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 Star-Gazette Obituaries, Funeral Notices & Local Records
Looking for Star-Gazette recent obituaries? Start with the newspaper’s current obituary section or the Elmira-area obituary directory, then use the handling funeral home to confirm visitation, funeral, cemetery and other time-sensitive details. For legal proof of death, use Chemung County or New York State Vital Records.
Quick Answer: Where Should You Start?
Recent Star-Gazette notice
Open the Star-Gazette obituary section or Elmira-area current-obituary page and search the person’s name.
Funeral details
Use the handling funeral home’s memorial to confirm service time, address, burial and family instructions.
Older obituary
Use Steele Memorial Library, Chemung County Library District and historic newspaper collections.
Certified death record
Use Chemung County Vital Records when the death occurred in Chemung County.
Where to Find Star-Gazette Recent Obituaries
The current Elmira obituary directory includes Star-Gazette as one of the local newspaper groups and lets visitors search by keyword, publication date, funeral home and other filters.
Star-Gazette obituary section
Use the newspaper obituary section when you specifically want notices associated with the Star-Gazette.
Elmira-area recent obituaries
Use the wider Elmira page when you are unsure whether a notice appeared in the Star-Gazette, another publication or only through a funeral home.
Funeral-home memorial
Once you know which funeral home is handling the arrangements, use its memorial page for the most practical service details.
How to Search Star-Gazette Obituaries by Name
For broader techniques, see our obituary search and recent notices guide.
Get Star-Gazette Obituaries by Email
Star-Gazette currently lists a dedicated Star-Gazette Obituaries newsletter described as delivering the area’s most recent obituaries to your inbox.
Confirm the Correct Person Before Sharing the Notice
| Check | Why it matters | Pause when… |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Similar names may appear across the Southern Tier. | Middle name, nickname or surname differs. |
| Age / dates | Separates a current notice from an older memorial. | Age or dates clearly do not match. |
| Relatives | Family names provide strong identity clues. | No close relatives match. |
| Community | The person may have ties to Elmira, Horseheads, Corning, Watkins Glen or Pennsylvania. | The notice belongs to an unrelated region. |
| Funeral home | The handling funeral home is a strong confirmation point. | The provider does not match the family’s information. |
| Publisher | Elmira-area listings can contain notices from multiple sources. | You specifically need the Star-Gazette but a different newspaper is identified. |
Verify Funeral, Visitation & Burial Information
Time
Calling hours, funeral, memorial and burial can take place at separate times.
Address
The funeral home, church and cemetery may all have different addresses.
Public or private
Do not assume every event is public. Check the wording on the memorial.
Livestream
Use only a stream linked by the funeral home, place of worship or authorized memorial.
Flowers or donations
Follow current family instructions rather than an old search result.
Conflicting information
Call the handling funeral home if two reliable pages disagree.
How to Submit an Obituary to the Star-Gazette
The Star-Gazette Help Center provides a dedicated Place an obituary route under Ads & Announcements.
Prepare before opening the submission form
- Full legal and preferred name of the deceased.
- Age and local community.
- Approved obituary text.
- Photo you have permission to publish.
- Funeral, visitation and burial details.
- Handling funeral-home information.
- Family-approved flower or charity instructions.
- Billing contact information.
How to Get a Chemung County Death Certificate
For a death that occurred in Chemung County, the County Vital Records office provides certified death certificates to eligible applicants.
| Chemung County record | Current fee | Current guidance |
|---|---|---|
| First certified death certificate | $20 | Issued when the applicant and record meet County requirements. |
| Additional same record | $10 each | Applies when ordered at the same time. |
| Genealogy birth/death record | $25 each | Separate genealogy rules and eligibility apply. |
Who can request a certified death certificate?
Chemung County currently lists eligible applicants including:
- Spouse of the deceased.
- Parent of the deceased.
- Sibling of the deceased.
- Child of the deceased.
- Lawful representative of an eligible close family member.
- Person with a New York State court order.
- Government agency with an official need.
- Person with documented legal or medical entitlement.
What to prepare
- Full name as it appears on the death record.
- Full date of death.
- Mother’s maiden name when known.
- Father’s full name when known.
- Your name and mailing address.
- Phone number and signature.
- Qualifying identification or notarized signature.
- Proof of relationship when required.
- Legal-entitlement documents when applicable.
Chemung County Vital Records
103 Washington Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: 607-737-2018
Email: Vitalrecords@chemungcountyny.gov
Telephone guidance is currently listed Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
When to Use New York State Vital Records
New York State Vital Records is another official route for qualifying New York death records outside New York City.
| State order method | Current fee | Current processing guidance |
|---|---|---|
| $30 per copy | Regular handling is currently listed at about 10–12 weeks from receipt. | |
| Online / phone | $45 per copy + vendor fee | Priority handling is currently listed at about 5–10 business days after receipt, plus delivery. |
How to Find Older Star-Gazette Obituaries
Steele Memorial Library and the Chemung County Library District provide unusually strong local newspaper resources for Elmira obituary research.
