Search Obituary, Death and Burial Records by Name
Enter the personβs first name, last name and last known state to prepare an obituary, death, burial, cemetery, memorial and related public-record search.
Find Pal-Item Obituaries, Funeral Notices and Local Death Records
Looking for recent Pal-Item obituaries? Pal-Item is the commonly used short name for The Palladium-Item, a newspaper serving Richmond, Wayne County and surrounding east-central Indiana communities.
Start with the newspaper’s obituary section, search the person’s name and check the original funeral-home memorial for current visitation, funeral, burial and memorial details.
This guide also explains obituary email alerts, older Richmond newspaper archives, Indiana death certificates, veteran benefits and local burial assistance.
Reviewed October 14, 2026 β’ Independent obituary and public-record navigation guide
Quick Answer: Use the Right Source
Recent Palladium-Item obituary
Start with the newspaper’s current obituary page. Search the name and confirm the publication date.
Funeral or visitation details
Open the individual funeral-home memorial to confirm current times, addresses and service arrangements.
Older Richmond obituary
Use Morrisson-Reeves Library’s newspaper index or Indiana State Library’s Hoosier State Chronicles.
Certified death certificate
Use Wayne County Health Department or Indiana Department of Health, depending on the location, fees and ordering needs.
Where to Find Pal-Item Recent Obituaries
The Palladium-Item publishes obituary information for Richmond and nearby Wayne County communities. The newspaper’s own obituary route is the starting point when you want a notice associated with this publication.
Official Palladium-Item obituary section
Use the publisher’s obituary page for the newspaper’s current listings and related obituary links.
Richmond-area obituaries
Use the Richmond-area Legacy directory when a person’s notice may have been published directly by a funeral home instead of the newspaper.
What if the newspaper page does not show the person?
- Check the obituary publication date rather than only the death date.
- Search the surname without an uncertain middle name.
- Try the funeral home’s own obituary listing.
- Search a nearby town such as Centerville, Cambridge City or Fountain City.
- For older notices, use the Morrisson-Reeves Library newspaper index.
How to Search Palladium-Item Obituaries by Name
Search patterns you can copy
Person: First Last Palladium-Item obituary
Richmond: Last name obituary Richmond Indiana
Centerville: Last name obituary Centerville IN
Funeral home: First Last funeral home Richmond Indiana
Historic notice: Last name Richmond Palladium 1920
For more ideas, read our Obituary Search & Recent Notices Guide.
Get Palladium-Item Obituary Email Alerts
The Palladium-Item offers an obituary email newsletter through its account and newsletter preferences system.
The publisher describes its Palladium-Item Obituaries newsletter as a daily email covering the area’s most recent obituaries.
Official Palladium-Item newsletter preferences
Richmond and Nearby Communities to Include in Your Search
The Palladium-Item’s coverage area extends beyond Richmond. A person may have lived in one community, died in another, used a different funeral home and been buried elsewhere.
Richmond
Search Richmond, Wayne Township, nearby neighborhoods, schools and local funeral homes.
Centerville
Try Centerville, Center Township and connected family, cemetery or school information.
Cambridge City
Search Cambridge City, Dublin, Milton and nearby western Wayne County communities.
Hagerstown
Use Hagerstown, Jackson Township and local funeral-home or church connections.
Fountain City
Search Fountain City, Whitewater, Webster and northern Wayne County families.
IndianaβOhio border
Try Eaton, New Paris and other Preble County, Ohio, communities when a family has connections across the state line.
How to Verify the Correct Person
| Detail | What to compare | Reason to pause |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | First, middle, maiden or former surnames. | A major name detail differs. |
| Age or birth year | Age and dates in the full notice. | The age or time period is wrong. |
| Relatives | Spouse, children, parents or siblings when publicly listed. | Known family details do not match. |
| Community | Richmond, a Wayne County town or a former residence. | There is no known connection. |
| Funeral provider | Name and location of the handling funeral home. | Different sources show conflicting arrangements. |
Do not announce a person’s death based only on a Google snippet, a copied listing or an unverified social-media post. Open the original memorial and verify multiple details.
