Honestly, trying to track down a specific notice in the obituaries Deseret News today can feel like a bit of a maze if you aren't sure where the digital "paper" is hiding these days. Gone are the times when you’d just snap open a broadsheet over coffee and scan the columns. Now, the Deseret News—which has been a staple in Utah since 1850—handles its death notices through a mix of its own site and a partnership with Legacy.com.
If you’re looking for someone right now, you’ve basically got two main paths. You can head straight to the Deseret News website or use the Legacy portal which hosts the actual searchable database.
Finding the Recent List
Most people searching for obituaries Deseret News today are looking for someone who passed within the last 48 to 72 hours.
The paper currently publishes its print editions on Wednesdays and Fridays. This is a big detail that trips people up. If you are looking for a physical paper, those are your days. However, the online listings are updated constantly. If a funeral home submits a notice on a Monday, it often hits the digital archives before the Wednesday print run ever reaches a porch.
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Just this week, we've seen notices for several local figures. For example, Patricia Monahan Neves, who was a fixture in the Ogden and Cottonwood Heights areas, passed away on January 14. Her service details and life story were uploaded quickly, allowing friends to see the viewing times at the Larkin Sunset Gardens. Another recent entry was Julia Ann Lowry Christensen from Fayette, whose life of "steady goodness" was shared with the community just a few days ago.
Why the Search Tool Kinda Matters
The search bar isn't just a "nice to have." It's the only way to sift through the thousands of names.
When you land on the search page, don't just type the name. If you’re looking for someone with a common name—like Smith or Young—you’re going to get buried in results. Use the "Last 30 Days" filter if you’re looking for someone recent. If you are doing genealogy, you’ll want to expand that range significantly.
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The Deseret News also has this cool (and slightly hidden) thing called the "Better with Age" newsletter. It's a weekly email that highlights life stories and tributes. It’s not just a list of names; it actually features longer-form pieces on community members who lived particularly "full" lives.
Submitting a Notice
If you're on the other side of things and need to place an obituary, there are a few hard rules you should know.
- Deadlines: For the Wednesday paper, you have to get it in by Tuesday at 12:00 PM MST. For Friday, the cutoff is Thursday at noon.
- The Cost: It isn't free. The base price starts around $275. That gets you about five lines of text and a photo or two. If you have a lot to say, it’s $4 per extra line.
- The Format: They require the full name, the life span (birth and death dates), and the city of residence. It helps keep the records clean for future historians.
Dealing with the Archives
If the person you are looking for passed away years ago, the "today" search won't help you much. You’ll need to pivot to the historical archives. Sites like GenealogyBank and the Utah Digital Newspapers project have scanned pages of the Deseret News going back over a century.
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There is actually a massive index at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City that covers 1850 to 1970. It’s a literal card file. If you're doing deep family research, that physical index is often more accurate than the modern OCR (optical character recognition) used by websites today.
Actionable Steps for Today
If you need to find a notice right now:
- Check the Legacy Portal: Most obituaries Deseret News today are funneled through the Deseret News Legacy page.
- Use Specific Keywords: Instead of just a name, try adding the high school they attended or their hometown. It narrows the noise.
- Look at KSL: Since KSL and Deseret News are sister companies, many "Life Stories" are cross-posted on KSL.com's obituary section.
- Verify with the Funeral Home: If you can't find the notice in the paper yet, check the website of the funeral home (like Larkin, Memorial, or Premier). They usually post the full text before the newspaper does.
The digital shift has made finding these notices faster, but it also means they can get lost in the shuffle of daily news. Checking the "Today" filter on the Legacy search bar is usually your best bet for the most immediate information.