Finding a specific life story in a stack of old papers or a digital maze isn’t always as easy as hitting "search." If you're looking for the republic columbus indiana obituaries, you're likely trying to piece together a family tree, settle an estate, or maybe just remember an old friend from Bartholomew County. Honestly, it's a bit of a process. You’ve got a daily paper that’s been around since 1872, but the way they store those records has changed a dozen times.
The Republic is the "paper of record" for Columbus. It’s been through name changes—starting as the Daily Evening Republican before shortening to The Republic in 1967. Because it’s been the main voice for the region for over 150 years, the obituary archives are a goldmine. But you have to know where to look, because a Google search doesn't always lead to the full text, especially for older records.
Where to Find Recent Obituaries (Last 5-10 Years)
For anyone who passed away recently, the digital trail is pretty fresh. You have two main routes here.
First, there is the official "Obituaries" section on The Republic’s own website. They keep a rolling archive of recent staff reports and family-submitted notices. If you’re looking for someone like Rita Hull or Alma Doris Hedger, who both had notices in early 2026, the newspaper’s site is the fastest way to see the service times and memorial details.
Second, the paper partners with Legacy.com. This is actually where most of the "interactive" stuff happens.
You can:
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- Sign a digital guestbook.
- See photos the family might have uploaded later.
- Find links to the specific funeral home, like Barkes, Weaver & Glick or Jewell-Rittman.
It’s worth noting that these online versions are sometimes more complete than the tiny blurb in the physical Tuesday edition.
Hunting Down the Old Stuff: Genealogy and Archives
If you’re looking for an ancestor from 1925 or 1960, the modern website won't help you much. It’s a dead end. For the old the republic columbus indiana obituaries, you have to go where the microfilm lives.
The Bartholomew County Public Library (BCPL) is basically the holy grail for this. They have an obituary index that is a literal lifesaver. It’s a searchable database where you plug in a last name and it tells you the exact date the obituary appeared in the paper. Once you have that date, you can go to the library and pull the microfilm.
Don't live in Columbus?
No worries.
The library staff is usually pretty great about helping researchers, though they are busy. You can also use "Newspapers.com" if you have a subscription, but be careful—their "Columbus" collection is sometimes fragmented. Local access at the library often includes records that aren't fully indexed on the big national sites yet.
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The NewsBank Connection
Another professional-grade tool is the NewsBank archive for The Republic. This is a paid service, but many libraries (including BCPL) provide access if you have a library card. It allows you to search the full text of the paper from the late 90s to the present. It’s way better than a standard search engine because it captures the page exactly as it was printed.
Common Mistakes People Make When Searching
I’ve seen people give up because a name didn't pop up immediately. Here’s the thing: spelling in the early 1900s was... creative.
Watch out for these search traps:
- Initials: A lot of old obits listed men as "J.W. Roberts" instead of "John William." If "John" fails, try the first letter.
- Married Names: Searching for a female relative? Historically, they might be listed under their husband's name, like "Mrs. Robert Brown." It’s frustrating, but it was the standard.
- The "Republican" Name Change: If you’re using a digital archive that asks for the "Publication Name," remember that before 1967, you might need to search for The Evening Republican or The Daily Evening Republican.
Beyond the Newspaper: Other Sources in Columbus
Sometimes the republic columbus indiana obituaries don't tell the whole story. Maybe the family didn't want to pay for a long write-up. In that case, you should check the Bartholomew County Archives located in the courthouse. They handle the "official" side of things—probate records, wills, and death certificates.
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While an obituary is a story, a probate record is a list of facts. It tells you exactly who the heirs were and what they inherited. If you’re doing deep genealogy, you need both. The Archives department (812-379-1503) usually requires an appointment, so don't just show up and expect to browse the basement.
How to Get a Copy of a Specific Obituary
If you find a reference to a notice but can't see the text, you have a few options to get the actual clipping.
- Bartholomew County Public Library: You can request a digital scan via their genealogy department. There might be a small fee, but it’s cheaper than a plane ticket.
- The Republic Office: They are located on North National Road now. While they aren't a library, they can sometimes help with very recent back-issues if they have them in stock.
- GenealogyBank: This is a solid alternative to Ancestry for Indiana records. They have a massive collection of The Republic digitized, which makes it much easier than scrolling through microfilm until your eyes blur.
Finding these records is basically like being a private investigator for your own history. It takes patience. You might spend two hours looking for one name only to find it was misspelled as "Columbis" or something equally annoying. But when you find that photo or that list of surviving siblings, it usually makes the headache worth it.
Actionable Steps for Your Search:
- Start with the BCPL Obituary Index: Use the library’s website to find the exact date of death and publication. This is your "map" for everything else.
- Check Legacy.com for Post-2005 Records: If the person passed away in the last 20 years, this is the most likely place to find a full narrative and photos.
- Verify with the Health Department: If you need a legal death certificate for an estate, the newspaper isn't enough. You’ll need to contact the Bartholomew County Health Department for an official document.
- Use Boolean Search on Archives: When using NewsBank or GenealogyBank, use quotes around the name (e.g., "John W. Roberts") to filter out the noise of every other "John" in Indiana.