Finding a specific tribute or tracing a family tree through the Midland Daily News obituaries Midland Michigan archives can feel like a scavenger hunt. You’d think in the digital age, everything would be a single click away. Honestly, it’s not always that simple. Whether you're a local trying to find funeral details for a neighbor or a genealogy buff digging into 19th-century records, there are specific "quirks" to the Midland archives that can trip you up.
The Midland Daily News has been around since 1858—though it went by the Midland Sentinel and the Midland Republican back then. Because it’s been the paper of record for so long, it holds the DNA of Midland County. But if you’re searching for someone from the 1940s, you can't just use the same tools you'd use for a 2026 notice.
Why the Search is Kinda Tricky
Most people head straight to the main website, OurMidland.com, and type a name into the search bar. Sometimes it works. Often, it doesn't.
The digital transition for many local papers wasn't seamless. Recent obituaries (usually from the last decade or so) are hosted in partnership with Legacy.com. These are easy to find. But once you start looking for records from the 70s, 80s, or earlier, you're dealing with "dark data"—records that exist but aren't indexed by standard search engines.
Where the Records Actually Live
Depending on the year you're looking for, you basically have to switch your strategy.
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- Recent Notices (2000–Present): These are almost always on the Midland Daily News website or Legacy.com. They usually include photos and guestbooks where people leave "candles" or notes.
- The "Gap" Years (1960–1999): This is the hardest era to search. Many of these aren't fully digitized with "searchable" text. You might need to use the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library's microfilm or their specific internal indices.
- Historical Records (1858–1922): Surprisingly, these are often easier than the mid-century ones. Local historical societies and the library have digitized many of these early papers because they are out of copyright.
How to Submit an Obituary Without Getting Stressed
If you're on the other side of things—needing to publish a notice—it’s a lot to handle during a period of grief. Most people in Midland work through a funeral home, like Ware-Smith-Woolever or Wilson Miller. These directors usually handle the "pipe" to the newspaper for you.
But if you’re doing it yourself? You’ve got options. You can email the Hearst obituary desk (Hearst owns the Midland Daily News) or use their self-service portal.
The Cost Reality
Let’s talk money. Publishing in the Midland Daily News isn't free. Prices typically start around $33.75 for a basic notice, but honestly, once you add a photo and enough text to actually describe a person’s life, you're usually looking at $150 to $300.
The price is calculated by the line or by the "package" size.
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Pro tip: Write the draft in a Word doc first. Count your words. If you're on a budget, keep the biographical fluff to a minimum and focus on the service details and the names of the survivors. You can always post a longer, free version on social media or a memorial site.
Tracking Down Old Records (The Expert Way)
If you’re stuck and Google isn't helping, you need to go "boots on the ground"—or at least "digital boots."
1. The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library
This is the holy grail for Midland history. Located at 1710 W. St. Andrews, their Local History and Genealogy Room is incredible. They have the Midland Daily News on microfilm dating way back. Even better, they have physical indices. If you aren’t in Michigan, you can sometimes call or email their research librarians. They are used to helping people find old "obits."
2. GenealogyBank and Newspapers.com
These are paid services, but they are often worth the $20 subscription for a month. They use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to "read" old scans of the Midland Daily News. This is how you find those "hidden" mentions where a person’s name might be misspelled or buried in a column.
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3. The City of Midland Archive Center
The city actually maintains an online "Archive Center" that has some obituary indices from 1986, 2001, and 2002. It’s a bit of a random assortment, but it’s a free resource that most people overlook.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve seen a lot of researchers get frustrated because of simple errors.
- Searching by "Official" Names Only: In old Midland papers, women were often listed by their husband's names. You might not find "Mary Smith," but you might find "Mrs. John Smith."
- Ignoring Nicknames: Midland is a small-town environment at heart. A guy named Richard might only be listed as "Dick" in the header.
- The "Monday" Rule: If someone passed away on a Saturday, the obituary might not have appeared until the following Monday or Tuesday. Don't just search the date of death; search the entire week following it.
What to Do Next
If you're currently looking for a notice from the last few days, your best bet is to go directly to the Midland Daily News website and look for the "Obituaries" link in the navigation bar.
If you're doing genealogy:
- Check the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library online catalog first to see what years they have indexed.
- If the name doesn't pop up, try searching Legacy.com with the location set specifically to "Midland, Michigan."
- For anything older than 50 years, consider a temporary subscription to a newspaper archive site or a trip to the Redfern Genealogical Research Center if you’re in the area.
Start by gathering the full name, the approximate year of death, and any known family members. Having those "anchor" names (like a spouse or child) makes it much easier to verify you’ve found the right person once you finally dig up the scan.