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Writing an Obituary
WRITING AN OBITUARY
Who will Write and Submit the Obituary to the Newspapers?
Our funeral director and secretary at the Harris-Mountain Funeral Home will type and submit the obituary to the newspapers, notifying you of the newspaper charges as we receive them. You may follow the guidelines below to help you gather the information we will need to compile the obituary.
What Is An Obituary?
More than merely a 'good-bye' to the deceased, this is a farewell which can, in chronological order, detail the life of the deceased. An obituary also serves as notification that an individual has passed away and details of the services that are to take place. An obituary's length may be somewhat dictated by the space available in the newspaper in which it appears and the newspaper's charges to run the obituary. We are able to get an estimation of the newspaper charges prior to submission for publication. Remember that the obituary needs to appear in print a few days prior to the funeral or memorial service. There are some cases where this may not be possible, therefore give some consideration to the guidelines below when composing the obituary.
What To Include?
Naturally, it is vital that the full name, along with the location and date of death is included so that there is no confusion over whom has died. You may wish to consider placing a photograph with the text. There are extra charges applied by the newspaper to include a photograph. If you wish, mention where the deceased resided. This will normally only include the city and state. The street number is not normally included for reasons of security.
In a concise manner, write about the significant events in the life of the deceased. This may include the schools he or she attended and any degrees attained; you may also include any vocations or interests in which the deceased was involved.
Survivors
It is common to include a list of those who have survived the deceased. The list may include (where applicable):
- Parents
- Spouse and children
- Adopted children
- Half & step children
- Siblings
- Half & step siblings
- Grandparents
- Grandchildren
- Great-grandchildren
The surviving relatives may be listed by name. Some relatives may not be mentioned by name but be included in terms of their relationship to the deceased. In other words, the obituary may mention that the deceased had 5 grandchildren; 7 nieces etc. You may want to let the newspaper charges guide you in how detailed you would like to be in listing survivors.
Occasionally, a special friend or companion is included among the list of survivors when the deceased's blood relatives request that it be so.
Additional information such as where the body will be laid to rest may be mentioned.
At this point list the details of the time and location of any services for the deceased: these may include the funeral, burial, wake and memorial service where appropriate.
Include the name of any organization or church to which you are requesting memorial contributions.
Some Do's & Don'ts
If you don't know where to start, do read other obituaries to gain an idea of how personal and touching an obituary may be.
Do use such terms as "visitation will be from" or "friends may call from". Do not utilize the phrase "lie in state" as that only applies to a head of state such as the prime minister or president.
Don't use the phrase "in lieu of flowers“¦" when memorial donations are to be requested. Instead merely start the final paragraph of the obituary with the words "Memorial donations may be made to...“
Do consider if you wish to send the obituary to newspapers in other cities e.g. to a town where the deceased may have resided previously. Obtain copies of the obituary to send to distant relatives and friends.
Final Considerations
As most newspapers charge by the word when placing an obituary, it may not always be feasible to mention everything that we have stated in our guidelines. Use your own discretion and do not put yourself under any financial hardship. We can post a longer version of the obituary on our website where it will be part of the Book of Memories.
