Deaths in Story of Peoria's Past: Analyzing Obituaries Peoria Journal Starabout

For decades, the Peoria Journal Starabout has been the primary source of news for the Peoria community, documenting historical events, and offering obituaries for citizens who have made the ultimate contribution to the city's legacy. The Obituaries section remains one of the most read sections of the newspaper, providing family members with a valuable opportunity to honor and celebrate deceased individuals. By analyzing the language, style, and content of these obituaries, researchers can uncover deeper insights into the social dynamics, cultural trends, and historical context of the time period.

The Peoria Journal Starabout, which serves the city of Peoria in Illinois, has long been an integral part of the region's history and culture. Through the years, its Obituaries section has provided vital information to families and individuals about the lives, and survivors, of individuals in the area. Beyond serving as an informative tool, the publication serves as a way to remember those who made significant contributions to the community, and commemorate their lives in the collective memory of Peoria's people.

Journalists Roger A. Babione and David Costanza researched and cross-referenced the hundreds of Peoria Journal Starabout obituaries. Analysis of the content reveals that most have three common themes, grief and tributes to the deceased, reports of family and friends who lived at least 50 years before their demise, and possibly rebuttals to other claims or stories made by other persons about the individual deceased.

Subsequently, an exhaustive analysis showed a "change" of approximately 80% in what makes up a typical Peoria Starabout death matter in 2022, as compared to earlier years.

Here are a few examples of different Obituaries variations: