Search Obituary, Death and Burial Records by Name
Enter the person’s first name, last name and last known state to prepare an obituary, death, burial, cemetery, memorial and related public-record search.
Find the Most Recent Sturgis Journal Obituaries and Confirm the Service
Looking for a recent Sturgis Journal obituary? Start with the newspaper obituary page or recent Sturgis, Michigan listings, then open the handling funeral home’s memorial for current service details. Use St. Joseph County or Michigan Vital Records when you need a certified death certificate.
Choose the Sturgis Obituary Task You Need
Newest obituary
Check Sturgis Journal and current Sturgis, Michigan obituary listings. Confirm the actual publish date.
Funeral details
Use the handling funeral home for the current visitation, funeral, cemetery, flowers and livestream.
Older obituary
Use the Sturgis Journal archive, Sturgis District Library, St. Joseph County historical records and library newspaper holdings.
Legal proof
Use St. Joseph County Clerk or Michigan Vital Records for a certified death certificate.
Sturgis Journal Means Sturgis, Michigan
Search engines also return obituaries for Sturgis, South Dakota and Sturgis, Kentucky. The Sturgis Journal page covered here is the Michigan newspaper serving Sturgis and the surrounding St. Joseph County area.
Sturgis Journal
The newspaper is part of the USA TODAY Network and provides obituary listings and newspaper support through SturgisJournal.com.
Recent Sturgis, MI notices
Legacy’s Sturgis, Michigan page combines recent funeral-home, newspaper and family notices and allows keyword filtering.
Daily obituary email
Sturgis Journal currently offers a daily “Sturgis Journal Obituaries” newsletter for readers who prefer new notices by email.
How to Find a Recent Sturgis Journal Obituary
Search the Sturgis Area, Not Only the City
A person’s residence, nursing facility, funeral home, church, cemetery and hospital can be in different communities. Search connected towns when one city gives no useful result.
Sturgis & Burr Oak
Use Sturgis first, then Burr Oak when the family lived just outside the city or used a nearby cemetery or funeral provider.
Centreville
Centreville is important for county records and is also home to funeral providers that may handle Sturgis-area families.
White Pigeon & Constantine
Search these communities for families with western St. Joseph County connections.
Three Rivers & Mendon
Some notices appear first through Three Rivers-area funeral homes or publications.
Bronson & Branch County
Search Branch County when the family lived near the eastern county line or received care in Coldwater/Bronson.
LaGrange & Shipshewana area
Sturgis sits near Indiana. A person may live in Michigan but die, receive care or have services across the state line.
Confirm the Correct Person Before Sharing the Notice
| Compare | Why it helps | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Age or birth year | Separates people with similar names. | The age is very different. |
| Family | Spouse, parents, children and siblings are strong identifiers. | None of the relatives are familiar. |
| Town | Distinguishes Sturgis, Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon and nearby communities. | The notice has no expected local connection. |
| Funeral home | Creates a direct first-party verification route. | The provider is in an unrelated region. |
| School / employer | Local schools and workplaces can confirm identity. | The biography conflicts with known facts. |
| Date | Separates a current obituary from an older same-name notice. | The page belongs to another year. |
See how RecentObituaries.info verifies obituary information.
Verify the Funeral, Visitation and Burial Details
Newspaper notices are useful, but the handling funeral home is generally the stronger source for current arrangements.
Time
Visitation, funeral, Mass, memorial and graveside service may be different events.
Address
The funeral home, church, cemetery and reception may use different addresses.
Public or private
A public obituary does not automatically mean every service is open to everyone.
Livestream
Use a stream only when linked by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
Flowers or memorials
Check whether the family requests flowers, a charity gift or another memorial option.
Conflicting details
If two reliable sources disagree, call the funeral home before travelling.
Major Sturgis funeral-home source
Hackman Chapel
114 South Nottawa Street
Sturgis, MI 49091
269-651-2331
Rosenberg Chapel
807 East Chicago Road
Sturgis, MI 49091
269-651-3284
How to Place or Correct a Sturgis Journal Obituary
Funeral homes often help families prepare and place obituary notices. For newspaper-specific access or support questions, use the Sturgis Journal help route.
Sturgis Journal support
Phone: 888-775-2854
Monday–Friday: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 7:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Can’t Find the Sturgis Obituary? Use This Order
How to Find Older Sturgis Journal Obituaries
Sturgis Journal online archive
The Sturgis Journal’s NewsBank archive currently covers newspaper content from 1998 to the present and can be searched by keyword and date.
