Long-running Obituaries

[debodun]

I check the online obit section of a local newspaper (just to make sure my name isn't there). For the last several weeks, the same one keeps popping up as a "featured" obits. I was curious so I opened the full article and it's scheduled to run through October. Why would someone have an obit published in the paper for 4 months?

 

[oldaunt]

Hoping long lost relatives will see and respond.....

 

[Judycat]

Person was "active in the community" and family hoping people will stop calling asking for his/her help?

 

[Knight]

The only thing I know about obituaries is for some reason people die in alphabetical order.

 

[Alligatorob]

Why would someone have an obit published in the paper for 4 months?

Still dead I guess...

 

[Jeni]

I can not think of any reason that seems to be excessive.

 

[hollydolly]

I check the online obit section of a local newspaper (just to make sure my name isn't there). For the last several weeks, the same one keeps popping up as a "featured" obits. I was curious so I opened the full article and it's scheduled to run through October. Why would someone have an obit published in the paper for 4 months?

Perhaps family members are out of the state or country and not likely to see it until they return later in the year... or it could be something official that perhaps necessitated a lawyer placing the Obit for some reason in the hope of gaining the attention of someone in particular with regard the will or anything simialr

 

[Blessed]

I am surprised they can afford to do that. It was $800 to have my husbands published, found out later they charge per word.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I wonder about these things too.

IMO most of the the long running obituaries and annual memorial notices have some form of family guilt or drama behind them.

Mine is scheduled to run for one day,

 

[Jules]

There may be an estate involved and family/lawyers want to be certain that no one can say they didn’t have a chance to see it.

It could be the family thinks that deceased person was really important to everyone. Since you’ve lived in the area forever and don’t seem to know them, their assumption could be wrong.

 

[debodun]

They could run it for years, but if a lost relative doesn't live in the area, they likely wouldn't read that particular newspaper.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I think Jules is on the right track. There may be a sizable estate that they have to liquidate, or whatever to sell the home, etc, and there's some heir nobody can find, I'm not a lawyer. But since it does cost a good sum to keep running the obit, it probably for some legal reason.

 

[Timewise 60+]

Payback, he owed a lot of people lots of money...SMILE

 

[hawkdon]

Or it is possible that the paper is using the obit for "fill". that is
to use up space when not enuff obits to fill the page......imo

 

[Manatee]

We have not taken a newspaper since our parrot died. No cage to line.

 

[Gary O']

There may be an estate involved and family/lawyers want to be certain that no one can say they didn’t have a chance to see it.

Bingo

Legal notice kinda thing

 

[JaniceM]

And then there's this example: https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/children-write-savage-obituary-for-mother-who-abandoned-them-1.3959879

What I hate, though, are obits that are untruthful... I knew two individuals whose obits stated they'd had 'large, loving families' while the fact was neither of their families cared about them at all... and a woman who'd been subjected to many years of domestic abuse had obit that referred to her and her husband as 'a long loving union.'

 

[debodun]

My mom didn't have my dad's obit in the paper and I didn't publish my mom's. They charge a lot and it seemed like a waste.

 

[Nathan]

The only obituary notices I foresee for either my loved ones or myself would just be a posting on Facebook.

 

[Meanderer]