The database can be searched in several ways, including by last name, first name, city, state, and year of death.
Instead of trying to fill in all of the search boxes, try searching first by last name. If this search is too broad (if too many names appear in your results) then back up and revise your search by adding a year or a first name.
Not all of the entries include a place of residence or place of death. Therefore, if you enter a place name such as "SC," you may inadvertently exclude a large number of names. Also, the vast majority of these obituaries are of South Carolinians, so limiting your search by using "SC" probably will not be helpful.
Using first names can also result in not finding the person you are looking for. Many women of the 19th century were only identified in their obituary notices as "Mrs. John Smith."
The search will return a list giving the name of the deceased, the date of the obituary's publication in the Advocate, the date of death, the volume, number, column, and page where the obituary appeared in the Advocate, and (if the information was included in the obituary) the place of death and the names of spouses and parents. "Clergy" indicates that the person was a member of the clergy. A "Resolution" is a memorial notice placed by a group, such as a Sunday School class or a church conference in honor of a deceased person. Sometimes it contains genealogical or biographical data.
You may e-mail the archivist if you have questions. We are able to provide digitized copies of obituaries via email. The e-mail address is stonerp@wofford.edu.