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 Standard-Times Recent Obituaries, Funeral Notices & Local Records
Looking for recent Standard-Times obituaries in New Bedford or the SouthCoast? Start with the current Standard-Times obituary route, then verify funeral details through the handling funeral home. If you need legal proof of death, use the New Bedford City Clerk, the clerk for the town where the death occurred, or Massachusetts Vital Records.
Quick Answer: Where Should You Start?
Recent Standard-Times notice
Use the Standard-Times / SouthCoastToday obituary route and search the person’s name.
New Bedford-wide search
Use the New Bedford obituary page and filter the newspaper to Standard-Times when needed.
Funeral details
Use the funeral-home memorial to confirm visitation, service, cemetery and livestream information.
Certified record
Use New Bedford City Clerk or Massachusetts Vital Records when legal proof of death is required.
Where to Find Standard-Times Recent Obituaries
Recent Standard-Times notices are available through the SouthCoastToday / Legacy obituary system. If the newspaper-specific page is difficult to locate, the New Bedford obituary page can also be filtered to Standard-Times under Newspapers.
Standard-Times newspaper route
Use the newspaper-specific obituary page to browse notices associated with The Standard-Times.
New Bedford local route
Use the broader New Bedford obituary page when you are unsure whether the notice appeared in Standard-Times or only through a funeral home.
How to Search Standard-Times Obituaries by Name
For more techniques, use our obituary search and recent notices guide.
Get Standard-Times Obituaries by Email
The current New Bedford Standard-Times newsletter page includes a daily The Standard-Times Obituaries email described as the area’s most recent obituaries.
Nearby Communities to Add to a Standard-Times Search
New Bedford
Start here when the person lived or died in the city.
Dartmouth
Use Dartmouth as a location clue when New Bedford produces too many results.
Fairhaven
Many New Bedford-area families, funeral homes and cemeteries have Fairhaven connections.
Acushnet
Add Acushnet for long-time SouthCoast residents and family searches.
Mattapoisett
Useful for coastal SouthCoast obituary and funeral-home searches.
Westport
Search Westport when the person had Bristol County connections outside New Bedford.
Wareham
Some SouthCoast families have Plymouth County and Wareham ties.
Fall River
Widen to Fall River when a family or funeral provider has broader Bristol County connections.
Confirm the Correct Person Before Sharing the Notice
| Check | Why it helps | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Common Portuguese, Cape Verdean and regional surnames can produce multiple local results. | Middle, maiden or family name does not match. |
| Age | Separates people with the same name. | Age or birth year is clearly different. |
| Relatives | Family names provide strong identity confirmation. | No close relatives match. |
| Town | SouthCoast notices can reference several nearby communities. | There is no known local connection. |
| Funeral home | The funeral provider gives a first-party service-information route. | The provider is unrelated to the family or region. |
Verify Funeral and Cemetery Details Before Travelling
Time
Calling hours, funeral Mass, memorial service and burial may have separate times.
Address
The funeral home, church, cemetery and reception can all be different locations.
Public or private
Read the obituary wording before assuming every event is open to the public.
Livestream
Use only a stream supplied by the funeral home, church or family-authorized memorial.
Cemetery
Copy the complete cemetery name and town before travelling.
Changes
Call if the service is soon, weather is poor or two reliable listings disagree.
How to Submit an Obituary to The Standard-Times
The current Legacy placement page for The Standard-Times in New Bedford allows families to create an obituary for local publication and an online memorial.
How to Get a New Bedford Death Certificate
New Bedford City Clerk provides certified death certificates through its vital-record ordering system.
Current local certificate fee
The City’s online portal currently lists $20 per certified death certificate.
Online-order fee
The online system currently adds a $5 non-refundable service and credit-card processing fee per order.
New Bedford City Clerk
City Hall
133 William St.
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: 508-979-1450
Online ordering microsteps
New Bedford City Clerk vs. Massachusetts Vital Records
| Route | Current fee | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| New Bedford online | $20 certificate + $5 online service/card fee | A qualifying record is available through New Bedford City Clerk. |
| Massachusetts in person | $20 per copy | You can visit the state Registry in Dorchester. |
| Massachusetts mail | $32 per copy | You want a state-level mail search. |
| Massachusetts online / phone | $54 first copy / $42 additional | You prefer the state’s online or telephone vendor route. |
How to Find Older Standard-Times Obituaries
For older New Bedford notices, use the library and newspaper archive routes rather than repeatedly searching the open web.
New Bedford Free Public Library
The Main Library has extensive local-history and genealogy holdings and can help researchers locate older New Bedford newspaper material.
Standard-Times obituary index
The library has maintained a Standard-Times obituary index beginning with 1968-era material, making it especially useful for family-history searches.
Modern digital archive
Commercial archive databases currently index Standard Times obituary material from 2015 onward.
