Newspaper Obituaries are a great genealogical resource. If you're searching for information on someone who lived in the Greater St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area, here are some indexes and databases you may find useful:
[All information below is accurate as of August 1, 2018]
The St. Louis Public Library Obituary Search
The St. Louis City Public Library has created a searchable index for St. Louis Post-Dispatch obituaries currently covering the years: 1880-1930, 1942-1945, 1960-1969, and 1992-2013.
In addition to the search engine, they have an index-by-year that can be browsed, leading to the same entries.
Note: This indexes 'burial permit' listings as well as obituaries. The burial permit listings contain significantly less information than an obituary. Usually just a name, date and address.
St. Louis Post Dispatch - 1975-1977
An index for these years can be found on Bob Doerr's website. He was the editor of the Missouri State Genealogical Association Journal from 1992 through September of 2009, when he passed away. His website remains functional.
St. Louis Post Dispatch Archives
The Post Dispatch archives are available by subscription at Newspapers.com.
If you have a St. Louis County Library Card you can access 1874-2003 (ProQuest) and 1981-2018 (Newsbank) archives for free
St. Louis Globe Democrat - 1860-1861, 1880, 1881, 1883
While this doesn't cover many years, the St. Louis County Library has begun an index for the St. Louis Globe Democrat.
Globe Democrat Morgue (Clippings File) 1930-1986
The St. Louis Globe Democrat, upon their demise, donated their large "Clippings File" to the University of Missouri at St. Louis. UMSL has begun to index the collection. The collection contains many obituaries, as well as other genealogical gems.
The Westliche Post Obituaries
The St. Louis County Library has an index for The Westliche Post, a German-language newspaper
The index currently covers the years 1878-1893, with a handful of gaps mentioned on their page.
On the other side of the Mississippi river
Belleville, Illinois Daily Advocate
An index for vital statistics (Adoptions, Births, Baptisms, Marriages, Divorces, Deaths) 1927-1954 at the St. Clair Genealogical Society.
The St. Clair Genealogical Society also has indexes for the Belleville News Democrat (1994-2007), Freeburg Tribune (1904-1939; 1999-2012), Lebanon Advertiser (1917-1921), and the Millstadt Enterprise (1897-1949). Scroll down their homepage for links to each of them. There is a site-search box at the bottom of the page, though it doesn't include the Daily Advocate index.
How to Get a Copy of the Obituary
If you do live in St. Louis, you can find the obituary in the newspaper microfilm archives at either the St. Louis County or St. Louis City headquarter libraries. Links are to the library respective reference policies. (Only the County library has The Westliche Post on microfilm.)
The Mercantile Library at UMSL is willing to conduct research in the Globe Democrat's clipping files (as well as their other collections) but their pricing structure begins at $66/hr (15 min increments), with photocopies extra.
For the Illinois newspapers, the Belleville Public Library is the place to go.
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