Finding obituaries in Slidell LA isn’t just about checking a box or scrolling through a digital list. It’s heavy. It’s personal. When someone passes away in eastern St. Tammany Parish, the community feels it, whether they were a lifelong Camellia City resident or a transplant who fell in love with the bayous. Honestly, the way we track these records has changed so much lately that it’s actually kinda frustrating if you don’t know where to look beyond a basic Google search.
Slidell is a tight-knit place. People know each other from the shops on Front Street or the bleachers at Northshore High. Because of that, an obituary here is more than a death notice; it’s a piece of local history.
Where the Records Actually Live
If you’re hunting for a recent passing, your first stop is usually the funeral homes. This is where the most "raw" and accurate data sits before it gets syndicated out to the big national legacy sites. In Slidell, a few key names handle the vast majority of services. Honaker Funeral Home and Cemeteries, located right there on Gause Blvd, has been a staple for decades. They maintain an online "Book of Memories" that often includes photos and videos that you won't find in the newspaper.
Then there’s Audubon Funeral Home and Bagnell & Son. These places aren't just businesses; they are the gatekeepers of Slidell’s genealogy. When you're looking for someone, check their direct websites first. Why? Because sometimes the family opts out of the expensive newspaper print fee but keeps the digital memorial on the funeral home’s site for free.
The Newspaper Transition
For years, the Slidell Sentry-News was the gold standard. You’d wake up, grab a coffee, and check the paper. But as local journalism shifted, the The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate took over as the primary print record for St. Tammany Parish.
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Searching their archives can be a bit of a headache. They use the Legacy.com platform, which is great for scale but sometimes feels impersonal. If you are looking for a historical record—say, something from the 1980s or 90s—you aren't going to find it with a quick click. You’ll likely need to head over to the Slidell Branch of the St. Tammany Parish Library on Robert Blvd. They have microfilm. Yeah, the old-school stuff. It’s actually a pretty cool experience to sit there and see the old advertisements for the Tammany Mall while you hunt for a family record.
Why Slidell Obituaries Feel Different
There is a specific flavor to Northshore life. You’ll notice it in the text of the obituaries in Slidell LA.
You’ll see mentions of the Krewe of Bilge or the Krewe of Selene. Being a member of a Mardi Gras krewe is a badge of honor here. It’s common to see "longtime rider" or "former King" listed right alongside professional achievements. It’s these small, hyper-local details that make a Slidell obituary feel authentic. If the person was a veteran, you might see mentions of the local VFW Post 5735.
Faith is also a massive pillar. You’ll see a lot of services held at Our Lady of Lourdes or First Pentecostal. These aren't just locations; they define the social fabric of the person's life. When you're writing one of these for a loved one, including these local touchpoints is basically mandatory if you want to capture who they really were.
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The Digital Shift and What to Avoid
Be careful.
The internet is currently flooded with "obituary scraper" sites. These are low-quality pages that use AI to pull snippets of information from funeral home sites and wrap them in aggressive ads. They often get dates wrong. They misspell names. Sometimes they even link to "flower shops" that aren't even in Louisiana.
Always verify the source. If the URL isn't a known funeral home, a legitimate news outlet like NOLA.com, or a trusted memorial site, take the info with a grain of salt. Families in Slidell have enough to deal with without having to correct a bot-generated error on a third-party site.
Genealogy and Historical Research
If you’re doing deep-dive research, the St. Tammany Genealogical Society is your best friend. They’ve done the hard work of indexing old records that predated the internet. Slidell has a complex history, from the early days of the lumber industry to the NASA boom at Stennis. Many people who worked at Stennis Space Center lived and died in Slidell, and their obituaries often read like a history of the American space program.
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- Start with the funeral home website for the most recent and detailed info.
- Check The Advocate for formal public records.
- Visit the Robert Blvd library branch for anything older than 20 years.
- Reach out to the St. Tammany Genealogical Society for family tree verification.
Practical Steps for Writing a Slidell Memorial
If you are tasked with writing an obituary for a Slidell local, don't just copy a template. Talk about the fishing trips in Lake Pontchartrain. Mention their favorite spot for roast beef po-boys.
People here value those connections.
Actionable Insight: Before paying for a multi-day run in the major newspapers, which can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, check if the local Facebook community groups—like "Slidell... Then and Now"—allow memorial posts. Often, a heartfelt post in a local group will reach more neighbors and old friends than a tiny blurb in a Sunday paper.
Next Steps for Seekers: If you are currently looking for a record, begin by searching the name + "Slidell" + "Funeral Home" rather than just "obituary." This bypasses the spam sites and takes you straight to the source where the guestbook is actually monitored by the family. For those planning ahead, consider drafting a "legacy sketch" that includes your local affiliations, like your favorite Mardi Gras krewe or church ministry, to ensure your Slidell story is told accurately when the time comes.