Kodiak Death Notices and Obituaries

Kodiak obituary records are available through several sources that together cover deaths from the late 1920s to the present. The Kodiak Daily Mirror is the main local paper and the primary place families publish death notices. AKGenWeb maintains a dedicated Kodiak Island page with indexed obituaries and death records compiled by volunteers. FamilySearch holds digitized records from Kodiak Precinct going back to 1927. For official certified death certificates, the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics issues copies for any death registered in the state. This page explains how to use each source and what you can expect to find.

Kodiak Daily Mirror Obituaries

The Kodiak Daily Mirror publishes obituaries for Kodiak Island residents and maintains an online archive. Families and funeral homes submit notices, and the paper posts them in its community section. You can browse recent entries or search by name on the Mirror's website.

Recent obituaries from the Mirror show the range of Kodiak residents covered. Peggy Dyson, known to the fishing fleet for her daily weather reports, died on October 7, 2024. Burdette "Jack" Joseph Lechner, 90, died on September 30, 2024 at his Kodiak home. Lita S. Ecklund, a lifelong Kodiak resident, died on July 22, 2024. Daria "Dora" Kewan Palmer was born on August 25, 1933 at Afognak Village and died on May 9, 2024 at Chugiak Senior Center. Marian James Johnson, 92, died on March 22; she was born on October 29, 1931 in Tacoma, Washington, and had lived in Kodiak since 1955. These examples show the kind of detail typically found in local obituary notices.

For older print obituaries, the Alaska State Library newspaper index at lam.alaska.gov points researchers to specific newspaper editions where Kodiak-area death notices appeared. Microfilm is available for in-person or remote research requests through the library's Alaska collection.

The Kodiak Daily Mirror obituary section is the main source for current and recent death notices on Kodiak Island. The site lists entries in reverse chronological order and includes full obituary text when submitted by families.

AKGenWeb Kodiak Death Records

The AKGenWeb Kodiak Island page is one of the most useful free resources for Kodiak genealogy research. It is maintained by volunteers and includes several indexed collections specific to the island. The site has separate alphabetical obituary indexes covering surnames A-M and N-Z, a death records index, and an index of probate records. These compilations pull from a range of sources including newspaper archives, court filings, and church records.

The AKGenWeb site is free to use and does not require registration. It is particularly strong for deaths that occurred in the mid-20th century, a gap period between the FamilySearch historical collections (which end around 1959) and the current digital newspaper archives. If you are researching a Kodiak family history and need records from the 1960s through the 1990s, the volunteer-compiled indexes here are a practical starting point.

The site also links to the broader Alaska genealogy network, which maintains similar indexes for other boroughs and regions. If a person lived in multiple parts of Alaska, you may need to check more than one regional AKGenWeb page.

Historical Kodiak Death Records

FamilySearch holds a digitized collection called "Kodiak Precinct Death Records, 1927-1959" drawn from records in the Alaska State Archives. This collection covers deaths registered in the Kodiak area during the territorial and early statehood period. It is searchable for free at FamilySearch.org. For deaths before 1927, church records may be the only surviving documentation.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America holds records from Alaska churches dating back to 1875. These include baptism, marriage, and burial records that predate formal government death registration. For Kodiak, which has a long history of Lutheran mission presence, these records may document deaths from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Contact the ELCA denominational archives for access information.

The Kodiak Historical Society and Baranov Museum maintain historical materials specific to Kodiak Island. Their holdings include photographs, documents, and family records that may supplement official government collections. For deaths tied to specific families, churches, or village communities on the island, museum staff may be able to point you to materials not found in state archives.

The Alaska State Archives holds the source records behind FamilySearch's Kodiak Precinct death collection and other territorial-era materials. Their collection guides outline what is available and how to request copies.

Note: U.S. Mortality Schedules from the federal census and WWII records (including U.S. Dead files) are also searchable through major genealogy databases and may contain Kodiak residents who died in that era.

Death Certificates for Kodiak Residents

Certified death certificates are issued by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics under the Alaska Department of Health. The certificate includes the full legal name of the deceased, date and place of death, cause of death, and the names of immediate family members listed at the time of filing. These are the official government records of death and are distinct from published obituaries.

Under Alaska Statute 18.50, death records are restricted for 50 years. Kodiak deaths before 1975 are now open to the public. For deaths after 1975, you need to show a direct family relationship or legal interest to get a copy. The fee is $30 for the first certified copy and $25 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

Request forms and instructions are at health.alaska.gov. In-person requests can be made at the walk-in office at 825 L Street in Anchorage. Mail requests go to the bureau's Juneau office. If you need guidance on who qualifies to receive a copy, the CDC also maintains a reference page at cdc.gov summarizing Alaska's rules in plain language.

The Alaska Department of Health vital records page covers the full process for ordering a Kodiak death certificate, including fees, required ID, and processing times.

Using Multiple Sources for Kodiak Research

Effective Kodiak obituary research often means using more than one database. Start with AKGenWeb for any 20th-century deaths. The site's indexes are sorted alphabetically and cover a wide range of sources not found elsewhere online. For the most recent deaths, go directly to the Kodiak Daily Mirror. For pre-1960 records, FamilySearch is the most practical digital tool.

If you need to confirm a date of death, verify a family relationship for legal purposes, or get a document that can be used in court or for an estate, only a certified death certificate from the Bureau of Vital Statistics will serve that need. Published obituaries and genealogical indexes are useful for research, but they are not legal documents.

The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) is another resource for Kodiak deaths from roughly the 1960s onward. It lists name, Social Security number, birth and death dates, and the state where benefits were being paid. It is searchable through several genealogy platforms and covers a significant portion of adult deaths in the U.S. It does not include deaths before Social Security was widely adopted, and some records are missing or incomplete.

Nearby Areas

Kodiak is the main city on Kodiak Island. Other communities on the island are smaller villages and do not have qualifying city pages in this directory. For island-wide records, see the borough link below.