Kansas City Star Recent Obituaries: Notices & Funeral Links

Obituary, Death & Burial Records

Search Obituary, Death and Burial Records by Name

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Kansas City Star obituary & funeral resource guide

Find Recent Kansas City Star Obituaries and Verify Funeral Notices

Looking for an obituary in The Kansas City Star? Start with the newspaper’s dedicated obituary listings. Search a name, browse recent publication dates, and open the complete notice. Before travelling or sending flowers, confirm service information with the funeral home.

This guide also explains where to find older Kansas City obituaries, cemetery information, and official death certificates in Missouri or Kansas.

Recent notices Search by name Death records

Source review: October 14, 2026. Independent guide; not affiliated with The Kansas City Star or Legacy.

Quick Answer: Where Can You Find Kansas City Star Obituaries?

New notices

Today’s obituaries

Use the newspaper-specific Today page for newly displayed death notices and memorials.

View the steps

Name search

Find a person

Search first and last name. Add a location or publication date if the name is common.

Search instructions

Older notices

Use Kansas City library newspaper indexes and Missouri historical death records.

Archive sources

Official records

Death certificates

Use the Missouri or Kansas records office depending on where the death happened.

Compare both states

Important: Kansas City includes communities in Missouri and Kansas. A Kansas City Star notice does not prove which state issued the person’s death certificate.

How to Check Today’s Kansas City Star Obituaries

The Kansas City Star has a dedicated obituary section on Legacy. The Today and Browse pages are useful for checking current notices without searching the entire internet.

Open the newspaper’s Today page. Use the Kansas City Star-specific obituary section, not a general national search.

Look at the publication date. Make sure the notice was published in the time period you want.

Open the individual obituary. Check the person’s name, age, city, family details and funeral-home information.

Visit the funeral home’s own memorial. Check whether it has newer visitation, funeral, burial or livestream details.

Use Browse if the notice is missing. Check earlier publication dates rather than assuming no obituary exists.

After opening the Today page: select a notice → read the full obituary → find the funeral home → open its website → verify the current service details.

Open today’s Kansas City Star obituaries Newly displayed newspaper notices, memoriams and funeral-home information. Browse all Kansas City Star recent obituaries Use publication dates, locations, funeral homes and other available filters.

The newspaper also has an obituary newsletter page with dated obituary updates.

How to Search Kansas City Star Obituaries by Name

The newspaper’s obituary-search page includes first-name and last-name fields and supports filters that help narrow results.

Full name known

Enter the person’s first and last name. Open likely notices and compare identifying details.

Only last name known

Use the surname first. Then narrow results using a city, funeral home or date.

Name has changed

Try a maiden name, married name, nickname, initials or another documented surname.

Search workflow

Open the Kansas City Star name-search page.
Enter first name and last name, or only the surname.
Search and review the results.
Use publication date, location or other available filters.
Open the complete obituary, not just the search excerpt.
Confirm the correct person before sharing the notice.

Search Kansas City Star obituaries by name Newspaper-specific search with first/last-name fields and filters.

Common-name tip: a search such as “John Smith Kansas City” is too broad. Try adding a known spouse, school, suburb, funeral home or approximate death year.

How to Make Sure You Found the Correct Person

Check	Why it helps	Warning sign
Age or birth year	Separates people with the same name.	Age differs significantly.
Relatives	Spouse, children and parents help confirm identity.	No expected family names match.
City and state	Distinguishes Kansas City, MO from Kansas City, KS and nearby areas.	Location conflicts with known history.
Death date	Separates recent deaths from older notices.	The result is from another year.
Funeral home	Provides a primary source for service arrangements.	Provider information appears unrelated.

Do not announce a death based only on a search result. Verify the full obituary and the person’s identity through the handling funeral home or another reliable first-party source.

Kansas City Area Obituaries: Search Both States

Obituaries in The Kansas City Star can cover families across the Kansas City metropolitan area. The newspaper’s geographic reach is wider than one county or state.

Missouri side

Kansas City, Missouri

Try Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Blue Springs, Liberty, Gladstone, North Kansas City, Parkville and nearby areas.

