Florence & Tuscumbia, Alabama · Obituary Search Guide
Looking for Thompson and Son Funeral Home obituaries? The funeral home serves families in Florence, Tuscumbia, and nearby Northwest Alabama communities. Its online obituary notices can help you find a loved one’s memorial, death announcement, visitation hours, funeral service, and burial arrangements.
If you already know the person’s name, the quickest option is to search the funeral home’s official obituary directory. If the notice is missing, you can use the steps below to locate an older obituary or confirm information directly with the funeral home.
Search the most recent notices and individual memorial pages published by Thompson & Son Funeral Home.
View Official Obituaries ↗Official funeral home website · No payment is required simply to view a publicly available obituary.
Recent Thompson and Son Funeral Home Obituaries
Thompson & Son publishes memorial notices for individuals connected with its Florence and Tuscumbia locations. The following are examples of recently published records found during our October 17, 2026 review. These are not a live or complete obituary feed.
Name | Recorded date | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
Henry “Bob” Oates | October 11, 2026 | Recent obituary listings |
Mary Belle Allen | October 1, 2026 | Recent obituary listings |
Frank Clyde Smith | September 26, 2026 | Florence listings |
Lucy Mae Irons | September 25, 2026 | Florence listings |
Demetric Carter | September 11, 2026 | Recent obituary listings |
Helen Virginia Hudson | September 9, 2026 | Recent obituary listings |
Gregory D. Thompson | August 26, 2026 | Official individual obituary |
Dates above refer to reported death dates where verified, or dates associated with archive listings. They are not funeral dates. For the current obituary, full memorial, and any schedule changes, use the official directory.
You can also read the official Gregory D. Thompson memorial, which provides an example of how the funeral home displays an obituary alongside viewing, visitation, and funeral arrangements.
How to Find a Thompson and Son Obituary by Name
You do not need an obituary number or burial plot information. A name and an approximate death date are usually enough to begin.
Step 1: Open the obituary directory
Go to Thompson & Son’s official obituary page. The obituary listings may use an interactive search interface, so allow the page to load fully.
Step 2: Search the person’s name
If a search field is available, enter the person’s first and last name. Start with the surname if the complete name produces no result. Also try a nickname, maiden name, or alternate spelling.
Step 3: Check older entries
Browse earlier obituary pages or change the available date or sorting filters. Do not assume a record is missing just because the person does not appear among the newest announcements.
Step 4: Open the full memorial
Select the matching name and compare the age, residence, family members, and death date. This helps avoid confusing two people with similar names.
Step 5: Check the funeral arrangements
Look for public viewing hours, family visitation, funeral date, church or chapel address, graveside service, and interment information. Save the complete venue address rather than assuming every service takes place at the funeral home.
Step 6: Confirm before traveling
If you plan to attend, call the relevant location and confirm the time, venue, and whether the event is public. Arrangements can change after an obituary is first posted.
A family may use a legal name in the obituary even when friends know the person by a nickname. Try searches such as “Robert” instead of “Bob,” a married or maiden surname, and different middle initials.
Thompson and Son Funeral Home Locations and Phone Numbers
The funeral home has two established locations in Northwest Alabama. Use the address listed in the individual’s obituary for a specific viewing or visitation.
Florence, Alabama
Thompson and Son Funeral Home415 South Poplar Street
Florence, AL 35630
Phone: (256) 764-2651
County: Lauderdale County
Directions ↗Tuscumbia, Alabama
Thompson and Son Funeral Home400 South Washington Street
Tuscumbia, AL 35674
Phone: (256) 383-2402
County: Colbert County
Directions ↗The two funeral homes serve communities around the Shoals, including Florence, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, Muscle Shoals, Cherokee, and nearby areas. A person’s obituary may refer to a church or cemetery in another community.
Important: The funeral home’s address is not automatically the funeral service location. A family may arrange a viewing at the funeral home and hold the funeral or burial somewhere else.
How to Read Viewing, Visitation, Funeral, and Burial Details
Obituary notices often contain several separate events. Understanding the difference prevents missed services and unnecessary travel.
