Finding a specific name in Mille Lacs County obituaries can feel like trying to track a deer through a December blizzard—it's messy, visibility is low, and if you don't know the terrain, you're going to get lost. Most people assume they can just type a name into a search bar and the life story of their Great Uncle Pete will pop up.
Honestly? It doesn't always work that way.
The reality of tracking down death notices in Central Minnesota is that the information is scattered across a handful of hyper-local newspapers, several funeral home websites, and state archives that haven't all been digitized yet. If you are looking for someone in Milaca, Princeton, or Isle, you're dealing with different records, different timelines, and different publishers.
Where the Records Actually Live
You've got three main "hubs" for this stuff.
First, there are the local papers. In the southern end of the county, the Union-Times (which covers Princeton and the surrounding area) is the heavy hitter. If someone passed away near the Sherburne-Mille Lacs line, their story is likely there. Move north toward the lake, and the Mille Lacs Messenger becomes your best bet. It’s been the voice of the Isle, Wahkon, and Onamia communities for a long time.
👉 See also: The Station Nightclub Fire and Great White: Why It’s Still the Hardest Lesson in Rock History
Then you have the funeral homes. Places like Williams Dingmann in Princeton or LeMieur Funeral Home in Onamia often post the "web-only" version of an obituary days before it hits the print edition.
Finally, the Minnesota Historical Society holds the "deep history." But here is the kicker: their online people search mostly covers death records from 1904 to 2001. If you’re looking for a death that happened in 2025 or early 2026, those state-level certificates are still being processed.
Recent Names and Notices (January 2026)
To give you an idea of how the flow of information works right now, look at the notices that have come through just this month. These aren't just names; they're the people who built these towns.
- Kenneth Harold Toven (Princeton): An Episcopal priest who served for 45 years. His notice appeared in the Union-Times on January 14, 2026.
- Carla Smith (Onamia): She passed on January 6, 2026. She was a military wife who managed the Oakwood Apartments for over a decade. Her service was held at the Onamia Vets Club—a classic local landmark.
- Harris A. Engebretsen (Princeton): Passed away at 88 on January 11. He was born on the winter solstice back in 1937. That’s the kind of detail you only find in a well-written Mille Lacs County obituary.
- Marilyn M. LaPointe (Milaca): A longtime resident of Milaca Elim Meadows who passed on January 7, 2026.
Why You Can't Find Who You're Looking For
One big misconception? That every death gets an obituary.
✨ Don't miss: The Night the Mountain Fell: What Really Happened During the Big Thompson Flood 1976
It's expensive. A full-length obituary with a photo in a local paper can cost hundreds of dollars. Because of that, many families are opting for "death notices"—just the facts: name, date, service time. If you’re searching for a "story" and only finding a "sentence," that’s usually why.
Also, the "county of residence" isn't always the "county of death." If someone from Milaca was life-flighted to St. Cloud or Minneapolis, the official death certificate might be filed in Stearns or Hennepin County, even if they lived in Mille Lacs their whole life. This trips up amateur genealogists constantly.
The Paper Trail: Union-Times vs. The Messenger
The Union-Times is basically the fusion of the old Princeton Union-Eagle and the Hurst papers. It is the primary archive for southern Mille Lacs County. If you are doing historical research, you have to realize that Princeton has always acted as a gateway between the Twin Cities and the "up north" region. Consequently, obituaries there often mention family members living down in the suburbs.
Up north, the Mille Lacs Messenger is much more focused on the lake culture. You’ll see obituaries for resort owners, fishing guides, and folks who retired to the "cabin" permanently.
🔗 Read more: The Natascha Kampusch Case: What Really Happened in the Girl in the Cellar True Story
How to Search Like a Pro
If the standard Google search fails you, try these specific tactics:
- Search by the Funeral Home first. If you know where the service was, go directly to their site. They don't have paywalls for obituaries.
- Check the "We Remember" pages. Many Mille Lacs papers use the "We Remember" or Legacy platforms to host their digital archives. These are often more searchable than the newspaper’s own home page.
- Use maiden names and "formerly of." People in this county move around. A lot of folks grow up in Milaca, move to the Cities for work, and come back to retire. An obituary might be published in Mille Lacs County even if they haven't lived there in thirty years.
The Historical Gap
If you are digging for records before 1900, it gets dicey. The Minnesota law requiring deaths to be recorded started in 1870, but honestly, compliance was "sporadic" at best. If your ancestor died in a rural township in 1885, there might not be a death certificate. You’ll have to check church burial records or local cemetery headstones.
For anything between 1904 and 2001, the Minnesota People Records Search is the gold standard. It gives you the certificate number, which you can then use to order a physical copy from the Mille Lacs County Recorder's office in Milaca.
What to Do Next
If you're currently trying to locate a recent notice or settle an estate, don't just rely on a name search.
Start by identifying the specific town—Milaca, Princeton, Isle, or Onamia. If the death happened within the last 48 hours, call the local funeral home directly; their websites update faster than the newspaper's print cycle. For historical research beyond twenty years, head to the Mille Lacs County Historical Society or use the MNHS digital newspaper hub to browse old scans of the Princeton Union.
Check the "Union-Times" digital archives specifically for southern county residents, as they often cross-post with Sherburne County records. If you are looking for official certificates for a death that occurred in 2026, contact the Mille Lacs County Vital Statistics office, as online databases usually have a significant lag time for official government records.