Finding a specific notice in the vallejo times herald obituaries isn't always as simple as a quick Google search and a click. Honestly, if you’ve ever tried to track down a family member’s legacy or just wanted to pay respects to a neighbor in Solano County, you know it can be a bit of a maze. The digital shift has changed how we say goodbye. It’s not just about the morning paper landing on the porch anymore.
Things have changed.
Historically, the Times-Herald was the undisputed king of local record. Since the merger of the Times and the Herald back in 1922, it’s been the heartbeat of the city. But today? You’re dealing with paywalls, third-party hosting sites like Legacy.com, and local alternatives that are shaking up the old model. If you're looking for someone like Peyton Horace Simmons Jr. or Mary Virginia Wann—both recently listed in early 2026—you have to know where to look.
Navigating the Vallejo Times Herald Obituaries Today
The paper is owned by MediaNews Group (often referred to under the Digital First Media umbrella). This matters because their digital strategy funnels most vallejo times herald obituaries through a partnership with Legacy. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it means the "local" feel is sometimes buried under a global interface.
You've got two main ways to find what you're looking for.
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First, there’s the official Times-Herald website. It’s functional. Mostly. But if you're looking for a name from three years ago, you might hit a wall. That’s where the archives come in. For the hardcore researchers or those tracing a bloodline back to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard days, GenealogyBank and Ancestry.com have digitized huge chunks of the paper's history. We’re talking over 150 years of records.
The Cost of Saying Goodbye
Let’s be real: publishing an obituary is expensive. In 2026, a standard notice in a daily California paper can easily run you several hundred dollars. If you want a photo or a longer life story, you might be looking at north of $1,000. It’s a heavy lift during an already stressful time.
Because of this, many Vallejo families are looking elsewhere.
- Open Vallejo: This local non-profit newsroom started offering free obituaries to the community around 2023. It was a direct response to the rising costs of corporate-owned media.
- Funeral Home Sites: Places like Twin Chapels Mortuary or Skyview Memorial Park often host their own digital "walls" for the deceased.
- Social Media: Honestly, a Facebook post in a "Vallejo Community" group often reaches more local eyes than a paid print ad.
Why the Archive Matters for Local History
The vallejo times herald obituaries are more than just death notices. They are a map of who we were. In the mid-20th century, these write-ups included everything: where the person worked, their favorite fishing spot at the waterfront, and every single surviving cousin.
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Today’s notices are shorter. Leaner.
If you are doing genealogy, don’t just search for the full name. Pro tip: search by initials. Older editors loved their initials. Also, check for the "Sunset" and "Sunrise" terminology, which is increasingly common in local notices, especially within the city’s vibrant African American and Filipino communities. For example, recent 2025/2026 notices for figures like Elder David Henry Brock or Corazon L. Manila show a deep richness in community storytelling that goes beyond a simple date and time.
How to Submit a Notice Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re the one tasked with writing the piece, the Times-Herald usually has a 2:00 PM deadline for the next day's publication, but you really want to get it in 48 hours early. Verification is the big hurdle. They won't just take your word for it; they usually need a call from the funeral home or a death certificate.
- Keep it focused: Don't try to list every single accomplishment. Pick the three things that defined them.
- Check the spelling: Then check it again. There’s nothing worse than a typo in a permanent record.
- Include the service details: Even if it’s private, say so. It stops the awkward phone calls.
The Local Shift
There's a sort of tension in Vallejo right now. On one hand, you have the legacy of the "Senator" Luther Gibson, the former publisher who basically ran the town's media for decades. On the other, you have a digital-first world where the paper’s physical presence at 420 Virginia St. feels like a relic of a different era.
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Most people get wrong the idea that if it isn't in the Times-Herald, it didn't happen. That’s just not true anymore. While the vallejo times herald obituaries remain the "official" record of Solano County, the community has moved to a hybrid model. We check the paper, sure, but we also check the local blogs and the mortuary websites.
If you’re hunting for a record from 1974, Ancestry is your best bet. If you want to see who passed away this Tuesday, the Legacy.com portal for the Times-Herald is the spot. But if you want a deep, community-driven tribute, keep an eye on Open Vallejo or local church bulletins.
To find a specific person right now, start by searching the name followed by "Vallejo" and the year. If that fails, head to the Solano County Library’s JFK branch. They have the microfilm. Yes, the old-school spinning reels. Sometimes the digital world misses things that the ink and paper caught fifty years ago.
Actionable Next Steps:
- For immediate searches: Use the Legacy.com search tool specifically filtered for "Vallejo Times-Herald" to avoid results from other "Herald" papers in different states.
- For cost-saving: Check with your funeral director if they include a Times-Herald submission in their package, as they often get "pro" rates that aren't available to the general public.
- For history buffs: Access the California Digital Newspaper Collection or the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum for records that predated the 1922 merger.
- To archive a memory: If you find a notice online, save it as a PDF or take a screenshot immediately. Digital archives can change owners, and links frequently break over time.