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 Recent Erie PA Obituaries, Funeral Notices & Official Death Records
Looking for a recent Erie, Pennsylvania obituary? Start with the person’s full name and the newest Erie-area notices, then confirm funeral, cemetery and livestream details through the handling funeral home. If you need legal proof of death, use Pennsylvania Vital Records instead of an obituary copy.
Quick Answer: Choose the Right Erie Resource
Recent obituary
Use the Erie, PA area obituary page and sort or filter by publication date, newspaper or funeral home.
Funeral details
Open the handling funeral home’s memorial before relying on service time, cemetery or flower information.
Older notice
Use Erie County Public Library, Hagen History Center and Pennsylvania historical death records.
Legal proof
Use Pennsylvania Vital Records for certified death certificates from 1906 forward.
How to Find Recent Erie Obituaries Today
The current Erie-area obituary page combines notices from Erie funeral homes, newspapers and families. It supports keyword searching and filters for publication date, newspaper, school and funeral home.
How to Search Erie Obituaries by Name
Search Erie and Nearby Communities
An obituary may use the person’s residence, former hometown, funeral-home city or cemetery location. Erie-area searches should not stop at the city boundary.
Erie
Start with the full name and Erie when the person was a city resident.
Millcreek Township
Many Erie-area addresses and funeral services connect with Millcreek even when the notice simply says Erie.
Wesleyville & Harborcreek
Add these communities when the funeral home, residence or cemetery is east of Erie.
North East
Search North East separately when a person lived in eastern Erie County.
Girard & Lake City
Use western Erie County town names when city-only searches miss the correct notice.
Union City & Corry
Check southern and southeastern Erie County when the family or funeral home is located outside Erie city.
Check the Funeral Home After You Find the Name
Current Erie-area obituary listings frequently point to local funeral homes. These first-party pages are especially useful for service changes, directions, flowers and cemetery details.
Brugger Funeral Homes & Crematory
The official obituary search supports name, date and serving-location filters and publishes current Erie-area memorials.
Burton Quinn Scott
The official obituary section covers Erie, Girard, Erie County and surrounding communities.
Verify the Correct Erie Resident Before Sharing
| Compare | Why it matters | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Age / birth year | Separates people with the same or similar name. | Age is clearly different. |
| Family | Spouse, parents, siblings and children are strong identity clues. | Close relatives do not match. |
| Erie location | Confirms Erie city, township or county connection. | The notice is for another state or region. |
| Funeral home | Provides a first-party source for service details. | The funeral provider has no known Erie-area connection. |
| School / parish / employer | Long-time Erie residents often have distinctive community connections. | Biography clearly belongs to someone else. |
| Publication date | Separates a recent notice from an old obituary or memoriam. | The notice is from the wrong year. |
What to Confirm Before Attending an Erie Funeral
Exact time
Visitation, funeral, Mass, memorial and graveside service can all begin at different times.
Exact address
Funeral home, church, cemetery and reception may be different locations.
Public or private
Do not assume every burial or family gathering is open to the public.
Livestream
Use only the link provided by the funeral home, church or authorized family memorial.
Flowers or donations
Follow the family’s instruction and verify a charity on its own official website.
Weather / changes
Erie weather can affect travel. Recheck with the funeral home when conditions or listings conflict.
How to Get a Pennsylvania Death Certificate
Pennsylvania Vital Records issues certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in Pennsylvania from 1906 forward.
| Pennsylvania death record | Current cost | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Certified death certificate | $20 each | The fee is the same for each certificate ordered. |
| Online order | $20 + $10 service fee | VitalChek is Pennsylvania’s only authorized online vendor. |
| Mail order | $20 each | Pay by check or money order to VITAL RECORDS. |
| Current online/mail processing | About 3 weeks | Processing time does not include delivery and may increase when the request has issues. |
Two Pennsylvania certificate types
Cause and manner included
This version can be useful for life-insurance or pension claims and family medical history.
Medical details excluded
This option is available for deaths after 2019 and can be used for tasks such as closing certain accounts or transferring property when medical details are unnecessary.
Who can order?
- Spouse.
- Parent or qualifying step-parent.
- Sibling or half-sibling.