Useful county clues include Jackson, Clay and Platte counties.

Kansas side

Kansas City, Kansas

Try Kansas City, Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Merriam, Mission, Prairie Village and Leawood.

Useful county clues include Wyandotte and Johnson counties.

When a city search gives no result

Search the person’s hometown and last known residence separately.
Try the funeral home’s city if known.
Search the church or cemetery community.
Check both Kansas and Missouri for families near the state line.
Try the nearest regional newspaper if the Star has no notice.

Example: someone may have lived in Overland Park, died in Kansas City, Missouri, and had services in Lenexa. These are three different location clues; the place of death determines the vital-record state.

Verify Funeral, Visitation and Burial Information

A newspaper notice is a useful starting point, but service arrangements can change. The funeral home or family-authorized memorial is usually the better source for final details.

Visitation

Check the date, beginning and ending times, and whether visitation is public.

Funeral or memorial

Check the actual service venue. It may be a church, chapel or another location.

Burial or cremation

Check whether the family named a cemetery, cremation service or private committal.

Livestream

Use only a link supplied by the funeral home, church or authorized memorial.

Flowers and donations

Use the family-selected instructions. Verify any charity through its own website.

Parking and access

Call the provider about accessible entrances, parking, seating and current arrangements.

Before attending, confirm:

The person’s full name.
Exact service date and local time.
Whether the gathering is public or private.
Funeral venue and cemetery addresses separately.
Parking and accessibility needs.
Any announced changes.

How to Submit an Obituary to The Kansas City Star

The Kansas City Star’s obituary pages provide a submission route for families and funeral homes.

Prepare family-approved information. Include the name, age, city, obituary text and accurate service details.

Check photograph permissions. Use an image that the submitter has permission to publish.

Open the newspaper’s obituary section. Choose “Submit an Obituary” and follow the current publishing instructions.

Check pricing and deadlines. Confirm the publication cost, photo charge if applicable, and intended publication date before paying.

Proofread and save the confirmation. Check names, dates, addresses, survivors and donation links before final approval.

Kansas City Star obituary submission route Open the newspaper-specific page and select “Submit an Obituary.”

Publishing an obituary is different from registering a death. The funeral home or other responsible person handles death-registration requirements. Newspaper publication does not create a certified death record.

Can’t Find the Kansas City Star Obituary?

Search another name

Try the middle initial, nickname, maiden name, former surname or common abbreviation.

Widen the date range

The notice may appear days or weeks after the death, especially when arrangements are delayed.

Search the funeral home

Some families publish a notice only through their funeral provider rather than the newspaper.

Search an archive

For an older notice, start with Midwest Genealogy Center’s index and newspaper resources.

Not every death has a public obituary. Families may choose a private service, a delayed announcement or no published notice.

Find Older Kansas City Star Obituaries and Newspaper Death Notices

The Midwest Genealogy Center, part of the Mid-Continent Public Library system, has valuable local newspaper indexes and research assistance.

Archive source	Coverage	How to use it
Genealogy Quick Look	Selected Star and Kansas City Times obituary indexing, 1975–2006, with incomplete years.	Search a name and approximate date, then request the referenced record.
Kansas City Star full text	1880–current through listed library newspaper resources.	Check access requirements for eligible library-card users.
Kansas City Times	1921–1990 full text through listed library resources.	Search the surname and death period.
Newspaper microfilm	Historic Kansas City newspapers held by the genealogy center.	Contact staff for the appropriate date and edition.
Legacy obituary search	Kansas City Star notices from approximately 1998 onward, according to Midwest Genealogy Center.	Try the public obituary-search page first.

How to use the Midwest Genealogy Center index

Open the Genealogy Quick Look collection list.
Choose the Kansas City Star and Kansas City Times collection.
Search the person’s surname or full name.
Add an approximate year if known.
Open matching index entries.
Follow the center’s record-request instructions.

If an obituary is not indexed, the center says you may request help by emailing mgc@mymcpl.org with the person’s name and death date.