Find the Funeral Home and Confirm Visitation or Burial
Some Palladium-Item notices identify funeral homes serving Richmond and surrounding communities. The handling provider can supply the latest publicly authorized service information.
Funeral homes that appear in Richmond-area obituary results include Doan & Mills Funeral Home, Riggle-Waltermann Mortuary, Community Family Funeral Home and other providers. These names are search clues, not endorsements.
After you open the obituary
- Find the funeral-home name and address.
- Open that funeral home’s official website.
- Search for the person’s individual memorial.
- Compare the service schedule with the newspaper notice.
- Check whether visitation, funeral and cemetery arrangements are at different locations.
- Call the funeral home if details are incomplete or conflicting.
Visitation
Confirm start and end times, venue and whether the event is open to the public.
Funeral or memorial
Check the date, Eastern Time, church or chapel address and any schedule changes.
Cemetery
Verify the cemetery name, town and graveside service time separately.
Livestream
Use a viewing link supplied by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
Flowers and donations
Follow the family’s stated preference and use an official charity or funeral-home route.
Accessibility
Ask about parking, wheelchair access, entrances and seating if needed.
How to Submit a Palladium-Item Obituary
The Palladium-Item publishes an obituary submission process through its advertising and obituary service.
The publisher’s support page identifies a self-service submission portal and an obituary-specific contact address.
Publisher-listed obituary contact
Email: rch-obits@pal-item.com
Official Palladium-Item obituary submission FAQ
Prepare before submitting
- Full legal and preferred name.
- Approved obituary text.
- Age, dates and hometown when the family wishes to include them.
- Photograph with publication permission.
- Verified visitation, funeral and memorial information.
- Handling funeral-home contact information.
- Approved memorial-donation instructions.
- Billing details and preferred publication date.
Need an obituary correction?
Contact the publisher or funeral home responsible for the notice. Provide the original link, the incorrect detail and the family-approved correction.
A newspaper obituary correction does not amend an official Indiana death certificate.
Find Older Palladium-Item Obituaries and Richmond Newspapers
Morrisson-Reeves Library in Richmond has one of the most useful local resources for finding historical Wayne County obituaries.
Its newspaper index covers local-interest articles, including obituaries, dating back to 1822. The library reports more than 329,000 indexed entries, with additional entries added over time.
Richmond newspaper index
Search by name or local-history clues. An index result may point to a newspaper issue rather than provide the full article.
Newspaper microfilm
The library maintains Richmond newspaper microfilm extending from the early 1800s into the modern period.
Historic newspaper names
The library provides references explaining changes in the Richmond newspaper’s titles over the years.
Free librarian appointment
Morrisson-Reeves Library provides a free 30-minute Book a Librarian research appointment, subject to scheduling.
Morrisson-Reeves Library
80 North 6th Street
Richmond, IN 47374
Phone: 765-966-8291
Research appointments: contact the library in advance. Its genealogy resources describe appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during designated hours.
Morrisson-Reeves genealogy and newspaper resources
Library newspaper index and research databases
How to use the newspaper index
Free Richmond Newspapers From the 1800s
The Indiana State Library’s Hoosier State Chronicles provides digitized historical Richmond Palladium newspapers that can be searched online for free.
| Historical title | Available online range | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond Palladium (Weekly) | January 8, 1831βDecember 9, 1875 | Early Richmond news, nineteenth-century death notices and historic families. |
| Richmond Palladium (Daily) | December 21, 1877βFebruary 10, 1923 | Late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Richmond obituary research. |
How to search Hoosier State Chronicles
- Open the historical newspaper collection.
- Choose the Richmond Palladium title.
- Select the approximate year and month.
- Search the surname or browse nearby issues.
- Try older terms such as “died,” “death,” “funeral” or “interment.”
- Save the original newspaper citation and page image reference.
Richmond Palladium Weekly: 1831β1875
Richmond Palladium Daily: 1877β1923
Indiana Death Certificates: Wayne County vs State Office
Wayne County Health Department issues certified death records for qualifying applicants. Indiana Department of Health also provides statewide death-record ordering.
