Life in the Twin Cities has a specific rhythm, and for a lot of us, that rhythm includes a morning check of the local news. But honestly, if you’ve tried looking up Minnesota Star Tribune obits today, you probably noticed things aren't as straightforward as they used to be when we just flipped to the back of the "B" section.
The way we track who we’ve lost in Minneapolis and St. Paul has migrated almost entirely into the digital ether. It's a weird mix of high-tech search filters and deeply personal, old-school storytelling. Whether you're looking for a specific friend or just keeping tabs on the community, the "Today" tab on the Star Tribune’s obituary portal is basically the modern-day town square.
The Current State of Minnesota Star Tribune Obits Today
Right now, as of January 16, 2026, the digital archive is seeing a heavy volume of entries. It’s not just names and dates anymore. People are writing novels about their loved ones. You’ll see mentions of favorite fishing spots on Lake Minnetonka or very specific gripes about the Vikings' last season.
Recently, the community has been focused on several notable departures. You might have seen the name Elliot Kaplan appearing in the listings this morning. He was 89, a fixture in both Naples and Edina, and his passing marks the end of a long chapter for his family, including his children Jane and his surviving relatives. Then there's Blaise Scot Schaeffer, whose notice was also published in the Star Tribune today. These aren't just data points. They are the social fabric of the city.
One thing that confuses people is the timing. If someone passes away on a Tuesday, you might not see the official Minnesota Star Tribune obits today (the day they actually died). There’s usually a lag of 48 to 72 hours while funeral homes coordinate with the Star Tribune’s advertising desk.
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Where to Actually Look
Don’t just Google a name and hope for the best. The most reliable path is through the official Minnesota Star Tribune obituary search tool, which uses a Legacy.com backbone but keeps the local "Star Trib" branding.
You can filter by:
- Last 24 hours (the "Today" view)
- Past week
- Specific location (like "Bloomington" or "Northfield")
- "In Memoriam" notices (these are the anniversaries of deaths, not new ones)
Why the Search "Mpls Star Obits Today" is Rising
People are getting more specific with their searches. "Mpls" is the shorthand we all use, and the algorithm knows it. But the reason more people are searching for this lately often ties back to local events that shake the city.
For example, the recent and highly publicized death of Renee Macklin Good in South Minneapolis on January 7 has kept local news readers glued to the death notices and memorial sections. When a death is tied to a major news event—like the ICE-related shooting that has sparked protests across the state this month—the obituary becomes a place of political and social reflection, not just grief.
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Renee's wife has used public platforms to talk about her "nurtured kindness," and you'll often see these sentiments mirrored in the guestbooks attached to the online notices.
Navigating the Legacy Partnership
The Minnesota Star Tribune doesn't host the obituaries on their primary news server. They use a partnership. This is why when you click a link, the URL often changes to something like https://www.google.com/url?sa=E\&source=gmail\&q=obituaries.startribune.com.
It’s a bit of a "Frankenstein" user experience. You have the 150-year-old history of the Star Tribune—a paper that survived the 1889 headquarters fire and multiple mergers—linked up with a modern, ad-heavy database.
It works, but it’s cluttered.
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If you are looking for someone like Lowell George Friday from East Bethel or James Patrick Connelly, you have to navigate through these various layers. The "Advanced Search" is your best friend here. If you only remember a first name or a hobby mentioned in passing, you can actually search the text of the obituaries themselves, which is a lifesaver for genealogists.
Mistakes People Make When Searching
Most people just type the name and "obituary." That's fine if the person had a unique name. If you're looking for an "Anderson" or a "Johnson" in Minnesota, good luck. You're going to get 400 results.
Always include the city. Typing Minnesota Star Tribune obits today plus "Minnetonka" or "Stacy" narrows it down instantly. Also, remember that "In Memoriam" sections are different. Those are paid tributes for people who passed away years ago. If you see a name you recognize but the dates look wrong (like "1938–2012"), you’re looking at a memorial, not a new notice.
The Cost of Saying Goodbye
It’s worth noting that publishing these notices isn't cheap. The Star Tribune charges based on line count and whether you include a photo. This is why some Minnesota Star Tribune obits today are just three lines long, while others are full-page biographies. Families are increasingly choosing to put the bare essentials in the paper and then linking to a more robust memorial on a funeral home’s website.
If you can't find a notice in the Star Tribune, check the funeral home directly. Places like Washburn-McReavy or Gearty-Delmore often post the full text on their own sites for free, sometimes hours before the newspaper version goes live.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
- Use the "Past 24 Hours" filter: If you are specifically looking for "today," don't let the search engine show you results from three years ago.
- Check the Guestbook: If you find the person, look at the guestbook. In the Twin Cities, these stay active for years and often contain more info than the obit itself.
- Set an Alert: If you’re waiting for a specific notice to drop, you can set up a Google Alert for the name + "Star Tribune obituary."
- Verify the Source: Ensure you are on the
obituaries.startribune.comdomain to avoid "obituary pirate" sites that scrape data and fill it with AI-generated filler.
Finding a notice in the Minnesota Star Tribune obits today is about more than just checking a box. It's about staying connected to the community and honoring the lives that shaped the Twin Cities. The digital transition hasn't changed the heart of why we read them; it just changed where we point our eyes.