Midwest Genealogy Center — indexed collections Kansas City Star and Times obituary indexing, coverage notes and request information.

Missouri historical death certificates

Missouri State Archives has a searchable database of historical death certificates that are more than 50 years old. The current database includes certificates through 1975, with newer years added as records become eligible.

Search by name, year and county. Older death certificates can supply facts that help identify the correct person, but they are not the same thing as a newspaper obituary.

Missouri State Archives death-certificate database Historical certificate index and digitized record images.

Historical-search tip: try a surname with “died,” “funeral,” “services,” “interment,” or a spouse’s name. Older notices were not always filed under the word “obituary.”

Kansas City Death Certificates: Missouri vs. Kansas

Before ordering a certified certificate, determine which state recorded the death. The rules, fees and eligible requesters differ.

Missouri death

Kansas City, MO

Use Kansas City Missouri Health Department or the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Standard state/local fee: $14 first certified copy and $11 for each additional same-record copy ordered together.

Missouri instructions

Kansas death

Kansas City, KS

Use the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Office of Vital Statistics.

Standard fee: $20 per certified copy. Different ordering methods have extra processing charges.

Kansas instructions

Access rules matter. Recent certified death records are not unrestricted public documents in either state. Check the applicable relationship or legal-interest rules before submitting an application.

Official Missouri process

How to Get a Death Certificate in Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Missouri Health Department offers death-certificate services at its Vital Records office.

Method	Fee	What to know
In person	$14 first / $11 additional	Bring the required identification and record details.
Mail	$14 first / $11 additional	Use a notarized application, payment and self-addressed stamped envelope.
Online/phone	Higher total	VitalChek processing/service charges apply. Verify the final amount.

Kansas City Missouri Vital Records

Office of Vital Records
2400 Troost Avenue, Suite 1000
Kansas City, MO 64108
Phone: 816-513-6309

Published office hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., except holidays. Confirm before visiting.

Microsteps for requesting a Missouri death certificate

Check the death location. Confirm the death occurred in Missouri. The Kansas City office lists local death records from 1980 onward and statewide Missouri death records from 1910 onward.

Check eligibility. Missouri limits certified records to eligible relatives, representatives and other people with a recognized interest.

Prepare the record details. Use the deceased person’s full legal name, approximate or exact death date, and identifying information requested by the office.

Select in-person, mail or online/phone ordering. For mail orders, follow the office’s notarization instructions.

Check fees and save proof. Keep the application copy, payment receipt and order confirmation.

Kansas City Missouri official death-certificate instructions Office address, eligibility, forms, ordering methods and current charges. Missouri statewide Vital Records instructions Eligibility, application and state record-request methods.

Official Kansas process

How to Get a Death Certificate in Kansas City, Kansas

Kansas death certificates are issued through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Office of Vital Statistics. State death-certificate records begin July 1, 1911.

Kansas ordering method	Current listed cost	Processing guidance
Walk-in, Topeka	$20 each	Often about 15–20 minutes if the record is readily located.
Mail	$20 each	About 7–10 business days, depending on workload.
Online / VitalChek	$20 plus $15 expedited fee	Processing guidance generally 3–5 business days after receipt.
IKAN app	$20 plus $5 processing fee	Pickup or mailing options; one certified copy per order.

Kansas Office of Vital Statistics

1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 120
Topeka, KS 66612-2221
Phone: 785-296-1400

Published walk-in hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Kansas ordering steps

Confirm that the death occurred in Kansas.
Open the KDHE death-certificate page.
Check whether you qualify as an eligible requester.
Prepare ID and any required relationship or legal-interest documents.
Choose walk-in, mail, online, telephone or IKAN ordering.
Confirm fees, mailing details and required payment method.
Save the confirmation for follow-up.

Kansas official death-certificate ordering page Eligibility, application forms, fees, processing and contact details.

Helpful Kansas option: KDHE provides a process for families filing a death record without a funeral home. If that applies, use the instructions linked from the official death-certificate page.