Compare the cost, processing method and record location before choosing an office.
Current death-certificate fee comparison
| Office or service | Current fee | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne County Health Department | $15 per copy | Local county death-certificate fee. |
| Wayne County out-of-county record | $15 plus $5 record fee | Certain Indiana records filed outside Wayne County; extra rules apply. |
| Indiana Department of Health by mail | $8 first copy | State record-search fee includes one certificate if found. |
| Additional state copy | $4 each | Additional copies of the same death record in the same order. |
| State online VitalChek order | Certificate fee plus $12.95 processing | Shipping charges may also apply. |
Wayne County Health Department
100 South 5th Street
Richmond, IN 47374
Phone: 765-973-9245
The county’s Vital Records division maintains records dating back to 1882. The office currently lists document processing between 8:00 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.
Wayne County application requirements
- Completed death-certificate application.
- Full legal name of the deceased.
- Date of death.
- Acceptable identification.
- Proof of direct biological, marital or otherwise authorized relationship.
- Correct payment.
- For mail requests, a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
The county application explains that identification and relationship requirements must be met. It also warns that incomplete applications may be rejected without a refund.
Wayne County official Vital Records
Indiana Department of Health death certificates
Indiana’s statewide Vital Records office issues death certificates for Indiana deaths. It does not issue death records for events that occurred in other states.
State mail-order fees: $8 first copy and $4 for each additional copy of the same death record.
The state fee is a search fee and is nonrefundable, even when a record cannot be found.
What you need before ordering
- Name of the deceased.
- Date and county of death, when known.
- Your relationship to the deceased.
- A government-issued photo ID or other qualifying identification documents.
- Any required relationship or legal-authority evidence.
- The completed state application.
How to request an Indiana death certificate
Indiana official death-certificate ordering
Indiana death-record rules and eligibility
How to Find a Burial or Cemetery Record in Wayne County
The newspaper obituary and funeral-home memorial are useful starting points for cemetery research. An obituary may name the cemetery, but it does not always identify the burial section or grave.
If the person was a veteran
Use the VA cemetery and gravesite search when the deceased may be buried in a national cemetery or has a government memorial marker.
Indiana Burial Assistance and Richmond Township Help
Indiana has a Burial Assistance Program for people who were enrolled in certain qualifying Medicaid categories at the time of death.
Township trustees may also provide help to qualifying low-income residents. These are separate assistance routes.
Indiana Burial Assistance Program
Who may qualify?
The program covers certain Medicaid categories such as qualifying aged, disabled, blind and SSI-related groups. Medicaid enrollment alone does not always establish eligibility.
Who submits the claim?
Only funeral homes and cemetery representatives can file the required state burial claim on behalf of the deceased.
Important filing period
The complete claim packet must be filed within 90 days after the date of death.
Who receives payment?
Approved Indiana burial assistance is paid directly to the funeral home or cemetery. The state does not reimburse family members.
Indiana Burial Assistance Program
Wayne Township Trustee β Richmond
15 South 11th Street
Richmond, IN 47374
Phone: 765-973-9392
The Wayne Township Trustee assists eligible low-income residents with certain basic needs and can help residents understand available emergency assistance or referrals.
Office hours currently listed: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:00 a.m.β4:00 p.m., with a noonβ1:00 p.m. lunch closure. Thursday office access is restricted; call for current appointment instructions.
Questions worth asking
- Is any township help available for the particular circumstances?
- Does the deceased’s residence place the case in Wayne Township?
- Should the funeral director contact the trustee first?
- What financial and household documentation is required?
- Are there application deadlines or approved service limits?
- How does state burial assistance affect township eligibility?
Official Wayne Township Trustee, Richmond
Wayne County Veteran Funeral and Burial Benefits
Wayne County provides a local Veterans Service Office to help eligible veterans and families understand VA claims, military records and benefits.
Wayne County Veterans Service Office
401 East Main Street
Wayne County Annex Building, lower level
Richmond, IN 47374
Phone: 765-973-9200, extension 1651.
