Discover a rich collection of Obituary records, Yearbooks, and the History of Mossville—perfect for genealogical research, historical exploration, or simply connecting with the past.
Obituaries are valuable resources for genealogical research, local history, and family records, offering insights into people's lives and enriching family narratives. Your public library provides access to local newspaper obituaries and a comprehensive obituary index to assist with your research. Choose an option below to start your search. For assistance, please contact the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Library at (337) 721-7110 or complete this online form. The library is open Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 6 PM, and on the third Saturday of each month.
Search for the deceased by surname, first name, middle name, and date of death using the search form. With the advanced search option, you can also search by cause of death, date of birth, and more.
American Press collection
Get 24/7 access to full-text articles from the American Press (2002–present) and digitized editions starting in 2022. Sunday and Monday editions are no longer printed, and new issues may be slightly delayed. Powered by NewsBank.
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Newsbank Collection
Access top headlines and reports from The Advocate, Times-Picayune, USA Today, and more. Plus, explore Heritage Hub, the largest archive of newspaper obituaries and death notices. Remote access requires a library card.
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Newspapers.com
Browse millions of pages from over 1,000 newspapers across the U.S. and beyond. The library’s subscription includes content up to 1922. Powered by Newspapers.com™ via Ancestry® and ProQuest. Remote access requires a library card.
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NewspaperArchive
Find historical and genealogical information for Louisiana.
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Southwest Daily News (archives)
Search text archives dating back to 2001. For current issues, use the American Press collection and select the image format. Look for specific papers near the end of each edition. Available 24/7 on any device. Remote access requires a library card.
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Yearbooks are accessible through the Louisiana Digital Library. Yearbooks were loaned to the library for a period of 6–8 weeks, during which time we shipped them to our digitization vendor. They were (are) scanned and returned to the library. The library has digitized high school yearbooks only. (9-12 or K-12 schools). Middle/junior high or elementary school yearbooks are not being accepted at this time. This is an ongoing project and from time to time a patron may come in asking about the project or wanting to donate a yearbook for digitization. We are currently not accepting yearbooks.
UPDATE: We are not accepting yearbooks on loan for digitization, but may accept high school yearbooks to add to our collection.
The Genealogy Library did accept high school yearbooks (NO COLLEGE OR ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE) on loan for digitization. Patrons either contacted the Genealogy library at 337-721-7110, email genstaff@calcasieulibrary.org, or brought yearbooks to Genealogy and filled out a yearbook loan form. Our staff checked the current list of yearbooks that have been digitized to see if we need the yearbook. If we do not have the yearbook, you'll need to complete a loan form. You will receive a receipt; the branch staff will route the yearbook and form to the Genealogy library.
Use the Louisiana Digital Library's Yearbook collection. Use the Advanced Search option to search the yearbook collection and other digital images within this resource, or choose a specific yearbook to begin browsing. Hover over the thumbnail image in the center of the screen. Click on Open Image Viewer. Use the toolbar above the image to search within the yearbook, move between pages, zoom in, print, download, etc. Use this handout of step-by-step instructions.
This website memorializes the accomplishments of our schools, emboldened by fierce competition to survive and prosper, coupled with the realization that we cannot save one of them without saving all of them. "Our heritage is a tribute to our schools and their students, the founders, our principals, teachers, parents, boosters, and communities."
On March 12, 2019, Bill Shearman presented on his book, which highlights the rich history of the Mossville area. Joining him for the presentation was Susan Reed from the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. Mr. Shearman kindly offered free copies of his book to those in attendance and was available for book signings. The event took place at the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library, located at 411 Pujo Street in historic downtown Lake Charles.