Correcting an Obituary vs. Correcting a Death Certificate

Newspaper obituary correction

Contact the newspaper submission service or funeral home responsible for the notice. Provide the obituary URL, the exact incorrect wording and the family-approved replacement.

Certified death-record correction

Use the issuing state’s amendment process. An edit to a newspaper obituary does not change a government certificate.

Kansas advises family members who need corrections to contact the funeral home that originally filed the death certificate. Amendment procedures and costs depend on the timing and type of error.

Kansas official death-record correction instructions Who can request changes, timing restrictions and amendment fees.

For Missouri certificates, start with the Missouri Bureau of Vital Records and request instructions for the specific error.

Kansas City Cemetery and Veterans Burial Information

Use the cemetery named on the funeral-home memorial first. Never assume that an obituary automatically establishes a grave number or final burial location.

Missouri

Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Higginsville

20109 Business Highway 13
Higginsville, MO 64037

Phone: 660-362-6111

The cemetery includes traditional burial and cremation-niche options. Check eligibility and service arrangements with the Missouri Veterans Commission.

Official Higginsville cemetery

Kansas

Leavenworth National Cemetery

150 Muncie Road
Leavenworth, KS 66048

Phone: 913-727-1376

The VA cemetery has a grave-location kiosk that can produce a printed cemetery map for a person listed in its records.

Official Leavenworth cemetery

How to confirm the correct cemetery

Open the funeral-home memorial for the correct person.
Copy the cemetery name and community.
Open the cemetery’s own website or contact its office.
Check whether the burial was completed or is still scheduled.
Request grave-location assistance if visiting.
Confirm opening hours and decoration rules.

For Veterans: ask the funeral director about military funeral honors, cemetery eligibility, burial flags, grave markers and possible burial allowances. Requirements differ by program.

Local Benefits and Lower-Cost Help Worth Checking

Some costs can be reduced through public services or available benefits. These options have eligibility requirements; not every family qualifies.

Missouri local Vital Records access

Eligible Missouri death records can often be requested through local public-health offices. This may avoid travelling to Jefferson City.

Check local office service availability before visiting.

Missouri record offices

Kansas state ordering options

KDHE offers walk-in, mail, online and IKAN app routes. Comparing fees and pickup options may help avoid unnecessary expedited-delivery charges.

Compare Kansas methods

Historical Missouri research

Historical Missouri death certificates more than 50 years old are available through the State Archives. Many have searchable indexes and digitized images.

This research route is different from requesting a certified copy.

Search historical certificates

Veterans burial and memorial benefits

Eligible Veterans and families may qualify for burial in a veterans cemetery, military honors, grave markers, burial flags or other VA benefits.

Check discharge documentation and program eligibility early.

VA burial and memorial benefits

Other support to ask about

Employer or union death benefits.
Veterans burial allowances.
Life-insurance or prepaid funeral benefits.
County-level emergency or indigent burial assistance, where available.
Religious, charitable or community funeral assistance.
Social Security survivor benefits and possible one-time death payment.

Before relying on assistance: confirm eligibility, deadlines, required documents and the amount with the responsible agency. Avoid signing a funeral contract assuming a benefit will reimburse costs without confirmation.

Funeral Consumer Rights and Payment Safety

The FTC Funeral Rule provides consumer protections when purchasing funeral goods and services from covered funeral providers.

Ask prices by phone

Funeral providers covered by the rule must give price information by telephone when asked.

Request an itemized price list

When discussing arrangements in person, ask for the General Price List and keep it.

Compare individual services

You generally have a right to select individual goods and services instead of buying an unwanted package.

Use verified payment routes

Start on the provider’s official website. Confirm the deceased person’s name, account and amount before paying.

Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule Official funeral price and consumer-rights information.

How to check a funeral provider

On the Missouri side, use the state’s professional-registration resources to identify the appropriate funeral-director and embalmer licensing board. On the Kansas side, the Kansas Board of Mortuary Arts publishes funeral-establishment and licensee listings.

Kansas Board of Mortuary Arts license listings Published establishment, crematory and professional-license information.

After You Find the Obituary: Practical Next Steps

Save the notice

Keep the original obituary URL and a record of the publication date.

