Finding a specific tribute in the Daily Times obituaries Maryville Tennessee isn’t always as straightforward as a quick Google search. Honestly, it can be a bit of a maze. You’re often dealing with digitized archives that don't always talk to each other, or you're hitting paywalls when you just want to find out when a service is happening at Smith Funeral & Cremation Service or McCammon-Ammons-Click.
People in Blount County have relied on The Daily Times since 1883. That’s a long time. It means if you’re looking for someone who passed away recently, like in early 2026, you’re in a different boat than someone digging for a 1940s ancestor.
The Digital Handshake: Where to Look First
If you need a name from this week, go straight to the source. The paper partners with Legacy.com, which is basically the industry standard now. It’s where you’ll find the recent ones—like Michael Joseph Converse or Farris Whitehead, both of whom had notices published just days ago in January 2026.
But here’s the kicker: the search bar on a local newspaper site can be finicky. Sometimes it likes last names only. Other times, it won't show you a result unless you have the exact date of publication. If you can’t find a name on the main Daily Times site, try the funeral home's own website directly. Most Maryville homes, like Miller Funeral Home or Foothills Funeral Home, post the full text before it even hits the newsprint.
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Why the "Obituary Daily Times" Index is Different
You might see something called the Obituary Daily Times (ODT) while searching. Don't confuse this with the Maryville newspaper itself. The ODT is a massive, volunteer-run index hosted on RootsWeb. It’s got over 13 million entries. It’s a great tool for genealogy, but it’s an index, not the full story. It’ll tell you "Hey, this person had an obit in Maryville on this date," but it won't give you the flower preferences or the list of grandkids.
Digging Into the Archives (1883 to Now)
For the old stuff, you’ve got to change tactics. The Blount County Public Library is your best friend here. They keep the microfilm, and for a local, there’s nothing like the smell of that basement archive room.
If you aren't in Maryville, use GenealogyBank or Newspapers.com. These sites have scanned millions of pages from The Daily Times.
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- 1880s - 1920s: Expect lots of initials. "Mrs. J.W. Smith" instead of "Mary Smith." It was a different time.
- The 1906 Fire: A huge chunk of downtown Maryville burned in 1906, including the original Daily Times building on the corner where Bill Cox is now. Some records from that era are just... gone.
- Modern Era (2000s+): These are almost all online. You can search by "keywords" which is handy if you only remember they worked at Alcoa Inc. or taught at Maryville High.
What it Costs to Say Goodbye
Let's talk money, because it's expensive. Placing an obituary in the Daily Times obituaries Maryville Tennessee section isn't free unless it's a very basic "death notice." A full-blown tribute with a photo and a list of pallbearers can run several hundred dollars.
Most people handle this through the funeral director. It’s easier. They have the templates and the direct upload portal. But you can do it yourself. You just go to the newspaper's "Place an Ad" section online. Just a heads-up: the price updates in real-time as you type. More words = more cash. Kinda brutal, right?
The "Death Notice" Loophole
If the budget is tight, ask for a death notice. It’s usually just the name, dates, and service info. It satisfies the legal requirements and lets the community know, without the price tag of a 500-word biography.
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How to Search Like a Pro
If you're hitting a wall, try these tricks. Seriously, they work.
- Use the Husband’s Name: For older records (pre-1970), search for the husband. It’s annoying, but "Mrs. Robert Jones" was the standard way to list a woman back then.
- Broaden the Date: Dates of death and dates of publication are rarely the same. If someone died on a Friday, the obit might not run until Sunday or Monday. Search a 7-day window.
- Check the "Knoxville News Sentinel": Maryville is close enough to Knoxville that many families cross-post. If it’s not in the Daily Times, check the Sentinel.
Practical Next Steps
If you are looking for a recent obituary right now, your best bet is to go to the Legacy.com Maryville portal. It's updated daily.
For those of you doing family research, skip the generic search engines and head to the Blount County TN GenWeb project. It's a free site run by local historians who have already indexed a lot of these names so you don't have to pay for a subscription service.
If you need to find the specific location of a grave after reading an obituary, take the name over to Find A Grave. Most of the Maryville cemeteries like Grandview Cemetery or Magnolia Cemetery are very well-documented with photos of the actual headstones.
Actionable Insight: If you can't find a record from the early 1900s, contact the Blount County Public Library’s reference desk. They often have "clipping files" where librarians manually cut out obituaries for decades, creating a physical backup that survives even when digital databases fail.