Please submit comments, questions, corrections, or additions to info@lbgoodall.org or call us at (207) 324-4714 and ask for the Reference Department.
What is in the index?
Records of 67,176 obituaries from newspapers published in Sanford and Springvale (York county) Maine since the 1890's.
This site will tell you if an obituary exists for an individual and where to find it in our newspaper archive. Each record in the database contains Name, Age, Newspaper, Publication Date, and Page Number. Full-text obituaries are NOT available for reading online.
This index is maintained by the staff of Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library. Indexing of obituaries is an ongoing project, with new records added monthly.
What newspapers are indexed?
| Newspaper | Library Has | Indexed Here? |
|---|---|---|
| Journal Tribune | 1977-present: microfilm (originals of last two years) | Yes |
| Sanford Star | 1977-78: originals | Yes (†) |
| Sanford Tribune & Advocate | 1925-77: microfilm | Yes |
| Sanford Tribune | 1900-24: microfilm | Yes (incomplete) |
| Springvale Advocate | 1883-85, 1887-95, 1908-09, 1911-12: originals | 1889-91 only |
(†) Sanford Star obituaries have been indexed only if not appearing in the Journal Tribune.
What newspapers are not indexed?
| Newspaper | Library Has | Indexed Here? |
|---|---|---|
| Sanford News | 1980-present: microfilm (originals of last two years) | No (†) |
| Sanford Weekly Ledger | 1893-94: originals | No |
| Sanford Siftings | 1888-89: originals | No |
| Sanford Herald | 1884-85: originals | No |
| York County Advocate | 1882-83: originals | No |
| Sanford Weekly News | 1880-83: originals | No |
| Springvale Reporter | 1876-79: originals | No |
(†) Sanford News obituaries are almost always duplicated in the Journal Tribune. So a comprehensive indexing of Sanford News obits has not been undertaken and is not planned. We will index Sanford News obits whenever we are made aware of one not in the Journal Tribune. These are usually brought to our attention by individual researchers.
How do to I obtain a copy of an obituary?
SELF SERVICE: The library has a microfilm reader for public use. Print-outs are 25 cents per page. See our homepage for hours and location.
LIBRARIAN ASSISTED: Library staff will look up an obituary for you. We can mail you a printed copy, or send a scan to your email address.
Our fee for this service is $5.00 for up to three obituaries, plus $1.00 for each additional obituary as part of the same request. (The fee is the same for either method: email or regular mail.)
Payment may be sent by check, payable to:
Goodall Memorial Library
952 Main St
Sanford ME 04073
or through our Paypal account:
Submit details of your request to info@lbgoodall.org, or call (207) 324-4714 and ask for the Reference Department.
Are there other genealogy sources for Sanford and Springvale?
- Carll-Heald and Black Funeral Home, Springvale - Obituary listing.
- LaFrance-Lambert and Black Funeral Home, Sanford - Obituary listing.
- Sanford-Springvale Historical Society - Town archive.
- Springvale Library - Extensive genealogy collection.
- Maine State Archives, Death Index - Deaths from 1960 to the present.
- Cyndi's List of genealogy links for York County Maine.
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland - Cemetery index for Saint Ignatius (Sanford) and Notre Dame (Springvale).
- Search Oakdale Cemetery (Sanford) at
Maine Newsstand site on MARVEL! has full text search (including obituaries) on the following newspapers:
- Bangor Daily News, 1993-present
- Kennebec Journal (Augusta), 2005-present
- Maine Times (Portland), 1994-2002
- Morning Sentinel (Waterville), 2005-present
- Portland Press Herald, 1995-present
- Sun Journal (Lewiston) 2006-present
If you are a Maine resident you can create an account on MARVEL! If you are outside Maine, contact us for assistance.