Confirm the service

Check the funeral home for any last-minute changes.

Order legal records

Use the Missouri or Kansas government office as required.

Contact Social Security

Ask the funeral director whether the death was reported. Contact SSA if reporting is unclear.

Review benefits

Check insurance, pensions, veterans programs and survivor eligibility.

Protect private information

Keep death certificates and account information out of public guestbooks.

For a more detailed process, see our death certificate and vital records guide.

Primary Sources and Official Links

Kansas City Star obituary listings Browse newspaper notices, dates and funeral homes. Kansas City Star name search Search the newspaper’s obituary collection by first and last name. Midwest Genealogy Center Historical newspaper coverage, indexes and record-request information. Kansas City Missouri Vital Records Local death-certificate ordering methods, prices and office information. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services State vital-record fees and service details. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Certified death certificates, eligibility, fees and amendment resources. Missouri State Archives Historical death-record access and research rules. Missouri Veterans Cemetery — Higginsville Veterans cemetery contact and interment information. Leavenworth National Cemetery VA cemetery location, grave-search help and burial information.

Kansas City Star Recent Obituaries: FAQs

Where can I find today’s Kansas City Star obituaries?

Open the Kansas City Star Today obituary page on Legacy. It displays recent notices and links to individual memorials. Check the publication date before relying on a result.

How do I search Kansas City Star obituaries by name?

Use the Kansas City Star obituary-search page. Enter the person’s first and last name, then narrow results by publication date, location or other available filters.

Are Kansas City Star obituaries available through Legacy?

Yes. The Kansas City Star has dedicated Today, Browse and Search obituary pages on Legacy.

Why can’t I find a recent Kansas City obituary?

The notice may be delayed, private, published only by a funeral home, listed under another surname, or connected to a nearby city. Try alternate names and a wider publication-date range.

How can I find older Kansas City Star obituaries?

Use Midwest Genealogy Center’s Genealogy Quick Look and historical Kansas City Star or Kansas City Times resources. Its Star/Times obituary index covers selected years from 1975 through 2006.

Does The Kansas City Star cover both Missouri and Kansas?

Yes. Its obituary listings can include people from the Kansas City metropolitan area on both sides of the state line.

How much is a Missouri death certificate?

Missouri currently lists $14 for the first certified death certificate and $11 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time. Online or expedited services may add fees.

How much is a Kansas death certificate?

Kansas currently lists $20 for each certified copy. Online, telephone and app ordering methods may include extra processing or expedited-service fees.

Can anyone order a recent Missouri or Kansas death certificate?

No. Both states have eligibility rules for certified vital records. Check the relationship or legal-interest requirements with the issuing office.

Is an obituary the same as a certified death certificate?

No. An obituary is a public memorial or announcement. A certified death certificate is an official record issued by the responsible government agency.

How do I confirm a funeral time?

Open the full obituary and identify the handling funeral home. Use the funeral home’s current memorial or call directly to confirm the time, venue and other service details.

Where can I find a Kansas City veteran’s grave?

Start with the obituary or funeral home, then use the appropriate cemetery’s official grave-location service. Leavenworth National Cemetery has a VA gravesite-location kiosk.

Can a family publish an obituary without a public funeral?

Yes. Families may choose private services, delayed arrangements, a memorial at a later date, or no public service.

How do I correct a Kansas City Star obituary?

Contact the newspaper obituary submission service or the funeral home that submitted the notice. Provide the obituary URL and the family-approved correction.

Before You Share, Travel or Pay

Confirm the full name and correct person.
Check the notice’s publication date.
Verify funeral details with the handling funeral home.
Determine whether the death occurred in Missouri or Kansas before ordering records.
Use official cemetery sources for grave-location questions.
Check funeral charges and available benefits before agreeing to payment.
Keep sensitive family and financial information private.

Independent guide: RecentObituaries.info does not publish The Kansas City Star’s obituary database, operate a funeral home or cemetery, or issue certified death records. Verify final information with the responsible newspaper, funeral home or government agency.