Historic Massachusetts newspapers
Boston Public Library and Digital Commonwealth resources can help with much older New Bedford newspaper research.
New Bedford Free Public Library
613 Pleasant Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Main phone: 508-991-6275
Better search workflow for an old obituary
- Write the full name and possible alternate spellings.
- Estimate the death year.
- Add New Bedford, Fairhaven, Dartmouth or the correct town.
- Search the Standard-Times archive or obituary index.
- Add spouse, parent, church, funeral home or cemetery when the surname is common.
- Ask library reference staff for help when the notice is only on microfilm or an index.
If the Obituary Is Missing
Try the funeral home
Some families publish a funeral-home memorial without buying a newspaper obituary.
Try a nearby town
The person may have lived in New Bedford but had family, services or residence in Fairhaven, Dartmouth or another town.
Widen the date
Obituaries can be published days or weeks after the death.
Try maiden name
Search both married and earlier surnames.
Search Standard-Times and Legacy
Different indexes can surface different versions of the same notice.
Remember privacy
Not every family chooses to publish an obituary.
Verify a Massachusetts Funeral Home or Funeral Director
The Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure provides a free public license-check system that includes embalming and funeral directing.
Funeral and Burial Payment Help
Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance may help pay part of a funeral and burial when a Massachusetts resident dies without enough available resources.
Current maximum assistance
Eligible applicants may receive up to $1,100 toward an outstanding funeral or burial balance.
Current total-cost limit
To qualify under the current rules, total funeral, cremation and burial costs generally cannot exceed $3,500.
How to apply
DTA Burial Unit: 617-348-8420, Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
If the Person Was a Veteran
New Bedford Veterans Services
New Bedford’s Veterans Services department helps Veterans and eligible dependents with local, state and federal benefits.
181 Hillman Street, Building 3
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-991-6184
Massachusetts Veterans cemeteries
Eligible Veterans can currently be interred at the state Veterans cemeteries at no charge.
Spouse and dependent fees
Current state cemetery fees are $300 for full-casket burial and $150 for cremation interment for qualifying spouses or dependents.
Documents to locate early
- DD-214 or other military discharge paperwork.
- Driver’s license, state ID or birth certificate.
- Marriage certificate when applicable.
- Burial permit or cremation certificate when required.
- Funeral and cemetery invoices for benefit claims.
Funeral Consumer Rights Before You Pay
Massachusetts publishes funeral-consumer guidance and recommends confirming that you are dealing with a licensed funeral director or establishment before making arrangements.
Check the license
Use the Massachusetts occupational-license search before relying on an unfamiliar funeral business.
Ask for itemized prices
Federal Funeral Rule protections allow consumers to compare and choose funeral goods and services.
Separate third-party charges
Cemetery, obituary, flowers, clergy, death certificates and crematory charges can be separate.
Keep documents
Save contracts, General Price Lists, receipts, insurance assignments and prepaid-funeral paperwork.
Flowers, Donations, Guestbooks and Livestream Safety
Flowers
Verify the correct person and service location before ordering.
Memorial donations
Open the charity’s official website rather than paying through an unfamiliar copied link.
Guestbook
Assume messages are public. Avoid private medical, financial and family information.
Livestream
Use only the funeral home, church or family-authorized stream.
Obituary Correction vs. Death Certificate Correction
Contact the obituary publisher
Use the Standard-Times order account, Legacy placement support or the submitting funeral home to request an obituary correction.
Use the vital-record amendment process
Changing a newspaper obituary does not change the Massachusetts death certificate.
After You Find the Obituary
Save the notice
Keep the Standard-Times notice and funeral-home memorial links separately.
Ask about Social Security
Ask the funeral home whether it reported the death to SSA.
Order only needed certificates
Ask banks, insurers and estate professionals how many certified copies they require.
Check DTA assistance
Ask about Massachusetts funeral assistance early when resources are limited.
Check Veteran benefits
Locate DD-214, funeral invoices and cemetery information.
Keep a contact log
Record calls, confirmation numbers, applications and documents submitted.
Common Standard-Times Obituary Search Mistakes
Searching one site only
Check both Standard-Times and the handling funeral home.
Ignoring nearby towns
SouthCoast families often have New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven and Acushnet connections.
Using only one surname
Try maiden names, previous surnames and nicknames.
Assuming publication date equals death date
A notice may be published several days later.
Ordering from the wrong clerk
Use the municipality that holds the death record, not automatically New Bedford.
Confusing obituary with legal proof
A newspaper notice is not a certified death certificate.
Related RecentObituaries.info Guides
Obituary Search & Recent Notices Guide
Search by name, newspaper, funeral home, city, cemetery and date.
Death Certificate & Vital Records Guide
Know when a certified record is needed instead of an obituary.
Funeral Costs & Consumer Rights
Compare services, prices and federal consumer protections.
Veterans Burial & Memorial Benefits
Review cemetery, burial, marker and memorial benefit routes.
