Finding a specific name in the Prudden and Kandt obituaries shouldn’t feel like a digital scavenger hunt. Honestly, it's one of those things you don't think about until you absolutely have to. Then, suddenly, you’re staring at a search bar at 2:00 AM, trying to remember if "Kandt" has one 't' or two.
Lockport is a tight-knit place. When someone passes, the news travels through the grapevine, but the official record—the one that lists the calling hours, the memorial details, and the surviving grandkids—usually ends up on the Prudden & Kandt website.
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They’ve been at 242 Genesee Street since the 1920s. That’s a lot of history. But even with all that tradition, the way we look for obituaries has changed. You aren't just waiting for the paper to hit the porch anymore.
The Confusion Around Prudden and Kandt Obituaries
Most people get frustrated because they check one site and find nothing.
Here is the deal: Prudden & Kandt Funeral Home keeps a direct "Tribute" wall on their official site. However, those records sometimes sync differently with the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal or Legacy. If you’re looking for a service from three days ago, the funeral home’s own site is your best bet. If you’re looking for an ancestor from 1984? That’s a whole different ballgame involving archives and microfilm.
I’ve seen people assume that if an obituary isn't on the first page of Google, it doesn't exist. That’s rarely true. Usually, it's just a matter of how the name was indexed.
Why the Name Matters
The firm wasn't always "Prudden & Kandt." Back in the late 1800s, it was the Prudden Brothers. Then it was Prudden & Weaver. It wasn't until 1954 that the name we all know today became the official title. If you’re doing genealogy and looking for "Prudden and Kandt obituaries" from the early 20th century, you won't find them under that name. You’ve gotta look for the older iterations of the business.
The Rosenberg family has been running the show for four generations now. Gerald Rosenberg started a legacy that John and Andrew have carried forward. That continuity is rare. It means the records are often better preserved than at corporate-owned funeral homes that change hands every decade.
How to Actually Find a Recent Listing
Stop scrolling through general news sites.
If you need the Prudden and Kandt obituaries for a service happening this week, go straight to the source. Their website has a "Tributes" section. It's usually updated within hours of the family approving the text.
- Check the "Recent" tab: This is where the newest postings live.
- Search by Maiden Name: This is a huge tip. Many older obituaries in Lockport are indexed by the married name, but the search tool might pick up the maiden name if it's included in the bio.
- Look for the Photo: Sometimes the text hasn't fully indexed on Google yet, but the image is there.
Wait. Did you know that some families choose not to post a public obituary? It's becoming more common. If you can't find a listing for someone you know passed, it might be a private service. Prudden & Kandt respects those wishes, so they won't put a digital footprint out there if the family says no.
Dealing with the Legacy Archives
Let’s talk about the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. For decades, this was the primary place for local deaths.
Nowadays, their online obit section is powered by Legacy. It’s a great tool, but it can be buggy. If you’re searching for Prudden and Kandt obituaries on a third-party site, use the "Advanced Search" and filter by the city (Lockport) and the funeral home name.
Don't just type the name into the main search box. You'll get results for every "John Smith" in the country. Filter it down to New York and the specific facility. It saves a massive amount of time.
What’s Usually Included?
A standard obituary from this home isn't just a death notice. Because they've been part of the community since 1876, the write-ups tend to be personal. You’ll see mentions of:
- Local employers like Harrison Radiator or Delphi.
- Memberships in the Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club.
- High school graduation years (Lockport Senior High, DeSales, etc.).
These details are gold for researchers or old friends trying to confirm they have the right person.
Digital Tributes and Flowers
One thing that’s changed is the "Guestbook" feature.
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When you look at Prudden and Kandt obituaries online, you’ll see a space to leave a comment. Honestly, these are more important than people realize. The families read every single one. In the weeks after a funeral, when the house gets quiet and the flowers start to wilt, those digital messages are what people cling to.
If you can't make it to the Genesee Street location for calling hours, leave a note. It takes two minutes.
Practical Steps for Finding Information
If you are currently trying to locate a service or a specific person, here is exactly what you should do to get the best results:
- Visit the official website first. It is the most "real-time" source available.
- Check the date range. If the person passed more than a year ago, the listing might be moved to a "Past Services" archive rather than the front page.
- Use the Niagara County Clerk records. For very old deaths (pre-internet), the funeral home might not have a digital record you can click on. You’ll need to look at the Niagara County genealogical records or the local library’s microfilm of the Union-Sun.
- Verify the location. Sometimes people search for Prudden and Kandt but the service is actually at a different local home like Lange or Taylor & Reynolds. Lockport has a few mainstays; don't get them mixed up if you’re traveling from out of town.
Basically, if you’re looking for someone who was a "lifetime resident of Lockport," their story is likely documented within these archives. The Rosenberg family has kept the records remarkably consistent over the decades, making it one of the more reliable databases for local history in Western New York.
Stop clicking on those "Obituary Finder" ads that look like spam. Stick to the funeral home's direct site or the local newspaper's official portal. It’s the only way to ensure you're getting the right dates and the correct location for the Mass or the burial.
The best way to stay updated is to bookmark the official tribute page. Most people don't realize you can also sign up for email alerts through the site. This way, if a friend or neighbor passes, you get a notification directly in your inbox instead of hearing it through the grapevine three days too late. For older records, your most effective route is contacting the Lockport Public Library, as they maintain the most complete physical archive of the newspaper notices that the funeral home has published since its inception.