Sturgis District Library History Room
The current History Room includes Sturgis history books, yearbooks, city directories and a cemetery index that can help connect a person with a burial or local family.
Sturgis District Library contact
255 North Street
Sturgis, MI 49091
Phone: 269-659-7224
Email: research@sturgis-library.org
St. Joseph County historical death records
The St. Joseph County Clerk maintains death records dating back to 1867. Its public online death-record search covers 1993 to the present and can provide a record number before an in-person or certified-copy request.
| Research route | Coverage / use | Best action |
|---|---|---|
| Sturgis Journal archive | 1998 to present | Search surname plus approximate date or local town. |
| Sturgis District Library | Local history, yearbooks, city directories, cemetery index | Use when you need local identity or burial clues. |
| St. Joseph County death records | 1867 to present | Use when you need to verify a local death or obtain a certified record. |
| Library of Michigan newspaper holdings | Historic Sturgis and St. Joseph County newspaper titles | Use when the required newspaper issue predates modern online archives. |
Sturgis Death Certificates: County vs Michigan State
When a death occurred in St. Joseph County, the County Clerk is a strong first choice. You do not have to begin with a statewide vendor.
| Route | Current fee | Useful detail |
|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph County Clerk | $20 first certified copy | Additional copies are currently $10 each. |
| County online portal | $20 certificate + online fees | County states that orders received before 2:00 p.m. are typically processed and mailed the same day. Credit-card portal orders currently include a $10 convenience fee. |
| Michigan Vital Records | $34 basic search/copy fee | Useful when you need the state route or the county of death is uncertain. |
St. Joseph County Clerk
Historic Courthouse — Second Floor
125 W. Main Street
PO Box 189
Centreville, MI 49032
Phone: 269-467-5626
For mail or in-person requests, the county currently instructs customers to call 269-467-5602 to schedule an appointment.
Microsteps before ordering
For broader record guidance, see our death certificate and vital records guide.
Sturgis & St. Joseph County Help Readers Often Miss
Use the county instead of the state
For a St. Joseph County death, the county currently charges $20 for the first certified copy compared with Michigan’s $34 basic state search fee.
Search before ordering
The county’s 1993-current online death index can confirm that the record exists and give you a record number before an office visit.
Use the library cemetery index
Sturgis District Library’s History Room includes a cemetery index, useful when the obituary is missing or the burial place is unclear.
County records go back to 1867
St. Joseph County Clerk maintains historical death records back to 1867, giving local researchers another route when no obituary survives.
Same-day county processing can be possible
The county says online death-certificate orders received before 2:00 p.m. are typically processed and mailed the same day.
Michigan burial assistance exists
Eligible low-income cases may qualify for State Emergency Relief burial or cremation assistance when available estate resources and required contributions are not enough.
Oak Lawn Cemetery and Sturgis Memorial Gardens
The City of Sturgis maintains two municipal cemeteries. These are useful first-party sources when an obituary lists one of these burial locations.
Oak Lawn Cemetery
Established in 1867. The City says Oak Lawn covers about 40 acres and has had approximately 10,000 burials.
Location: northeast corner of South Nottawa Street and East South Street, Sturgis.
The cemetery also has a columbarium for cremated remains.
Sturgis Memorial Gardens
Established in 1983 and formally dedicated in 1985. It is located on the south side of East Fawn River Road east of South Nottawa Street.
It is designed as a low-maintenance cemetery using flush-mounted markers.
Sturgis Cemetery Office
Sturgis City Hall
130 N. Nottawa Street
Sturgis, MI 49091
Phone: 269-659-7223
Public hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Help With Burial or Cremation Costs
Michigan’s State Emergency Relief program can provide burial-payment assistance in qualifying cases when the deceased person’s estate and required contributions are not sufficient.
| Current Michigan assistance category | Maximum listed total |
|---|---|
| Burial with memorial service | $875 |
| Burial without memorial service | $610 |
| Cremation with memorial service | $640 |
| Cremation without memorial service | $390 |
| Disposition of qualifying unclaimed body | $960 |
St. Joseph County Veteran Burial Help
St. Joseph County Veterans’ Affairs helps veterans and families with burial benefits, DD-214 requests, VA claims and Michigan Veterans Trust Fund resources.
