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What To Know When Picking Free Obituaries
Publicly announcing an individual's death can be accomplished in several different manners. Some people take the private route of sending correspondence, but most choose the simple option of posting notices in newspapers and on websites. In most areas, the papers will run free obituaries.
Obits and death notices are not the same thing. The latter is a more personalized announcement of a person's passing, normally written by someone who knew the subject well, providing details about their life and loss. The former is a short summary of an individual's basic facts and details of their funeral arrangements, often written by someone not associated with the deceased.
Generally, a newspaper has a standard form that they use to generate the obit. These articles are usually statements of facts such as the individual's name, dates of birth and death, home town, city of residency, school and job history as well as a list of any surviving family members. Most papers will post these notices without any charge.
Some smaller papers allow a little more leeway in their submissions. If the family wishes, they can include extra information like the cause of death, organizations and associations to which the deceased may have belonged, accomplishments and service details. Other publications sometimes have this option available for a small fee.
Some families opt to have the obit printed in the funeral programs passed out at services. Doing so gives each of the mourners their own copy to read or keep without having to clip it from the newspaper. The version from the papers may be used or a more personal rendition can be written to include more intimate details and special comments.
These announcements are often run in newspapers that serve the various cities where the deceased was born or had lived throughout their life. This allows friends and associates in those areas to receive the news and an provides an opportunity for them to pay their respects. It is usually up to the family whether or not this option is pursued.
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