Where Do You Go to Post a Death Notice?

There is a lot of confusion surrounding death notices and obituaries, so it is important to do your research. Who is responsible for posting a death notice, where exactly do you go to post a death notice, and what goes on anyway?

What is a Death Notice?

First things first: what is a death notice? A death notice is a short and simple public announcement of an individual’s passing, while an obituary typically details an individual’s biographical information and life achievements. It provides general details regarding a person’s death, their name, birth date, date of passing, and information regarding their funeral and memorial service.

Most often, written notices are submitted by families or loved ones, and almost always require payment, similar to a classified advertisement.

How Much Does it Cost to Post a Death Notice?

Some newspapers (online and print) charge based on the amount of information included in the death notice.  Many charge a flat fee while others charge by word count, number of lines, or inches printed.  An average newspaper obituary can easily be $200.00 – $500.00.  

Legacy.com is an online Memorial Website the public uses to post a death notice.  The cost is $49 for the first year the obituary appears on their site and then $19.95 for each additional year.  The U.S. Will Registry offers free Death Notices and Obituaries to the Public, Attorneys and Funeral Homes with no hidden setup, trial, monthly or annual fees.

Items Included when Posting a Death Notice:

• The deceased individual’s full name
• Date, time, and location of death
• Both funeral service time and location
• Both memorial service time and location
• Charities for donations requested by the deceased individual

TO POST A FREE DEATH NOTICE – CLICK HERE

 

Items that Might be Included in an Obituary:

ANNOUNCEMENT

• The deceased’s full name, including a well-known nickname, (if any) followed by a comma and age at death. (You do not need to say “age”.) For example, Mary Alma Miller, 82.
• Residence (name of the city) at death.  No need to state a specific street address for the deceased.
• Day and date of death.
• Place of death (if appropriate). Some may like to mention where the deceased died such as, “at his family home in Dallas, Texas”.
• Cause of death (if appropriate).

LIFE STORY

• Date of birth.
• Place of birth.
• Names of parents.
• Childhood: siblings, stories, schools, friends.
• Marriage(s): date of, place, name of spouse.
• Education: school, university or other.
• Designations, awards, and other recognition.
• Employment: jobs, activities, promotions, union activities. Frequently used if the person held long-term employment with a company; or had a particular passion for his or her profession. List job function or title, name of company and number of years employed.
• Activities: hobbies, sports, interests, charitable, fraternal, political, and other affiliations. List memberships, positions held; clubs, volunteer work or noteworthy accomplishments.
• Religious Affiliation
• Military Services: List the dates and branches of service as well as number of years served.

FAMILY

• Survived by (and place of residence):
  • Spouse
  • Children (in order of date of birth, and their spouses)
  • Grandchildren / Great-grandchildren / Great-great-grandchildren
  • Parents / Grandparents
  • Siblings (in order of date of birth)
  • Others, such as nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws
  • Pets (if appropriate)
• Predeceased by (and date of death):
  • Spouse
  • Children (in order of date of birth)
  • Grandchildren
  • Siblings (in order of date of birth)
  • Others, such as nephews, nieces, cousins, in-laws
  • Pets (if appropriate)

MEMORIAL

• Day, date, time, place, if applicable
• Reception information, if applicable: day, date, time, place
• Other memorial or vigil, if applicable: day, date, time, place
• Place of inurnment
• Where to call for more information (even if no service is planned)

CLOSING

• Memorial funds established
• Memorial donation suggestions, including addresses
• Thank you to people, groups, or institutions
• Quotation, poem

Regardless of which avenue you choose to announce a loved one’s passing, it is important to be both informed and informative. Decide what information should be passed along when you post a death notice for a loved one, and who needs to hear it. Then, select a platform that meets these criteria.

It has been said, “You are never part of history until you are written in the books”.  Writing an obituary gives the family a great deal of comfort, and legacy for their loved one.