Current office hours: MondayβFriday, 8:00 a.m.β4:00 p.m.
Wayne County Veterans Service Office
Benefits families should check
- VA burial and funeral allowances.
- Government headstone or marker.
- Burial flag and military funeral honors.
- Presidential Memorial Certificate.
- National or state veterans cemetery eligibility.
- Certain survivor or dependent benefits.
Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery
1415 North Gate Road
Madison, IN 47250
Phone: 812-273-9220
Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery provides qualifying cemetery services for eligible veterans and certain spouses or dependents.
The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs currently states that eligible veterans and spouses receive certain burial services without cost, including opening and closing of the plot, an outer burial container, monument and chapel use.
The cemetery supports casket burial, in-ground cremation and columbarium arrangements, subject to current eligibility and availability.
Official Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery
Documents the family may need
- Veteran’s DD-214 or another acceptable discharge record.
- Official death certificate when requested.
- Proof of relationship.
- Funeral invoices and paid receipts.
- Burial and cemetery documents.
Verify an Indiana Funeral Home and Understand Price Rights
Indiana regulates funeral directors, embalmers and funeral establishments through its Professional Licensing Agency and State Board of Funeral and Cemetery Service.
How to verify a provider
Indiana Professional License Search & Verify
Funeral consumer rights
Telephone prices
Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral providers must give price information over the telephone when asked.
General Price List
When discussing arrangements in person, request an itemized General Price List that you may keep.
Individual service choices
You generally have the right to select funeral goods and services rather than purchasing an unwanted package.
Third-party expenses
Ask separately about cemetery, crematory, newspaper, transportation and other outside charges.
FTC Funeral Rule and consumer protections
Before entering payment information
- Start from the official funeral-home or newspaper website.
- Verify the correct deceased person and account.
- Confirm the services or publication being paid for.
- Review the amount and any processing fees.
- Keep the payment confirmation.
What to Do After Finding the Obituary
Save the original notice
Keep the newspaper and funeral-home memorial links together.
Confirm the service
Verify time, location and public or private status before travelling.
Plan certificate copies
Ask banks, insurers and estate professionals how many certified copies they need.
Check Social Security reporting
Funeral homes generally report deaths to SSA. Ask the funeral director whether the report was completed.
Review benefits
Check Indiana burial assistance, township resources and VA benefits when relevant.
Secure private information
Keep death certificates, financial documents and identity records out of public guestbooks.
See our Death Certificate & Vital Records Guide for the difference between public memorials and legal records.
Common Pal-Item Obituary Search Mistakes
Confusing “Pal-Item” with “The Item”
The Palladium-Item is based in Richmond, Indiana. Several unrelated newspapers use the word Item.
Only checking today’s notices
Expand the date range. The publication date may be different from the death date.
Using only one spelling
Try maiden names, initials, nicknames and previous surnames.
Ignoring historical papers
Morrisson-Reeves Library has nineteenth-century newspaper references and microfilm.
Ordering from the wrong state
Indiana cannot issue death certificates for deaths recorded in Ohio or another state.
Assuming assistance is guaranteed
State Medicaid-related burial assistance, township aid and VA benefits have different eligibility rules.
Official and Primary Sources
Palladium-Item official obituaries The newspaper’s obituary page and current notice navigation. Palladium-Item obituary submission FAQ Publisher-listed obituary submission contact and deadline information. Palladium-Item newsletter preferences Official daily obituary email newsletter option. Morrisson-Reeves Library β Newspaper Index More than 329,000 historical local-interest and obituary references dating back to 1822. Morrisson-Reeves Library β Genealogy Newspaper microfilm, archive tools and local-history research. Hoosier State Chronicles β Richmond Palladium Weekly Digitized historical issues from 1831β1875. Hoosier State Chronicles β Richmond Palladium Daily Digitized historical issues from 1877β1923. Wayne County Health Department β Vital Records County certificate fees, ID requirements and application instructions. Indiana Department of Health β Order Certificates State death-record fees, mail application and authorized remote ordering. Indiana Burial Assistance Program Medicaid eligibility categories, claim filing and payment rules. Wayne Township Trustee β Richmond Local trustee contact, assistance and office information. Wayne County Veterans Service Office Richmond veterans office, contact and local benefit guidance. Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery State veterans cemetery services, eligibility and application forms. Indiana Professional License Verification Official funeral-professional and establishment license checking. FTC Funeral Rule Funeral price lists, telephone pricing and consumer choices.Pal-Item Recent Obituaries: Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find Pal-Item recent obituaries?
