Looking for a present day death

[Hazel17]

I'm trying to find out if a distant elderly relative of mine is still alive. For privacy's sake I'll call her Mrs A. Mr & Mrs A emigrated to Australia from the U.K but Mrs A always kept in touch with my mother. She wrote every Christmas for decades sending cards and gifts. After my mother passed away she continued sending cards to my father and writing to me as well. Mr A died in 2012. I last heard from Mrs A in Christmas 2012.

I wrote last year but received nothing back - usually our letters would cross in the post. My father received nothing either. This year I want to send her photos of our daughter who was born this year but I don't want to send photos through the post if the recipient is no longer alive or not at that address. We are very very distantly related by marriage and if she had died I doubt that her daughter would realise to write and let us know. How can I check if she has passed away? Of course she may have gone to live in a nursing home as she would now be in her mid eighties.

I can find her husband's funeral listed on an Austalian obituary site but nothing for her. I also found an Australian property website and her address doesn't appear for sale or as having been sold recently.

[franh1946]

Hi Hazel17, Have you tried the Ryerson Index? http://www.ryersonindex.org/.The Whitepages phone book site might show you that she has moved.http://www.whitepages.com.au/ or you might be able to find her daughter's address. You can choose a state by state search, or to search the whole country at once. Sometimes doing a google search of the full name can turn something up. Good luck Fran

[Hazel17]

I hadn't tried the ryerson index - good idea but nothing listed on there for her. Whitepages still shows her husband listed at their address.
A google search comes up with an newsletter from her local church where she has contributed a poem in April of this year so maybe no letter last year was an error of omission - or maybe it was lost in the post.
Thanks for the ideas Fran, all's well that ends well I think here. 

[sparrett]

Hi
Do you know her daughter's name?
Sue

[majm]

Perhaps it will be worthwhile sending a gentle, friendly airmail letter, addressed to "The Residents" at her address, giving an email address for a reply back?  (gmail and other options can be helpful for additional email addresses, if you don't want to use your current email address). 

Cheers,  JM   

[franh1946]

A letter to the church in question with a please forward might be useful, Fran

[Hazel17]

I don't know her daughter's name unfortunately. As her surname is quite unusual and the newsletter was from this year and the same church her husband was buried in then I think it is quite likely she is still alive and last year was a mistake (or more likely my Christmas card is lurking on the floor of a Royal Mail sorting office). I will try sending a card with photos  this year and if I still get no reply I will try some of the advice on here.