- Child or qualifying step-child.
- Grandparent or great-grandparent.
- Grandchild or great-grandchild.
- Other family member with documentation showing direct interest.
- Attorney or legal representative of the estate.
- Executor or administrator of the estate.
- Person with a documented direct financial interest.
Erie Has a Pennsylvania Vital Records Walk-In Office
If you need a Pennsylvania death certificate quickly, you do not necessarily need to mail the application to New Castle. Pennsylvania currently lists a public Vital Records office in Erie.
Pennsylvania Vital Records — Erie Office
156 E. 14th Street
Erie, PA 16503
Current hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
State Vital Records help line: 844-228-3516
Very Recent Death? Ask Whether the Record Has Been Filed
Pennsylvania says the funeral director or person responsible for interment files the death report. Medical professionals, medical examiners or coroners complete the medical certification.
Electronic filing
When the funeral director reports the death electronically and the record is complete, Pennsylvania can process a certificate application immediately.
Paper filing
If the death was reported on paper and you need certificates during the first 90 days, Pennsylvania advises working directly with the funeral director.
Microsteps when the certificate cannot be found
- Call the handling funeral home.
- Ask whether the Pennsylvania death report has been registered.
- Ask whether medical certification is complete.
- Confirm the exact legal name and death date used on the filing.
- Retry the Vital Records request after the filing issue is resolved.
Erie County Coroner Contact
The Erie County Coroner investigates sudden, unexplained, unnatural, suspicious or violent deaths and determines cause and manner in cases within its jurisdiction.
Erie County Coroner’s Office
Erie County Courthouse
140 West Sixth Street, Room 7
Erie, PA 16501
Office: 814-451-6331
After 4:00 p.m. answering service: 814-452-2911
Current listed office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
How to Find an Older Erie Obituary
Erie has several strong local research routes. Choose the source based on the year rather than searching modern obituary websites indefinitely.
Erie Times-News: 1995-current
Erie County Public Library provides full-text Erie Times-News searching through NewsBank for current and archived issues beginning in 1995. A library card is required.
Historic Erie newspapers
The library also provides searchable historic Erie-area newspapers, including Erie Morning Dispatch and Erie Daily Times material.
Heritage Room
Blasco Memorial Library’s Heritage Room holds local-history and genealogy collections for in-library research.
Hagen History Center
Hagen History Center provides genealogy help and is the County-listed source for City of Erie death records from 1894–1905.
Erie historical death-record timeline
| Record period | Best local / official source |
|---|---|
| City of Erie, 1894–1905 | Hagen History Center / Erie County Historical Society. |
| Erie County, 1893–1905 | Erie County Clerk of Records. |
| Pennsylvania, 1906-present | Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. |
| Public historical PA deaths | Pennsylvania State Archives after the state’s public-record transfer period. |
Better older-obituary search method
- Search surname + approximate year.
- Try the spouse or parent when the surname is common.
- Search “died,” “funeral,” “burial,” “services” and “interment.”
- Check Erie Times-News archives for 1995-current.
- Use historic Erie newspapers for earlier years.
- Switch to government death records when you need a date or legal record rather than obituary text.
Search Erie Cemetery Records by Name
The Erie Cemetery Association maintains an online burial-record search covering its historic Erie-area cemeteries. Records may include name, birth and death dates and other family-history details when available.
Erie Cemetery
2116 Chestnut Street, Erie. The association maintains burial records and provides genealogy assistance.
Laurel Hill Cemetery
4523 Love Road, Erie. Burial and cremation options are available through the association.
Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery
2601 Norcross Road, Erie. The same association can help with burial-record questions.
Grave-search microsteps
Erie Cemetery Association office: 814-459-2463
Verify a Pennsylvania Funeral Director Before Paying
Pennsylvania’s State Board of Funeral Directors regulates funeral-director licensing and funeral businesses under its jurisdiction. The public can check professional-license status through the Pennsylvania Licensing System.
Microsteps
- Open Pennsylvania’s professional license verification page.
- Select the license-search option.
- Search the funeral director or business information.
- Compare the name and current status with the funeral-home website.
- Review disciplinary information when relevant.