Historical Newspapers: Star-Gazette from 1891
The Chemung County Library District’s Historical Newspapers collection includes searchable Elmira Star-Gazette material beginning in 1891.
Local newspapers from 1835-present
Steele Memorial Library’s genealogy collection includes local newspapers on microfilm dating from 1835 to the present.
Local obituary indexing
Library staff indexed local newspaper obituaries in a card catalog through about 1996 and continued later indexing through the STARCAT catalog.
Elmira city directories
Historic city directories can help confirm address, occupation and family information before searching the newspaper.
Cemetery records
The genealogy collection includes many Chemung County cemetery resources and local death records abstracted from newspapers.
New York State Newspaper Project
The State Library catalog identifies Star-Gazette microfilm holdings at Steele Memorial Library and other repositories.
Simple older-obituary workflow
Genealogy Death Records in Chemung County
Chemung County provides a separate genealogy request process. Current County guidance says a death record can generally be issued for genealogy purposes when the death occurred more than 50 years ago, with certain exceptions for direct-line descendants who provide required proof.
Current Chemung County genealogy fee
$25 per birth or death record requested.
Chemung County Historical Society Research Help
The Chemung County Historical Society links researchers to Steele Memorial Library’s obituary and birth index, county vital records and New York State newspaper resources.
Chemung County Historical Society
415 E. Water Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: 607-734-4167
The research room is currently listed Monday–Friday, 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. The published research-room fee is $5 per day for non-members and free for members and students.
Verify a New York Funeral Home or Funeral Director
The New York State Department of Health Bureau of Funeral Directing regulates funeral firms and funeral directors and publishes active-registration information.
Funeral Price Rights Before You Agree to Pay
Ask for price information
Request funeral prices before choosing services. Comparing providers can prevent unexpected costs.
Get the General Price List
When discussing arrangements in person, ask for the written price list and keep it.
Choose the services you want
Federal funeral rules generally allow consumers to select individual goods and services instead of an unwanted package.
Separate third-party charges
Ask which costs are for the funeral home and which belong to the cemetery, newspaper, clergy, crematory or another provider.
If the Person Was a Veteran
Chemung County Department of Veterans Affairs assists Veterans, dependents and surviving spouses with federal, state and local benefits. The County states that its services are provided without charge.
Find the DD-214
Locate discharge paperwork early because it is commonly needed for cemetery and military-honors eligibility.
Ask about burial benefits
Benefits may include national-cemetery burial, military honors, burial flag, marker or other assistance depending on eligibility.
Use local benefit counseling
Chemung County Veterans Affairs can help families identify and apply for benefits for which they may qualify.
Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira
Woodlawn National Cemetery is located in Chemung County in Elmira, beside Woodlawn City Cemetery. It is a key local burial resource for eligible Veterans and qualifying family members.
Woodlawn National Cemetery
Elmira, NY
Located next to Woodlawn City Cemetery
For burial scheduling, the VA directs families or funeral directors to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117.
Burial scheduling microsteps
Flowers, Donations, Guestbooks & Livestream Safety
Flowers
Use the handling funeral home or the family-authorized obituary and confirm the correct person first.
Memorial donations
If a charity is named, open that charity’s official website directly before entering payment information.
Guestbooks
Assume condolence messages are public. Avoid private addresses, financial data, medical information and family disputes.
Livestreams
Use only a stream linked by the funeral home, place of worship or family-authorized memorial.
After You Find the Obituary
Save both links
Keep the Star-Gazette notice and funeral-home memorial separately.
Write down every address
Keep funeral home, church, cemetery and reception locations separate.
Death certificates
Ask banks, insurers and estate professionals how many certified copies they actually need.
Social Security
Ask the funeral home whether it has already reported the death before duplicating that step.
Veteran benefits
Keep DD-214, funeral invoices, death certificates and cemetery information together.
Keep a contact log
Record each organization, date, person spoken with, requested document and confirmation number.
Common Star-Gazette Obituary Search Mistakes
Opening Cass County Star Gazette
The Cass County Star Gazette in Illinois is a different newspaper. Add “Elmira NY” to your search.
Searching only the date of death
The obituary may be published several days later. Widen the date window.
Ignoring nearby communities
An Elmira-area family may use a Horseheads, Corning, Watkins Glen or Pennsylvania funeral home.
Using an obituary as legal proof
Use Chemung County or New York State Vital Records when a certified record is required.
Assuming service information never changes
Recheck with the handling funeral home shortly before travelling.
Skipping local archives
For older deaths, Steele Memorial Library can be more useful than repeated open-web searches.