After-Death Notification Checklist
Organize Social Security, insurance, banks, mail and records.
Primary and Official Sources
Standard-Times / SouthCoastToday Obituaries Current newspaper obituary browse route. New Bedford Area Obituaries Broader local search with Standard-Times and funeral-home filters. Standard-Times Obituary Newsletter Daily email option for recent area obituaries. Standard-Times Obituary Placement Current submission route and live pricing. New Bedford City Clerk — Vital Records Certified death certificate ordering, current fee and delivery information. Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records State certificate ordering methods, fees and processing information. New Bedford Free Public Library Local-history, genealogy and historical newspaper research. Massachusetts Occupational License Lookup Funeral director and funeral establishment verification. Massachusetts Funeral & Burial Assistance DTA eligibility, application and payment information. Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemeteries Veteran burial eligibility, fees, locations and scheduling.Standard-Times Recent Obituaries FAQs
Where can I find recent Standard-Times obituaries?
Use the Standard-Times / SouthCoastToday obituary route and the New Bedford local obituary page. Open the full notice and verify current service details with the handling funeral home.
Is The Standard-Times the New Bedford newspaper?
Yes. The Standard-Times serves New Bedford and the surrounding SouthCoast Massachusetts area and is associated online with SouthCoastToday.
How do I search a Standard-Times obituary by name?
Search the full name first. If needed, try surname only, maiden name, nickname, middle initial, spouse, funeral home or a nearby SouthCoast town.
Can I receive Standard-Times obituaries by email?
Yes. The current Standard-Times newsletter page includes a daily The Standard-Times Obituaries email for recent area notices.
How much does it cost to place a Standard-Times obituary?
The current Legacy placement page displayed a starting price of $135 when this guide was reviewed. Final cost can vary with length, photos and publication selections.
How much is a New Bedford death certificate?
The New Bedford City Clerk online portal currently lists $20 per certified death certificate plus a $5 non-refundable online service and credit-card processing fee.
How much is a Massachusetts state death certificate?
Massachusetts currently lists $20 per copy in person, $32 per copy by standard mail and $54 for the first standard online or telephone copy, with $42 for each additional copy in the same online or telephone order.
Is the local New Bedford route cheaper than the state online route?
It can be. When the correct record is available through New Bedford City Clerk, the local certified-copy fee and online service fee can be lower than the Massachusetts statewide online or telephone route.
Where can I find older Standard-Times obituaries?
Use New Bedford Free Public Library local-history and genealogy resources, historical newspaper archives and Standard Times obituary databases. Library reference staff can help with older indexed or microfilmed notices.
Why can’t I find the obituary?
The family may have used only a funeral-home memorial, another newspaper, a different surname or no public obituary. Widen the date range and check nearby SouthCoast towns.
How can I verify a Massachusetts funeral home or funeral director?
Use the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Licensure public license-search system and choose Embalming and Funeral Directing.
Does Massachusetts help with funeral costs?
Massachusetts DTA may provide up to $1,100 toward an eligible outstanding funeral or burial balance when current program requirements are met and total funeral, cremation and burial costs do not exceed $3,500.
Is funeral assistance automatic for someone who received MassHealth or SNAP?
No. Massachusetts states that public-benefit participation does not automatically make a funeral eligible. An application and resource review are required.
What should a Veteran’s family in New Bedford check?
Contact New Bedford Veterans Services, locate the DD-214 and review Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery eligibility and federal VA benefits.
How much does Massachusetts charge for Veteran burial at a state Veterans cemetery?
Eligible Veterans currently have no charge for initial burial. Current spouse and dependent fees are $300 for full-casket burial and $150 for cremation interment.
Is a Standard-Times obituary a certified death record?
No. A newspaper obituary is a public notice or memorial. Banks, insurers, courts and government agencies may require a certified death certificate from the correct city, town or Massachusetts Vital Records.
Does changing a newspaper obituary change the death certificate?
No. Obituary corrections and government vital-record amendments are separate processes.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Start with the Standard-Times / SouthCoastToday obituary route.
- Confirm the person using name, age, relatives, town and funeral home.
- Use the funeral-home memorial for final service information.
- Check New Bedford City Clerk only when it is the correct local record office.
- Compare local and Massachusetts state certificate fees before ordering.
- Use New Bedford Free Public Library for older obituary research.
- Verify funeral professionals through Massachusetts licensing when needed.
- Check DTA funeral assistance before assuming no financial help exists.
- Check Veteran cemetery and burial benefits when military service applies.
- Keep private medical, financial and family information out of public guestbooks.
RecentObituaries.info is an independent source-navigation guide. It is not The Standard-Times, SouthCoastToday, Legacy, the City of New Bedford, Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records, a funeral home, library, cemetery or government benefits office. Verify final notice, service, record, price and eligibility information with the responsible organization.