Funeral and Burial Assistance Erie Families Should Check
Pennsylvania burial / cremation payment
Pennsylvania DHS can help with burial or cremation costs for certain people who received qualifying cash or SSI-related assistance before death.
Maximum DHS payment
Current Pennsylvania rules provide up to $750 depending on the deceased person’s countable resources. Eligibility is determined by the County Assistance Office.
Erie County Assistance Office
1316 Holland Street
P.O. Box 958
Erie, PA 16512-0958
Phone: 814-461-2000
Toll-free: 800-635-1014
Current listed hours: 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Crime-related death
Pennsylvania’s Victims Compensation Assistance Program may reimburse eligible funeral and burial costs after a qualifying crime. Current program material lists a funeral/burial maximum of $6,500 per victim, subject to eligibility and other payment sources.
If the Person Was a Veteran
Erie County Veterans Services helps local Veterans and families with county burial allowance, federal burial allowance, grave markers, cemetery flags, survivor benefits and military-record requests.
Erie County Department of Veterans Services
208 E. Bayfront Parkway, Suite 102
Erie, PA 16507
Phone: 814-451-6265
- County burial allowance.
- Federal VA burial allowance.
- Grave marker and cemetery flag help.
- DD-214 and military-record assistance.
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
- Survivor pension guidance.
Current VA burial allowance
For eligible non-service-connected Veteran deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2026, VA currently lists a $1,032 burial allowance and $1,032 plot allowance. Eligibility depends on the Veteran’s circumstances.
PA Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Cemetery in Erie
Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home
560 East Third Street
Erie, PA 16507
Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay
Ask for prices by phone
Under the FTC Funeral Rule, funeral providers must give price information over the telephone when you ask.
Get the General Price List
When discussing arrangements or prices in person, ask for the written General Price List and keep it.
Choose individual items
You generally have the right to purchase individual funeral goods and services instead of an unwanted package.
Separate outside charges
Ask which costs belong to the funeral home and which come from cemeteries, clergy, newspapers, florists or other providers.
Obituary Correction vs. Pennsylvania Death Record Correction
Contact the publisher
Save the obituary URL, identify the exact incorrect wording and contact the funeral home, newspaper or family account that controls the notice.
Use Pennsylvania Vital Records
Changing the obituary does not change the death certificate. Pennsylvania uses a separate death-record amendment process.
Death-record amendment microsteps
- Open Pennsylvania’s death-record amendment page.
- Complete the Request to Amend a Death Record form.
- Identify only the fields that need correction.
- Attach evidence supporting the requested change.
- Include identification.
- Have the form notarized unless a qualifying certified court order applies.
No Erie Obituary Found? Use This Recovery Order
Flowers, Donations, Guestbooks and Livestream Safety
Flowers
Use the family-authorized obituary or funeral-home memorial and confirm the correct person before ordering.
Donations
Open the named nonprofit’s own official website before entering payment information.
Guestbooks
Assume condolences are public. Do not post private addresses, financial information, medical claims or family disputes.
Livestreams
Use only a link supplied by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
After You Find the Erie Obituary
Save the memorial
Keep the newspaper and funeral-home URLs together.
Confirm addresses
Save funeral, church and cemetery addresses separately.
Order certificates
Ask banks, insurers and estate professionals how many certified copies they require.
Check Social Security
Ask the funeral director whether the death was reported to SSA.
Veteran benefits
Locate the DD-214 and contact Erie County Veterans Services early.
Keep a log
Record dates, case numbers, phone calls, receipts and documents sent.
Official and Primary Sources Used
Recent Erie, PA Area Obituaries Current notices from funeral homes, newspapers and families. Brugger Funeral Homes — Obituaries First-party Erie-area memorial and service information. Burton Quinn Scott — Obituaries First-party Erie, Girard and Erie County notices. Pennsylvania Vital Records — Death Certificates Eligibility, $20 certificate fee, authorized online vendor and ordering methods. Pennsylvania Vital Records Public Offices Current Erie walk-in office address and hours. Erie County Historical Record Information City, county and state death-record coverage by year. Erie County Public Library Newspaper Resources Erie Times-News archive, historic Erie newspapers and research databases. Erie Cemetery Association Records Burial records, online search and genealogy assistance. Erie County Veterans Services County and federal burial allowance, grave marker, flags and survivor-benefit assistance. Pennsylvania Burial & Cremation Assistance Eligibility-dependent DHS payment and County Assistance Office route.Erie Recent Obituary FAQs
Where can I find recent Erie PA obituaries?