Notice term | What it usually means | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
Public viewing | Scheduled time when visitors may pay respects. | Start and end times; funeral home location. |
Visitation | Gathering where family and friends may offer condolences. | Whether visitation is public; time and venue. |
Funeral service | Formal ceremony honoring the deceased. | Day, time, church, chapel, or other venue. |
Graveside service | Ceremony held at or near the burial site. | Cemetery name, entrance, and time. |
Interment | Burial of the deceased or cremated remains. | Cemetery and burial arrangements. |
Private service | Attendance may be limited by the family. | Whether guests are invited. |
A real example of a service schedule
In the official obituary for Gregory D. Thompson, the arrangements included public viewing on September 4, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., visitation that evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and a funeral service at 11 a.m. on September 5 at Bethel Lauderdale Missionary Baptist Church.
This illustrates why it matters to read the full notice: the viewing was scheduled at the Florence funeral home, while the funeral service was at a different venue.
View the original Gregory D. Thompson service information ↗
What If the Obituary Is Not Listed?
A missing online notice does not necessarily mean the funeral home did not handle the arrangements. The obituary might not be published yet, may be filed under a different name, or may be difficult to locate in the archive.
Try these checks in order
- Check both cities. Search the main obituary directory and do not limit your search to Florence or Tuscumbia unless you are certain which location handled the arrangements.
- Try alternate names. Include maiden names, family nicknames, middle initials, and alternative spellings.
- Expand the dates. Check the weeks around the reported death, not only the exact day.
- Look for a relative. A spouse’s or sibling’s obituary may help establish the correct family name or cemetery.
- Call the funeral home. Ask whether a public obituary is available and which location handled the arrangements.
- Respect privacy. Some families choose private arrangements or do not publish detailed notices.
“Hello, I am trying to locate a public obituary for [full name], who may have passed away around [month/year]. Could you please tell me whether Thompson and Son handled the arrangements and where I can find the public notice?”
Staff may be unable to share private information beyond an authorized public announcement.
Searching Older Thompson and Son Obituaries
If you are researching a death from several years ago, begin with the official archive. For older decades, local libraries, newspaper collections, church records, and cemetery offices may be more useful than recent online obituary lists.
Thompson & Son has a long history in Northwest Alabama. According to its official company history, the business was originally Thompson and Ricks Funeral Home. It later became Thompson Funeral Home and eventually Thompson and Son. The Tuscumbia location dates back to its move to Washington and Eighth Streets in 1938, while the Florence facility on Poplar Street was built in 1962.
These earlier names matter for genealogy research because a historical newspaper notice may identify the funeral establishment differently.
- Full name and possible alternative surnames.
- Approximate birth and death years.
- Former residence or community in Lauderdale or Colbert County.
- Spouse, parent, or sibling names.
- Church membership and burial cemetery.
- Older funeral home names: Thompson and Ricks or Thompson Funeral Home.
Source: Thompson & Son official history.
How to Find the Burial Cemetery or Grave
An obituary may identify the cemetery but not provide a plot number. If you are trying to visit a grave, save the burial information from the notice and confirm the exact location with the cemetery.
1. Look for “Interment” or “Burial”
Read the service section of the obituary. Record the cemetery name, city, burial date, and any church or memorial park mentioned.
2. Confirm the correct cemetery
Some cemeteries have similar names. Check the town, county, and the cemetery address before visiting.
3. Request the grave location
Ask the cemetery office for the section, lot, plot, row, or grave number. If the person has no headstone, an interment register may still identify the burial.
4. Compare records
Use the obituary, cemetery office record, and any available grave marker information together. Do not assume an online memorial has the correct burial details without checking.
For a broader research process, visit the FindAGraves cemetery and burial research guide, which explains official cemetery-record routes, grave verification, name variations, and historical location research.
Obituary Versus Death Certificate: What Is the Difference?
An obituary is a public memorial announcement. It may include a person’s life story, family, service arrangements, and burial information. A death certificate is an official government vital record used for legal and administrative purposes.
If you need documentation for an estate, insurance, benefits, or another legal matter, an obituary usually will not replace a certified death certificate.
Getting an Alabama Death Certificate
The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains death records for deaths occurring in Alabama dating back to 1908.
Requirement | Alabama rule or fee |
|---|---|
First certified copy | $15, including the record search |
Additional copy | $6 each when ordered with the first copy |
Expedited request | Additional $15 fee where applicable |
Records less than 25 years old | Restricted to eligible applicants |
Records more than 25 years old | Available to anyone upon payment of the fee |
In-person applications | Alabama county health departments |
Mailing address | Center for Health Statistics, P.O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625 |
For restricted records, eligible applicants generally include a parent, spouse, child, sibling, qualifying grandchild, legal representative, or the informant named on the death certificate. Identification and evidence of eligibility may be required.