Burial benefits
The county office can help families understand VA burial benefits and connect them with federal or state resources.
Military discharge papers
Ask for help locating or replacing a DD-214 when it is needed for burial honors or benefit applications.
Michigan Veterans Trust Fund
The county office participates in the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund process for qualifying emergency needs.
Local contacts
St. Joseph County Veterans’ Affairs
Centreville, Michigan
Veteran Service Officer: 269-467-5557
Veterans’ Affairs: 269-467-5512
Need to Know Whether a Will Is on File?
St. Joseph County Probate Court says it can tell you whether it has a will on file after you provide verification of the person’s date of death.
St. Joseph County Probate Court
Phone: 269-467-5538
Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay
The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule applies to covered funeral providers in Michigan.
Ask for prices by telephone
A funeral provider must give accurate price information over the phone when you ask.
Get a General Price List
When discussing arrangements or prices in person, the provider must give you a General Price List that you can keep.
Choose what you want
You generally have the right to select individual funeral goods and services instead of buying an unwanted package.
Direct cremation
A provider offering direct cremation must make an alternative container available; a casket cannot automatically be required.
Outside casket
A covered provider cannot refuse or charge a handling fee merely because a casket was purchased elsewhere.
Authorization matters
The Funeral Rule restricts embalming for a fee without the required permission, subject to limited legal exceptions.
How to Verify a Michigan Funeral Home or Funeral Director
Michigan LARA regulates mortuary science and funeral establishments. Use the state licensing system when you need to verify an unfamiliar funeral provider or check professional licensing information.
Flowers, Donations, Guestbooks and Livestream Safety
Flowers
Use the handling funeral home’s memorial or call the funeral home. Confirm the correct person and delivery address first.
Memorial donation
If the family names a charity, open the charity’s own website before entering payment information.
Guestbook
Assume comments are public. Do not post addresses, account details, Social Security numbers, private medical information or family disputes.
Livestream
Use only a link provided by the funeral home, church or authorized memorial. Be cautious with unexpected download or payment requests.
Obituary Correction vs Death Certificate Correction
Contact the publisher
Save the obituary URL, identify the incorrect wording and contact the funeral home or newspaper service that controls the notice.
Use Vital Records
Changing a Sturgis Journal obituary does not change a Michigan death certificate. Government records require a separate amendment process.
After You Find the Obituary
- Save the newspaper or Legacy obituary URL.
- Save the funeral-home memorial separately.
- Write down visitation, funeral, cemetery and reception addresses.
- Recheck arrangements shortly before travelling.
- Ask whether the funeral home reported the death to Social Security.
- Order only the number of certified death certificates actually needed.
- Check Michigan burial assistance quickly if finances are limited.
- Contact St. Joseph County Veterans’ Affairs when military service applies.
- Check Probate Court when you need to know whether a will is on file.
- Keep receipts, order numbers, contacts and dates in one written log.
For a broader checklist, use our after-death notification checklist.
Helpful RecentObituaries.info Guides
Obituary Search Guide
Search by name, date, city, funeral home, cemetery, spouse and other identity clues.
Death Certificate & Vital Records Guide
Understand when certified government proof is needed instead of an obituary.
Veterans Burial & Memorial Benefits
Federal and local routes for burial, honors, cemetery and memorial assistance.
Funeral Costs & Consumer Rights
Understand funeral price lists, consumer choices and cost questions.
Official and Primary Sources Used
Sturgis Journal Obituaries Primary newspaper obituary starting point for Sturgis Journal notices. Legacy — Sturgis, Michigan Obituaries Recent local notices from funeral homes, newspapers and families. Hackman Family Funeral Homes Sturgis-area funeral-home memorials and service information. St. Joseph County Clerk — Death Certificates Local certified copies, current fees and county record ordering. St. Joseph County Genealogy Research Historical county records, death records back to 1867 and research services. Sturgis District Library History Room, yearbooks, city directories and cemetery index. City of Sturgis Cemetery Department Oak Lawn Cemetery, Memorial Gardens and cemetery-office information. Michigan MDHHS Burial Services State Emergency Relief burial and cremation assistance rules and current maximum payments. St. Joseph County Veterans’ Affairs Burial benefits, DD-214 help, veterans benefits and Michigan Veterans Trust Fund assistance. Michigan LARA Mortuary Science Funeral establishment and professional licensing information. Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule Funeral price-list and purchasing protections.Sturgis Journal Obituaries: Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the most recent Sturgis Journal obituaries?