Start with the Palladium-Item’s obituary section at pal-item.com/obituaries. Search by name or publication date, then verify funeral details through the handling funeral home.
What does Pal-Item mean?
Pal-Item is a commonly used abbreviated name for The Palladium-Item, the newspaper based in Richmond, Indiana.
Does The Palladium-Item cover Wayne County?
Yes. The newspaper serves Richmond, Wayne County and nearby east-central Indiana communities.
Can I get Pal-Item obituary email alerts?
Yes. The publisher offers a daily Palladium-Item Obituaries newsletter through its newsletter preference system.
How do I search Palladium-Item obituaries by surname?
Search the surname in the newspaper obituary section or Richmond-area obituary directory. Add a first name, publication period or community to narrow the results.
How do I find an old Richmond Indiana obituary?
Morrisson-Reeves Library maintains a Richmond newspaper index with more than 329,000 entries, including obituary references dating back to 1822. Historical newspaper issues are also available through library microfilm and Hoosier State Chronicles.
Are old Richmond Palladium newspapers available online for free?
Yes. Hoosier State Chronicles has digitized Richmond Palladium Weekly issues from 1831β1875 and Richmond Palladium Daily issues from 1877β1923, although not every intervening date is available.
How much is a Wayne County Indiana death certificate?
Wayne County Health Department currently lists $15 per death certificate. Certain out-of-county Indiana records carry an additional $5 fee.
How much does Indiana charge for a state death certificate?
Indiana Department of Health currently lists $8 for the first death-certificate copy and $4 for each additional copy in the same mail order. Online or telephone orders have extra vendor charges.
Can I order an Indiana death certificate for a death in Ohio?
No. Indiana does not issue death certificates for people who died in another state. Use the official vital-record office for the state where the death occurred.
Who can request a certified Indiana death certificate?
Indiana requires qualifying applicants to meet relationship or legal-authority requirements and provide appropriate identification and supporting documents.
Does Indiana provide burial assistance?
Indiana has a Burial Assistance Program for certain eligible Medicaid categories. Funeral homes and cemetery representatives submit the claims, and approved payments go directly to the provider, not the family.
Where is the Wayne Township Trustee in Richmond?
The Wayne Township Trustee office is at 15 South 11th Street, Richmond, Indiana 47374. The listed telephone number is 765-973-9392.
Where can I get help with veteran burial benefits in Wayne County?
Wayne County Veterans Service Office is at 401 East Main Street in Richmond. Call 765-973-9200, extension 1651, for local assistance and benefit questions.
How can I verify a funeral home in Indiana?
Use the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s free Search & Verify service to check funeral establishments and licensed professionals.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Confirm that the newspaper is The Palladium-Item in Richmond, Indiana.
- Check the full obituary rather than a search-result snippet.
- Verify the correct person using name, age, family and community clues.
- Use the funeral home for current visitation, service and cemetery information.
- Use Morrisson-Reeves Library for older newspaper research.
- Compare Wayne County and Indiana state certificate costs before ordering.
- Check Indiana burial assistance, township resources and veterans benefits when relevant.
- Request written funeral pricing and verify unfamiliar providers.
- Never publish private medical, financial or family information in public guestbooks.
RecentObituaries.info is an independent obituary and public-record source-navigation guide. It is not affiliated with The Palladium-Item, Legacy, Morrisson-Reeves Library, Wayne County Health Department, Indiana Department of Health, the Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery, VA or any funeral home. Verify final obituary, funeral, certificate, payment and benefit details with the responsible organization.