Finding a specific record in The Hawk Eye obituaries can feel like trying to track a single leaf in a Mississippi River flood. It’s overwhelming if you don't know where to look. Honestly, if you’re searching for a loved one or doing some deep-dive genealogy in Burlington, Iowa, you’re dealing with a publication that has been around since 1837. That is a lot of history. It's actually Iowa's oldest newspaper, and the obituary section is essentially the "who’s who" of Des Moines County history.
You've probably noticed that the way we find these records has changed. Gone are the days when you had to sit in a dark basement at the Burlington Public Library with a microfilm machine, though that’s still an option for the purists. Now, it’s mostly digital, but the archives are scattered across a few different platforms.
Where to Look for The Hawk Eye Obituaries Today
Basically, if you need a recent notice—something from the last week or month—your best bet is the direct source or a partner site. The Hawk Eye currently partners with Legacy.com to host their modern listings.
Most people don't realize that "recent" usually means anything from about 2001 to today. If you're looking for someone who passed away in, say, 2024 or early 2026, the Legacy platform is pretty seamless. You can search by name, and it’ll usually pull up the full text along with a guestbook.
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But what if you're looking for something older? That's where it gets kinda tricky.
- GenealogyBank: They have a massive digitized collection. If your ancestor lived in Burlington in the 1800s or early 1900s, this is the gold mine. They have records that go back nearly 150 years.
- NewsBank: This is where the paper stores its "modern" digital archive (roughly 1995 to present). It’s less about the "tribute" look and more about the actual newspaper text.
- The Burlington Public Library: Located at 210 Court Street. They are literal lifesavers. For a $5 fee per record, the staff will actually search their local newspaper archives for you. If you only have a rough date, they'll check five days before and after.
The Cost of Saying Goodbye
Let's talk money, because publishing in The Hawk Eye obituaries section isn't free. Families often get sticker shock. As of late 2025 and moving into 2026, the starting price for a basic notice is around $57.86, but that is the bare minimum.
In reality, most people spend more. Why? Because newspapers usually charge by the line or the inch. If you want to include a photo of Grandpa in his WWII uniform, that's an extra fee. If you want to list every single one of his fourteen grandkids by name, the price climbs. It isn’t uncommon for a detailed, heartfelt obituary to cost $200 or even $500 depending on the length and the number of days it runs in the physical print edition.
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Some people try to save money by doing a "death notice" instead of a full obituary. A death notice is just the facts: name, age, date of death, and service time. It’s cheaper, but it doesn’t tell the story.
Why This Specific Archive Matters
The Hawk Eye isn't just any paper. It's the reason Iowa is called the "Hawkeye State." James G. Edwards, who ran the paper back in the day, was a fan of Chief Black Hawk and pushed for the nickname. When you look through these archives, you aren't just looking at death dates; you’re looking at the evolution of the Midwest.
Older obituaries are wild. In the late 1800s, they weren't always "polite." You might find a notice that mentions someone died of "a broken heart" or "excessive celebration." Modern ones are much more polished, usually written by funeral homes like Lunning Chapel or Prugh Funeral Service, who handle the submission process for the families.
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How to Search Like a Pro
If you’re hitting a brick wall, you might be searching too specifically. Here is how to actually find what you're looking for:
- Try initials. In the early 20th century, men were often listed as "J.W. Smith" rather than "John William Smith."
- Check for misspellings. Names were often transcribed by ear. "Smyth" might be "Smith." "Katherine" might be "Catherine."
- Search by the husband's name. It’s annoying, but for a long time, women were listed as "Mrs. Robert Miller" instead of their own first name.
- Use "Boolean" operators. If you're on a site like NewsBank, search for
"John Doe" AND "Burlington"to narrow it down.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think that every person who dies in Burlington gets an obituary in The Hawk Eye. That's not true. Since it’s a paid service, some families choose not to publish there, or they might only post on a funeral home’s website for free. If you can’t find a record in the newspaper archives, always check the local funeral home sites directly.
Also, don't assume the date of the obituary is the date of death. Usually, there’s a 2-to-4-day lag. If someone passed on a Friday, the obit might not hit the paper until Sunday or Monday.
Actionable Steps for Your Search
If you are currently looking for a record or planning to submit one:
- For Researchers: Start at the Burlington Public Library’s website. Their local history and genealogy request form is the most cost-effective way to get a verified copy of an old record without a subscription to a big database.
- For Families: If you are writing a notice, keep it concise to save on costs, but don't cut the service details. Ensure the "in lieu of flowers" information is 100% accurate, as that's the most common mistake people make.
- For Digital Archiving: If you find an old obituary, clip it or save the PDF. Digital archives can change owners, and what's available today might be behind a different paywall tomorrow.
The paper has survived floods in 1993 and 2008 and ownership changes from the Harris family to the Community Media Group. Through all that, the The Hawk Eye obituaries remain the most consistent record of life in Southeast Iowa.