At different times in her life, my Aunt Maud spelled her name Maud and at other times, Maude. Not many newspaper databases of obituaries goes back more than a few years, but some newspapers are expanding their archival offerings by making earlier years available. Each paper has its own way of doing things, and some offer much more than others. For instance, the Seattle Times' obituaries are available online back to 1996. Salt Lake Tribune obits are online from September 1991, but you have to subscribe to their archive service.
Recent obituaries are free.
So, if you're looking for family members who died in recent years, you may be able to go online and find an obituary without leaving your home.