Honestly, trying to track down a specific notice in the Morris County Daily Record obits can feel like a part-time job if you don't know where to look. Maybe you’re doing genealogy. Maybe you just missed a service and feel terrible about it. Whatever the reason, the process isn't as straightforward as it used to be back when everyone just had the physical paper dropped on their porch every morning.
The Daily Record, based out of Parsippany, has been the "paper of record" for Morris County since 1900. That’s over a century of local history. But because the paper is now part of the massive USA Today Network (Gannett), the way you find these records is split between local library archives, digital databases, and third-party memorial sites.
Where the Recent Records Actually Live
If you’re looking for someone who passed away in the last few years, you’ve basically got two main paths. The most common is Legacy.com. The Daily Record partners with them to host their digital "Guest Books."
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It’s kinda weird how it works now. You don't necessarily go to the Daily Record’s main news homepage to find the full list. Instead, most people end up on a landing page specifically for Morristown or Parsippany area notices.
- Real-time updates: Most obituaries appear online within 24 hours of being submitted by a funeral home.
- Search filters: You can sort by "Last 30 Days" or "All Time," though "All Time" on Legacy usually only goes back to the early 2000s.
- Interactive features: You can leave virtual candles or notes, which is a nice touch, but be aware these are often moderated.
For anything published in the last 48 hours, looking at the "Today's Paper" digital replica if you have a subscription is sometimes faster. It shows the layout exactly as it appeared in print, which matters because sometimes the digital-only versions strip out the small details or the specific funeral home logos.
The "Old School" Search: Going Deep into the Archives
What if the person died in 1985? Or 1940? Legacy isn't going to help you there.
This is where the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center becomes your best friend. They are located at the Morristown & Morris Township Library. They have the Daily Record (originally known as The Morristown Record) on microfilm from 1900 all the way to right now.
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It’s not just a bunch of dusty film, though. They’ve actually indexed the Morris County Daily Record obits from 1930 to the present. Think about that. That's a massive amount of volunteer work. If you can’t make it to Morristown, you can sometimes email them, and for a small fee, a librarian might be able to look up a specific date for you.
Digital Alternatives for History Buffs
If you’d rather search from your couch, a few paid sites have digitized the back catalog:
- GenealogyBank: They have a pretty solid collection of New Jersey papers, including the Daily Record.
- Newspapers.com: Owned by Ancestry, they have various runs of the paper, though coverage can sometimes have annoying "gaps" where a year or two is missing due to damaged original copies.
- The New Jersey Death Index: This isn't the obituary itself, but it's a free database (reclaimtherecords.org) that covers deaths from 1901 to 2017. It’s a great way to find the exact date of death so you know which day's paper to go hunting for in the archives.
Placing an Obituary: The Costs and Deadlines
If you’re on the other side of this and need to place an ad, brace yourself. It isn't cheap. In 2025 and 2026, prices have stayed relatively high because these notices are essentially legal documents and memorial tributes rolled into one.
Basically, the Daily Record charges by the line or column inch. A standard obituary with a small photo can easily run $300 to $800 depending on the length. If you want a funeral home logo or a flag icon for a veteran, that’s usually an extra $15 to $25 fee.
Pro tip: Most funeral directors in Morris County (like those in Denville, Morristown, or Parsippany) handle the submission for you. They have "portals" that allow them to bypass the customer service line. If you try to do it yourself via the "Self-Serve" portal on the Daily Record website, make sure you have the death certificate or a note from the funeral home handy. They won't publish anything without verification. They have to be strict about that for obvious reasons.
Common Mistakes People Make When Searching
I see this a lot. Someone types a name into Google and gets zero results, so they assume no obituary exists.
Don't do that.
First, check the spelling. People often used nicknames in the Daily Record. "William" might be listed as "Bill." A woman might be listed under her husband's name (e.g., "Mrs. John Smith") in records from the 1950s or earlier.
Second, remember that the Daily Record covers a wide area. Sometimes people who lived in Morris County actually had their obit placed in the Star-Ledger (Newark) or the New Jersey Herald (Newton) instead. If you can’t find it in the Morris County Daily Record obits, expand your search to the neighboring county papers.
Summary of Actionable Steps
If you need to find a record right now, here is exactly what you should do:
- For recent deaths (2000–Present): Go straight to Legacy.com and search for the name, filtering by "New Jersey" and the "Daily Record."
- For mid-century deaths (1930–1999): Contact the Morristown & Morris Township Library. Check their online index first to see if the name is listed.
- For genealogy (1900–1930): Use GenealogyBank or visit the library in person to scroll through the microfilm. It's tedious, but that's where the "gold" is.
- Verification: Always cross-reference with the New Jersey Death Index to ensure you have the right person, especially if the last name is common like Smith or Rodriguez.
Finding these records is about preserving a story. Whether it's a short three-line notice or a full-page tribute, these archives are the heartbeat of Morris County's history.
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To get started with your search, you can head over to the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center's website to browse their digitized indexes before making a trip in person.