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Basics You Should Know When Considering Free-of-charge Obituaries
Letting others know of an individual's passing can be done in a couple of different ways. A detailed death notice may be written up and published both online and in area newspapers, or sent out as formal announcements. Most papers will offer free obituaries with certain restrictions.
There is a difference between an obit and a death notice. The first is usually a condensed biography written by a member of the newspaper's staff, stating just the basic details. The second is a more intimate accounting generally penned by someone who knew the deceased on a personal level.
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.
Occasionally, a newspaper will be a little more flexible in what information can be included. This can be items like which associations and organizations the deceased belonged to, military service, accomplishments and how they passed away. Some papers will charge a nominal fee for extras of this sort.
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.
Announcements can be submitted to multiple newspapers, specifically those serving the cities where the deceased once resided. With this practice, people who knew them in those areas will be informed and able to send condolences or attend services. Whether to do this or not is left solely up to the immediate family of the one who has passed away.
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