The Buena Park Library District does not provide genealogical research assistance or obituary lookups.  However, we have created a handout with some information to assist you with your research.

 

The Buena Park Library District carries the following local newspapers:

 

• The Buena Park News

• The Buena Park Independent

 

These newspapers do not carry obituaries.  Other newspapers which publish funeral announcements for this area are the Orange County Register (formerly the Santa Ana Register) and the Los Angeles Times (Orange County edition).  Obtaining copies of the funeral announcements sometimes proves to be difficult.  Many libraries purchase the computerized versions of these newspapers.  These databases often do not carry the funeral announcements.  The older microfilm editions of the Los Angeles Times tended to duplicate the Los Angeles Times Metro Edition rather than the Orange County Edition.

 

At this time, these newspapers have limited online obituary lookups at their websites.  You can check their websites at:

 

Los Angeles Times    website: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/

 

Orange County Register    website: http://www.legacy.com/orangecounty/Obituaries.asp

 

 

 

To verify date of death, the following databases can be used:

 

California Death Index at:  http://userdb.rootsweb.com/ca/death/search.cgi

Covers anyone who died in California between 1940 and 1997. 

(LAPL also has this from 1930-1939 on microfiche)

 

Search for the decedent by these fields:

            - last name, first name              - death date, death county

            - surnames of Father, Mother   - age at death

            - birth date, birth place             - Social Security number

 

 

Social Security Death Index at:  http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com

                                                or www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm

98% of the records are for people who have died since 1962.

 

            Search for the decedent by these fields:

                        - last name, first name              - Social Security number

                        - birth date, death date             - year and state of issue of SS #

                        - last known residence

                                    (zip code, city, county, state)

 

Death Certificates

 

California death certificates contain the following information:

Decedent

name, birth date, state of birth, address, years living in the county,

age, occupation, military service, Social Security number

 

Informant

name, address, relationship to decedent (father, daughter, etc.)

Spouse / Parents

name, state of birth

 

Death info

cause of death, place of death, name of funeral director,

“type of disposition” (burial, cremation)

“place of final disposition” (location of final remains)

 

For deaths occurring in the County of Orange, information on obtaining a copy of the death certificate can be found at the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s Office website at:

 

http://www.oc.ca.gov/recorder/

 

 

 

 

Anaheim Public Library

           

            Anaheim Public Library Local History Room will respond to requests for obituary searches. There is a fee for this service.  The History Room is moving its location.  For more information, contact:

 

            Anaheim Public Library

            Elizabeth J. Schultz Local History Room

            (714) 765-1750

            website: http://www.anaheim.net/library/

 

Fullerton Public Library

 

            Fullerton Public Library will respond to requests for obituaries.  There is a fee for this service.  Phone or email the Fullerton Public Library for more information:

 

            Fullerton Public Library

            353 W. Commonwealth

            Fullerton, CA  92832

            (714) 738-6327

            website: http://fullertonlibrary.org/libinfo/contact.html

 

 

Santa Ana Public Library

 

            Santa Ana Public Library will conduct genealogy and obituary searches for $15.00 per search.  Make a written request to the Santa Ana Public Library with the following information:  Full name of the deceased and dates of birth and death.  Make check out to Santa Ana Public Library.  Mail your request to:

 

            Santa Ana Public Library

            26 Civic Center Plaza

            Santa Ana, CA92701-4010

            Attn:  Adult Reference

            Telephone: (714) 647-5271

            website: http://www.santa-ana.org/library/research/newssearch.asp

 

You may also walk in and do the research yourself.  One-day visitor cards are available for a fee.  Call the library for more information at 714-647-5250 or see the library’s website at: http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/library/libcard/cards.asp

 

 

Garden Grove Historical Society

 

            Garden Grove Historical Society will do limited obituary searches for no charge.  They will only search their holdings of the local Garden Grove News from 1950 to 1985, when it ceased publication.  Send your request and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

 

Mailing address:

Garden Grove Historical Society

P.O. Box 4297

Garden Grove, CA  92842

 

Garden Grove Historical Society

12174 Euclid Street

            Garden Grove, CA  92840

            (714) 530-8871

            Office Hours: Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00noon

 

 

Orange CountyCalifornia Genealogical Society

 

            The Orange County California Genealogical Society will help you with family research for a fee.  They provide look-ups for Orange County ONLY.  For more information, send the request and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

            OCCGS

            P.O. Box 1587

            Orange, CA92856-1587

website:  http://occgs.com (Includes links to websites of related interest)

 

 

 

 

California State University, Fullerton

800 N State College Blvd.

Fullerton, CA  92834

(714) 278-2633

 

The CSUF Pollack Library has a complete run of the Orange County Register and some local community newspapers.  You may walk in and do a search there yourself.  There is no charge.  CSUF does not respond to phone or mail inquiries. For information on directions and hours see the library website at:

http://www.library.fullerton.edu/

 

 

University of California, Irvine

Main Library

PO Box 19557

Irvine, CA92623-9557               

Library: (714) 825-7087

Current Periodicals: (714) 824-7087

Microforms- Serials & Newspapers: (714) 824-7234

                       

UCI has holdings for many of the smaller, local OrangeCounty community newspapers as well as the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times (1881- ). These holdings are all on microfilm, which the public is welcome to use.

Website: http://www.lib.uci.edu/

 

 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Orange Family History Center

674 S. Yorba Street

Orange, CA92693

Tel.: (714) 997-7710

website: http://www.familysearch.org/

 

The Family History-Genealogy Centers have computer programs, microfilm, microfiche, catalogs, and some books with over 300 million names used to research family ancestry.  Centers are open to the public and there is no charge except for photocopying.

 

 

Orange CountyArchives

 

Old OrangeCounty Courthouse – Room 101

211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. (corner of Broadway and Civic Center Drive)

Santa Ana, CA  92701

(714) 834-2536

For hours and directions, see their website at: http://ocrecorder.com/Archives/ArchMain.asp

 

The Orange County Archives contain some material of interest such as:

• Deeds, mortgages and other property records (1889-1953)
• Great Register of Voters (1890-1968)
• Marriage certificate indexes (1889-1953 and affidavits (1889-1953)
• Naturalization records (1889-1983)
• Early Assessment rolls (1889-1963)

 

Orange County Genealogical Society Collection

Huntington Beach Public Library

 

7111 Talbert Avenue

Huntington Beach, CA  92648

Tel: (714) 842-4481 Ext. 2227

http://www.hbpl.org/collections_genealogy.htm

 

Open during regular library hours, but staffed by volunteers, the 16,000 books in the collection deal with family history and genealogical research

 

 

National Archives and Records Administration

 

24000 Avila Road

Laguna Niguel, CA92667

Telephone: (949) 360-2641

For hours and directions see the website at: www.archives.gov/pacific/laguna/index.html

 

Located in the FederalBuilding at Avila Road and Alegra Road, the Archives contain complete federal census records on microfilm for 1790-1930. Microfilm room is self-service.

 

 

Los Angeles Public Library

 

Central Library

History and Genealogy Department

630 W. 5^th Street

Los Angeles, CA  90071

(213) 228-7000

Hours: Mon – Thurs 10:00 am – 8:00 pm; Fri – Sat 10:00 am – 6:00 pm; Sun 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

 

For more information on the History and Genealogy collections at the Los Angeles Public Library, see their website at: www.lapl.org/central/history.html