Start with the Sturgis Journal obituary page and the recent Sturgis, Michigan obituary page on Legacy. Then open the handling funeral home’s memorial to confirm service information.
How do I make sure I am searching Sturgis, Michigan and not Sturgis, South Dakota?
Add Michigan, MI, St. Joseph County or a nearby town such as Burr Oak, Centreville, Colon or White Pigeon to the search. The Sturgis Journal discussed here is the Michigan newspaper.
Does Sturgis Journal have obituary email alerts?
Yes. The Sturgis Journal newsletter page currently lists a daily “Sturgis Journal Obituaries” email for the area’s most recent obituaries.
Why can’t I find a recent Sturgis obituary?
The notice may not be published yet, may use a nickname or maiden name, may appear only on a funeral-home website, may be connected with a nearby town, or the family may have chosen a private service without a public obituary.
What funeral home should I check for Sturgis obituaries?
Hackman Family Funeral Homes is a major Sturgis-area provider with Hackman Chapel on South Nottawa Street and Rosenberg Chapel on East Chicago Road. Other funeral homes in St. Joseph County and nearby Indiana also handle Sturgis-area families.
How do I find an old Sturgis Journal obituary?
The Sturgis Journal online archive currently covers 1998 to the present. For older research, use the Sturgis District Library History Room, St. Joseph County historical death records and Library of Michigan newspaper holdings.
How far back do St. Joseph County death records go?
The St. Joseph County Clerk states that county death records are available from 1867 to the present. Its online public search covers 1993-current records.
How much is a St. Joseph County Michigan death certificate?
The county currently lists $20 for the first certified copy and $10 for each additional copy.
Is St. Joseph County cheaper than ordering from Michigan Vital Records?
For a death recorded in St. Joseph County, the county’s current $20 first-copy fee is lower than Michigan’s current $34 basic state search fee. Compare convenience fees and ordering methods before paying.
Can I search a St. Joseph County death before ordering a certificate?
Yes. The county offers a public online search for deaths recorded from 1993 to the present. It can provide the record number, although the full death record cannot be viewed online through that search.
Where are the City of Sturgis cemeteries?
The City maintains Oak Lawn Cemetery near South Nottawa and East South streets and Sturgis Memorial Gardens on East Fawn River Road east of South Nottawa Street.
Can Michigan help pay funeral or cremation costs?
Michigan State Emergency Relief may provide burial or cremation assistance in qualifying cases when estate resources and required contributions are insufficient. The current state page lists eligibility rules, maximum payments and a filing deadline.
Where can a St. Joseph County veteran’s family get burial help?
St. Joseph County Veterans’ Affairs assists with burial benefits, DD-214 requests, veterans claims and Michigan Veterans Trust Fund resources. Contact the county office for current eligibility and application help.
How can I find out whether a deceased person had a will on file in St. Joseph County?
St. Joseph County Probate Court says it can provide that information after you verify the person’s date of death using a death certificate or obituary notice.
How do I verify a Sturgis funeral home license?
Use Michigan LARA’s mortuary-science licensing resources to check funeral establishments and licensed professionals.
Is a Sturgis Journal obituary a legal death certificate?
No. An obituary is a public notice or memorial. Banks, estates, insurers, property offices and government agencies may require a certified death certificate from St. Joseph County or Michigan Vital Records.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Make sure the result is Sturgis, Michigan—not another Sturgis.
- Confirm the correct person using age, family, town and dates.
- Use the funeral home for current service details.
- Check funeral-home, church and cemetery addresses separately.
- Use St. Joseph County first when the death occurred locally and you need a certified certificate.
- Use the library, archive and county records for older research.
- Check Michigan burial assistance quickly when finances are limited.
- Contact county Veterans’ Affairs when military service applies.
- Use Michigan LARA when you need to verify a funeral provider.
- Keep private medical, financial and identity information out of public guestbooks.
RecentObituaries.info provides independent educational and source-navigation information. Obituary listings, service schedules, certificate fees, cemetery information, assistance programs and government rules can change. Verify final information with the funeral home, newspaper or government office responsible before travelling, paying, ordering records or making legal decisions.