Losing someone is heavy. Dealing with the paperwork of death—the death certificates, the funeral home logistics, and the "public notice"—makes it feel even heavier. For over a century, the Kansas City Star obituary was the gold standard for saying goodbye in the metro. If you didn't have a notice in the Star, did it even happen?
But honestly, the way we find and publish these tributes has changed a lot lately. If you’re looking for a name or trying to figure out how to write a goodbye for your own loved one, the old rules don't really apply.
The Reality of Searching the Kansas City Star Obituary Archives
Most people start by hitting Google. You type in a name and wait for that Legacy.com link to pop up. And usually, it does. Since the Kansas City Star partnered with Legacy, most modern obituaries (basically anything from the early 2000s onward) are pretty easy to find online.
But what if you're looking for something older? Maybe a great-grandfather who passed in the 1950s?
🔗 Read more: Joseph Stalin Political Party: What Most People Get Wrong
That’s where it gets kinda tricky. You can’t just "search" the 1954 archives with a single click on the main website. For the deep history stuff, you basically have two options:
- The Library Hack: If you have a Kansas City Public Library card (or a Mid-Continent Public Library card), you’ve got a superpower. They provide free access to searchable databases like NewsBank or GenealogyBank. You can see the actual scans of the old newsprint.
- The Microfilm Grind: For the real historians, the Missouri Valley Special Collections at the Central Library is the place. It’s quiet, it smells like old paper, and it has the microfilm reels that hold every single Kansas City Star obituary ever printed.
Placing an Obituary: It’s Not Cheap Anymore
Gone are the days when the paper would give you a few lines for free just to be nice. Today, publishing a notice is a transaction.
As of early 2026, the cost to place a Kansas City Star obituary starts at roughly $267. That’s just the baseline. Because they charge by the column inch, a long, flowery tribute with a photo can easily north of $600 or $700. It’s a lot.
💡 You might also like: Typhoon Tip and the Largest Hurricane on Record: Why Size Actually Matters
Most people don't realize that they don't even have to call the newsroom anymore. You basically do it all through an online portal (usually powered by Obituaries.com or iPublish). You upload the photo, type the text, and the system gives you a real-time price. It’s efficient, but it feels a bit corporate, doesn’t it?
Why the Saturday Issue Matters (Or Doesn't)
Here is a weird quirk: The Star stopped printing a Saturday physical paper a while back. If you want the obituary to appear over the weekend, it shows up in the "Saturday Digital Replica" and the Sunday print edition. Most families aim for Sunday or Wednesday because those have the highest reach.
Common Mistakes People Make with Kansas City Obituaries
I’ve seen a lot of families get stressed because they missed a deadline. For the Kansas City Star, the cutoff is usually around 2:00 PM the day before you want it to run. If you miss that by five minutes, you're waiting another 24 hours.
📖 Related: Melissa Calhoun Satellite High Teacher Dismissal: What Really Happened
Don't forget the "Surprising" details:
- The Index: If you can't afford a full paid notice, the paper still runs a very basic "Death Index." It’s just the name, age, and funeral home. It’s better than nothing, but it won't have the life story.
- The Link: Every paid notice gets a permanent URL on Legacy.com. This is actually where most of the value is now because people can leave comments in the "Guestbook" from anywhere in the world.
- The Scams: Sadly, "obituary scraping" is a thing. Random websites will steal the text from the Star and repost it on their own sites covered in ads. Always stick to the official Star/Legacy link to avoid the junk.
How to Get the Most for Your Money
If the $300+ price tag is a gut-punch, you've got to be strategic. You don't need to list every single cousin and nephew in the paid print version.
Keep the print version short: name, dates, service info, and a "for full obituary, visit..." link. Then, put the 2,000-word masterpiece on the funeral home's website for free. Most Kansas City funeral homes—like Signature, Mt. Moriah, or Muehlebach—provide a free digital space for the full story. Use the Star for the "official" public announcement, and use the web for the memories.
Actionable Next Steps
- Verify the Death Date: Before searching archives, check the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) if you're unsure of the exact year. It saves hours of scrolling.
- Check the Library First: Don't pay for a genealogy subscription until you've checked the KCPL's "Research" tab. Your taxes already paid for that access.
- Draft Offline: If you're placing an ad, write it in Word or Google Docs first. The online portal's timer can be stressful, and you don't want to make a $100 typo.
- Ask for the "Death Notice" rate: Sometimes, if you only want the bare-bones info (no story), there's a cheaper "line rate" classified instead of a full "tribute" package. Ask the representative specifically for the "standard death notice" options.
Finding or writing a Kansas City Star obituary is about more than just data; it's the final period at the end of a long sentence. While the business of newspapers has changed, the need to see that name in print—to make it "official"—clearly isn't going anywhere.