Obituary Index Meets the 21st Century

Online ordering using VISA™ or MasterCard™ is now available to the Stevens Point Area Obituary Index. The Index covers issues of the Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Stevens Point Weekly Journal (1872 - 1920),  Stevens Point Daily Journal (1895 - 1980),  Stevens Point Journal (1981-), Stevens Point Gazette (variously titled the Portage County Gazette and The Gazette, 1878 - 1923), and the Portage County Gazette (1999-).  The Index, a joint project of the UWSP University Archives, the Portage County Public Library, and the Stevens Point Area Genealogical Society, is one of the largest and most popular online obituary indexes in the country.

One of the first major obituary indexes in the country to take advantage of the new online technology offered by the Internet, the Index has been available on the Web since 1997, and began offering full text obituaries in 1999.  The move to a more efficient, high-tech ordering service was necessitated by the enormous popularity of the Index.  The site receives between 40-50 visitors on a daily basis, each visitor spending almost 3 minutes at the site.  Because of limited staffing, the new features will streamline processes and reduce costs, all resulting in faster and better service. Those who cannot order and pay online will still have the benefit of using the database and submitting their orders using the online form with a check enclosed.  And for those thousands of obituaries that are available as full-text online, there is no charge at all!

The Stevens Point Area Obituary Index is linked from hundreds of national and regional genealogy and historical Web sites, and a Google (or other major search engine) search on the title will instantly bring up the service.  The Web address is http://library.uwsp.edu/obits/.