Step-by-step certificate request
- Open the official Alabama death certificate instructions.
- Find the mail-in application or the instructions for obtaining a record at a county health department.
- Prepare the deceased person’s legal name, death date, place of death, birth details if known, and parents’ names if available.
- Provide your relationship, signature, mailing address, phone number, and required identification.
- Select the number of certified copies and calculate the applicable fees.
- Submit the application using the state’s approved method. For mail requests, follow the payment and mailing instructions on the official page.
Fees and eligibility checked against the Alabama Department of Public Health instructions updated March 27, 2026. For questions about vital records, ADPH lists (334) 206-5418.
How to Send Condolences, Flowers, or a Memorial Message
If the family has made a public obituary available, the memorial page may include options to leave condolences, share memories, arrange flowers, or contribute to a tribute.
Open the individual obituary and check which options the family or funeral home has enabled. If an obituary requests donations in lieu of flowers, follow the charity or memorial instructions provided there.
For flowers or deliveries, confirm the correct location, funeral date, and any delivery deadline before ordering. Do not assume that flowers should be delivered to the Tuscumbia location simply because the person lived in Colbert County.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where can I find the latest Thompson and Son Funeral Home obituaries?
Use the official obituary directory at thompsonandsonfuneralhome.com/obituaries. It provides access to memorial notices for the funeral home’s Florence and Tuscumbia service area.
2. Does Thompson and Son Funeral Home have two locations?
Yes. Its Florence facility is at 415 South Poplar Street, and its Tuscumbia facility is at 400 South Washington Street. Each location has a separate phone number.
3. What is the phone number for the Florence funeral home?
Call (256) 764-2651 for the Florence location at 415 South Poplar Street, Florence, Alabama 35630.
4. What is the phone number for the Tuscumbia funeral home?
Call (256) 383-2402 for the Tuscumbia location at 400 South Washington Street, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674.
5. Can I search obituaries by a person’s last name?
Yes. Start with the obituary directory and use any available name-search feature. If a complete name produces no result, try only the surname, alternate spellings, a maiden name, or a nickname.
6. How can I find an obituary from several years ago?
Browse older listings and try a broader date range. For historical records not available online, contact the funeral home or consult local newspaper archives, libraries, and cemetery records.
7. Are funeral service times included in the obituary?
Many individual obituary pages provide viewing, visitation, funeral, and interment arrangements. The exact information varies by notice, so check the full memorial and confirm any upcoming service with the funeral home.
8. What should I do if the obituary is missing?
Check both locations, alternate name spellings, and earlier dates. If you still cannot find it, call the funeral home and ask whether a public notice has been released.
9. Can a Thompson and Son obituary tell me where someone is buried?
Sometimes. Check the notice for the cemetery name and interment details. A funeral home obituary may not include the exact section or grave number; the cemetery office is usually the best place to verify those details.
10. Is an obituary the same as an Alabama death certificate?
No. An obituary is a memorial announcement, while a death certificate is an official record. Alabama death certificates are issued through the state’s vital records system, with eligibility requirements for records less than 25 years old.
Quick Contacts and Official Resources
Official obituary listings:
Thompson & Son Funeral Home Obituaries
Official funeral home website:
Thompson & Son Funeral Home
Florence: (256) 764-2651
Tuscumbia: (256) 383-2402
Official death certificates:
Alabama Department of Public Health
Burial and cemetery research:
FindAGraves.com Research Hub
Before You Go
For the newest Thompson and Son Funeral Home obituary, begin with the official obituary directory and open the person’s full memorial. If you are attending a service, verify the event time and address. If you are researching a past death, collect the obituary details first, then use cemetery or Alabama vital records when further verification is necessary.
The goal is to locate the right person, understand the arrangements, and know exactly whom to contact—without confusing the Florence and Tuscumbia locations.
Information reviewed: October 17, 2026. Funeral times, obituary availability, family preferences, and government procedures may change. This independent informational guide is not operated by or officially affiliated with Thompson & Son Funeral Home. Individual obituary information remains subject to the funeral home’s current published notices.