Loss is heavy. When someone in Mid-Michigan passes away, the first place many people look is the local news. It’s a habit. For decades, families in Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City have relied on WJRT TV 12 obituaries to stay connected to their community’s heartbeat. But honestly, if you’re looking for a specific name right now, the process isn't always as simple as clicking a single button on a TV screen.
The way we track local passings has changed. You've probably noticed that local news stations don't always host their own massive, searchable databases of every single person who has passed away in the region. Instead, they often act as a gateway.
Where the WJRT TV 12 Obituaries Actually Live
If you go to the ABC12 website looking for a list of recent deaths, you might find yourself redirected. Most local stations, including WJRT, partner with larger platforms like Legacy.com or MLive to manage the sheer volume of data. It’s basically a hub.
Local funeral homes—think places like Sharp Funeral Homes in Grand Blanc or Lawrence E. Moon in Flint—are the ones who actually feed this information into the system. When a family sits down to plan a service, the funeral director asks where they want the notice published. Many choose the Flint Journal (distributed via MLive) because of its wide reach, which then populates the digital feeds associated with local outlets like WJRT.
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Recent listings for the area often include names you might recognize from around town. For instance, in just the last week of January 2026, the community said goodbye to individuals like Catherine Connolly of Flushing and John Ferrell of Grand Blanc. These aren't just names on a screen; they are the people who built our neighborhoods.
Searching for a Loved One in Mid-Michigan
Don’t just type a name into a general search bar and hope for the best. You'll get a lot of junk. Instead, use these specific steps to find what you need:
- Check the "Community" or "About Us" tabs: On the ABC12 website, obituaries are often tucked under a community resources section.
- The MLive Connection: Since the Flint Journal is the primary print record for the area, their obituary section is often the "source of truth" for WJRT’s digital audience.
- Social Media: Sometimes, for prominent local figures or sudden tragedies, WJRT will post a tribute directly on their Facebook page. This is where you’ll see the most "human" side of the news—people sharing memories in the comments.
Basically, if you can't find it on the TV station's site, go straight to the source: the funeral home's own website. They usually have the full service details, maps to the cemetery, and a place to leave digital "candles" or messages.
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Why TV Obituaries Still Matter in 2026
You might think that in the age of instant everything, waiting for a news scroll or checking a station's site is old school. Kinda true. But for a lot of folks in the 810 and 989 area codes, WJRT is a trusted voice. When a "Notable Obituary" is mentioned—like a local teacher who taught for 40 years or a veteran who served the county—it validates that person's impact on our world.
It's about visibility. Seeing a name associated with ABC12 gives it a certain level of community recognition. It tells the neighbors, "Someone important lived here, and they will be missed."
Finding Historical Records
What if you're doing genealogy? If you're looking for a relative who passed away in, say, 1985, WJRT's current website won't help you much. Digital archives only go back so far.
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For the deep history of Flint and Genesee County, you have to look toward the Flint Public Library. They maintain the Flint Journal Obituary Indexes. They have microfilms and digital records dating back to 1920. It's a gold mine for researchers. You can actually request a search if you have a specific date of death. It’s a bit of a process, but it’s the only way to find those older records that never made it onto the modern internet.
Actionable Steps for Families
If you are currently tasked with handling the arrangements for a loved one and want to ensure their notice appears in the circles associated with WJRT TV 12, keep these points in mind:
- Ask for the "Online Plus" package: When talking to your funeral director, ensure the obituary is sent to the regional "Mid-Michigan" feed on Legacy or MLive. This ensures it shows up in the search results that WJRT viewers use.
- Verify the Residency: Most search filters are set by city. If your loved one lived in Fenton but the service is in Flint, make sure both cities are mentioned so people can actually find the listing.
- Use a High-Res Photo: In 2026, these digital tributes are often displayed on high-definition screens. A blurry scan of an old Polaroid won't do them justice.
Finding WJRT TV 12 obituaries is really about knowing how the local information ecosystem works. It’s a mix of television presence, newspaper archiving, and the direct work of local funeral directors. By checking the official ABC12 community links and cross-referencing with the Flint Journal’s daily updates, you’ll be able to find the service times and tribute information you need to honor those who have passed.
Next Steps for Researching Local Records:
To find the most recent death notices in Genesee County, visit the MLive Flint Obituaries page directly, as this serves as the primary data source for WJRT's digital tributes. For historical records prior to the year 2000, contact the Flint Public Library’s Genealogy Department to access their microfilm index.