Start with the Erie, Pennsylvania area obituary page, then open the handling funeral home’s memorial to verify current service and cemetery details.
How do I search an Erie obituary by name?
Search the full name first. If needed, add Erie, PA, then try surname only, nickname, maiden name, former surname, spouse, funeral home or a wider date range.
Where can I find Erie Times-News obituary archives?
Erie County Public Library provides searchable full-text Erie Times-News access through NewsBank from 1995 to the present for library users.
How much is a Pennsylvania death certificate?
Pennsylvania currently charges $20 for each death certificate. Online orders also have a $10 service fee through the state’s authorized vendor.
Is there a Vital Records office in Erie?
Yes. Pennsylvania currently lists an Erie Vital Records office at 156 E. 14th Street, Erie, PA 16503, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Who can order a Pennsylvania death certificate?
Eligible requesters include specified close relatives, certain other relatives with documentation, estate attorneys or legal representatives, executors or administrators, and people with a documented direct financial interest.
What is the difference between Pennsylvania death certificates with and without medical information?
The medical-information version includes cause and manner of death. The non-medical version excludes those details and is available for deaths after 2019 for uses where medical information is not needed.
Why might a very recent Erie death certificate not be available?
The death report may not yet be fully registered or medical certification may still be incomplete. Ask the handling funeral home whether the record was filed electronically or on paper.
How can I find an old Erie obituary?
Use Erie County Public Library newspaper resources, Hagen History Center, Erie County historical records and Pennsylvania State Archives. The best source depends on the year.
Where are Erie death records from before 1906?
Erie County’s historical-record guide points City of Erie deaths from 1894–1905 to the Erie County Historical Society/Hagen History Center and county deaths from 1893–1905 to the Erie County Clerk of Records.
Can I search Erie cemetery records online?
Yes. Erie Cemetery Association provides an online deceased-person search covering its cemetery records, and its office can help when an older burial is missing from the online index.
How can I verify a Pennsylvania funeral director?
Use Pennsylvania’s professional license verification service and search the funeral director or business information through the Pennsylvania Licensing System.
Does Pennsylvania help pay for burial or cremation?
Pennsylvania DHS provides burial or cremation payment for certain eligible deceased people. Current rules provide up to $750 depending on available resources, and the local County Assistance Office determines eligibility.
Where can Erie County Veteran families get burial help?
Erie County Veterans Services at 208 E. Bayfront Parkway helps with county burial allowance, federal burial allowance, markers, flags, military records and survivor benefits.
How much is the current VA burial allowance?
For eligible non-service-connected Veteran deaths on or after October 1, 2026, VA currently lists a $1,032 burial allowance and $1,032 plot allowance. Different rules and amounts apply to other circumstances.
Can anyone be buried at the PA Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Cemetery in Erie?
No. Current Pennsylvania eligibility requires the Veteran to have been a resident of the PA Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home at the time of death.
Can an Erie family choose not to publish an obituary?
Yes. A family may choose private services, delayed publication, a funeral-home-only memorial or no public obituary.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Confirm that the result is Erie, Pennsylvania.
- Match the correct person using more than the name alone.
- Use the handling funeral home for current service details.
- Use Pennsylvania Vital Records when legal proof of death is required.
- Use the Erie walk-in Vital Records office when appropriate.
- Use Erie County Public Library and historical collections for older notices.
- Confirm cemetery and grave information through the cemetery office.
- Verify unfamiliar funeral professionals through Pennsylvania licensing tools.
- Check burial assistance and Veteran benefits before assuming all costs must be paid privately.
- Keep sensitive financial, medical and identity information out of public guestbooks.
RecentObituaries.info is an independent source-navigation guide. It is not Erie Times-News, Legacy, Pennsylvania Vital Records, Erie County government, a funeral home, cemetery, Pennsylvania DHS or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Verify final details with the organization responsible for the notice, service, record or benefit.