Related RecentObituaries.info Guides
Obituary Search & Recent Notices Guide
Search by name, location, newspaper, funeral home, cemetery and date.
Death Certificate & Vital Records Guide
Know when an obituary is not enough for legal or financial use.
After-Death Notification Checklist
Organize Social Security, banks, insurance, mail, records and fraud-prevention tasks.
Primary & Official Sources Used
Star-Gazette — Obituaries Publisher obituary section for Elmira and the Southern Tier. Star-Gazette — Obituary Newsletter Current email-alert option for recent Star-Gazette obituaries. Star-Gazette — Obituary Placement Current publisher route for placing an obituary or announcement. Elmira Area Obituaries Current local search by keyword, date, newspaper and funeral home. Chemung County — Death Certificates Eligibility, ordering methods, documentation and processing guidance. Chemung County — Vital Record Fees Current $20 first death certificate and $10 additional-copy fee. New York State — Death Certificates Statewide ordering fees, methods and correction information. Chemung County Library District — Genealogy Collection Local newspapers from 1835-present, city directories, cemetery material and vital-statistics indexes. Chemung County Historical Society Local obituary, newspaper, genealogy and archival research links. New York Bureau of Funeral Directing Funeral-firm regulation, funeral-director registration and consumer guidance. VA — Woodlawn National Cemetery Elmira-area national cemetery eligibility, scheduling and military-honors guidance.Star-Gazette Recent Obituaries FAQs
Which Star-Gazette does this page cover?
This guide covers the Star-Gazette serving Elmira, New York and the surrounding Southern Tier. It does not cover the Cass County Star Gazette in Illinois.
Where can I find Star-Gazette recent obituaries?
Start with the Star-Gazette obituary section or the current Elmira-area obituary page. Use the individual memorial and handling funeral home to confirm service details.
Can I get Star-Gazette obituary alerts by email?
Yes. Star-Gazette currently lists a dedicated obituary newsletter that delivers recent area obituaries to subscribers.
How do I search a Star-Gazette obituary by name?
Search the full name first, then add Elmira NY or Star-Gazette. If needed, try surname only, a nearby town, spouse, funeral home or cemetery.
Why can’t I find a recent obituary?
The obituary may not have been published yet, may appear only on a funeral-home site, may use another name form or may have been published through a different local source. Some families choose no public obituary.
How do I submit an obituary to the Star-Gazette?
Use the Star-Gazette Help Center’s Ads & Announcements section and choose the current Place an obituary route. Review the publication date, price and final proof before submitting.
What is the Star-Gazette customer-service number?
The current Star-Gazette Help Center lists 1-866-254-0173.
How much is a Chemung County death certificate?
Chemung County currently charges $20 for the first certified death certificate and $10 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.
How quickly does Chemung County process death certificates?
The County currently states that routine complete and eligible requests are generally processed and mailed within 2–4 business days.
Who can request a Chemung County death certificate?
Eligible applicants include certain close family members, lawful representatives, people with a qualifying New York court order, government agencies and people who can document a legal or medical entitlement.
How much is a New York State death certificate?
New York State currently charges $30 per copy for mail orders and $45 per copy for online or telephone orders, plus the online vendor processing charge.
Where can I find old Star-Gazette obituaries?
Use the Chemung County Library District and Steele Memorial Library. Their collections include Elmira Star-Gazette material beginning in 1891, local newspaper microfilm and obituary indexes.
How far back do Steele Memorial Library newspapers go?
The library’s genealogy collection lists local newspapers on microfilm from 1835 to the present.
Does Chemung County offer genealogy death records?
Yes. The County has a separate genealogy request service. Death records generally become available for genealogy research after 50 years, subject to the County’s rules and exceptions.
How do I verify a New York funeral director?
Use the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Funeral Directing and its active-registration reports.
Is Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira?
Yes. Woodlawn National Cemetery is in Chemung County in Elmira, next to Woodlawn City Cemetery. Eligible families arrange burial through the VA National Cemetery Scheduling Office.
Is an obituary the same as a death certificate?
No. An obituary is a public memorial or death notice. A certified death certificate is an official government record used for legal, financial and administrative purposes.
Before You Share, Travel or Pay
- Make sure you are using the Elmira, New York Star-Gazette.
- Match the person using name, dates, relatives and location.
- Use the handling funeral home for current service details.
- Recheck funeral and burial information shortly before travelling.
- Use Chemung County or New York State for certified death records.
- Use Steele Memorial Library and local archives for older obituary research.
- Verify New York funeral professionals through the state regulator when needed.
- Check Veteran benefits and Woodlawn National Cemetery 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 Star-Gazette, Gannett, Legacy, Chemung County, New York State, a funeral home, library or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Verify final service, record, payment and benefit information with the organization responsible for it.