Death Notices – Check Multiple Dates

I would like to encourage you when researching death notices in newspapers to check multiple dates.

Yesterday I was browsing through the Quebec Chronicle newspaper, the focus was the date of the death of Hannah Pozer (Jeffery) Norton my 2x great grandmother.

Hannah died in Montreal, having had lived most of her life in Quebec City a check through those newspapers is vital.

I was very pleased to find a notice of her death which was on the 4th page in the Jan 22 newspaper.

 

Norton, Hannah P Quebec Chronicle Jan 22 1917

Quebec Chronicle Jan.22, 1917 p.4

 

A glance through the paper and I was beyond thrilled to find a more thorough obituary for Hannah

Norton, Hannah P Quebec Chronicle Ja 22 1917

Quebec Chronicle Jan.22, 1917

I also was able to discover that a blizzard struck Quebec City on the day her body was brought home. The article also mentions the blizzard affected travel by rail, which no doubt would have created confusion and concern for her mourners.

 

Jan 23, 1917 p4 Blizzard

Quebec Chronicle Jan 23, 1917

 

Looking at subsequent papers I also found mention of Hannah in the newspaper for Jan, 23 & again on Jan. 24 –

Norton, Hannah P Quebec Chronicle Jan 23 1917

Quebec Chronicle Jan 23, 1917

Norton, hanna P Quebec Chronicle Jan 24,1917

Quebec Chronicle Jan 24, 1917

I cannot emphasize enough that when looking for an obituary make sure you check the days following the funeral in case it too is reported on.

Newspaper research at its finest!

As the mention of Hannah’s service during the Cholera outbreaks in Quebec City I found more about the years that Cholera was at its worst on the site Historica Canada.

  1 comment for “Death Notices – Check Multiple Dates

  1. November 22, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    Absolutely great advice! Rural papers often had a staff of one. I have seen a few papers with apologies for misplacing copy and printing something late. And news didn’t always travel so quickly either. My great-grandfather died in Thetford Mines in February of 1922. His body was transported by train to Sherbrooke and another train was supposed to join it coming from Quebec City with politicians (he was an MLC when he died). The snow kept the Quebec City train from leaving on time and his political colleagues missed the funeral.

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment