Writing an obituary can be difficult and you could find yourself having trouble figuring out what to say. Here is a guideline for writing an obituary that you can use to help you write.
Call The Newspaper You Want It Published In
The first call you make before you commit pen to paper should be the newspaper that you want to get the obituary published in. Talk to someone in the classified section and get a clear understanding of the deadline for when the text needs to be submitted in order to make sure it makes it into print. Ask about any restrictions in terms of word counts and inquire if they send you a final proof before the article is printed. The final proof will allow you to review the copy one last time before it's published so that you can catch any grammatical errors and make sure the text flows properly for the reader.
Start With the Necessary Information
In an obituary there is some necessary information that must be conveyed to the reader to get out the message. Start with the information you will need to include, such as name, birthday, date of death, as well as the time, date and location of the funeral service. Once you have that information included you can review how many words you have left, and then put in other information like the names of the the deceased's children, or dependents, as well as their partner or spouse. Then if you want to accept donations on behalf of the deceased or accept flowers, you should note that in the obituary if the word count permits.
Add A Personal Touch
An obituary should read as a celebration of the person's life, and you should try and add a personal touch to it by including a note about the person. If they had any hobbies then you could list them or something that was important to the deceased, such as pets or religion. You can also include a list of accomplishments like schools they graduated from, military service, fraternity, or other special interests that make that person unique. Have fun with it and make the obituary put a spotlight on the reasons why the deceased was a special person.
If you have any questions or have troubles writing an obituary, you can consult with your local funeral director that can assist you. The funeral director will have a list of examples of obituaries that they can provide for you to use as a guideline. For more information, contact a business such as Bolton & Lunsford Funeral Homes.
