral & Cremation: Now part of the Dignity Memorial network, their listings are often synced with a national database, which is handy if the deceased had family out of state.
- Phillips Funeral Service: A staple in the community, especially for families looking for deeply personalized local tributes.
If you don't find them there, don't panic. Sometimes a "death notice" appears in the paper (just the name and dates) while the full story is only online.
The Genealogy Goldmine at 901 North Main
If you aren't looking for someone who passed away last week, but rather someone who passed away in 1946, the internet is going to fail you pretty quickly. Most digitized records only go back to the early 2000s.
You’ve gotta go to the High Point Public Library.
Their Heritage Research Center (HRC) is legit. They have a staff-indexed database of deaths and obituaries from the High Point Enterprise that spans decades. They’ve even got the old microfilm for the Greensboro Patriot and other local rags that don't exist anymore. Larry Cates and the team there are basically detectives for local history. If you're stuck on a family branch, an email to the HRC is usually the "secret" move that breaks the case wide open.
Why Digital Records Disappear
Sometimes you’ll find a link to an obituary from five years ago, click it, and get a "404 Not Found" error. It’s annoying. This usually happens when a funeral home changes its website provider or a newspaper moves behind a stricter paywall.
To get around this, try searching the name on Legacy.com. They partner with most North Carolina newspapers to keep a permanent digital archive. Even if the original funeral home site goes dark, Legacy usually keeps the text alive.
Writing a High Point Tribute That Doesn't Sound Like AI
If you’re the one tasked with writing the obituary, the pressure is real. You want it to sound like a human wrote it, not a template. High Point is a town built on craftsmanship and "neighborly" vibes, so the best obituaries here usually reflect that.
Forget the "In today's landscape" or "It is with heavy hearts" clichés for a second.
Just tell the story. Did they spend 30 years at the Tomlinson Chair Manufacturing Company? Mention it. Did they always get their hot dogs at Kepley’s? Put it in there. People in High Point identify with their work, their church, and their local haunts. Those details are what make a tribute feel "real" to the people reading it at the breakfast table.
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Practical Tips for the Search
- Check surrounding towns: High Point bleeds into Archdale, Thomasville, and Trinity. If they aren't in the High Point listings, check J.C. Green & Sons in Thomasville or Davidson Funeral Home.
- Use Social Media: Honestly, searching a name on Facebook with the word "passed" or "funeral" often leads you to a shared link that Google hasn't indexed yet.
- Maiden Names Matter: Especially in older records, women were often listed by their husband's name (e.g., Mrs. John Smith). The HRC at the library is particularly good at helping you navigate those confusing old-school naming conventions.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
If you are currently looking for information, start with the Cumby Family Funeral Service website for the most recent local listings. If that’s a dead end, move to the High Point Enterprise digital archives on Legacy.com. For anything older than 20 years, skip the search engines entirely and contact the High Point Public Library Heritage Research Center—they have the physical records and the expertise that an algorithm just can't match.
Double-check service times directly with the funeral home before traveling, as "private service" designations are becoming much more common lately and aren't always updated immediately on third-party scrapers.