Newspaper Obituaries

Jules

Jules

SF VIP
There was no obituary for my friend in the local newspaper so my husband did an online search. He found it in a free online local news outlet. He also said were many more listings of people who weren’t in the local paper. I don’t know the exact prices they’re charging now; the last I read it was about $800.

Newspapers need revenue but when they’re pricing themselves out of customers, it seems foolish and also disrespectful to families.

Ironically, my friend read every word of obituaries as she enjoyed learning about the lives of others. The other sad part was that her husband could easily afford the ad.
 

You know, when members of city, state, and federal governments need an obituary, tax payers pay for them. Full page, sometimes. Always glowing, lots of details and flattering photos.

:mad:
 

I believe the funeral homes around here submit the obituaries to the papers...I don't know. The last time I had to deal with that situation was decades ago when my mother passed. Now I just go directly to the funeral homes' websites to read them.
 
What I heard long ago was newspapers publish death notices for free, but it's up to the family if they want to also have an obituary, and, if so, they provided it and paid for it.
When my uncle passed away (also long ago) I was asked to write his obituary- which I did.

This topic is somewhat upsetting- after a longtime friend died last year, there was nothing except mention of his death on the funeral home's website. And of all of his 'friends,' I was the only one who posted Condolences to his family. :(
 
JaniceM said:
What I heard long ago was newspapers publish death notices for free, but it's up to the family if they want to also have an obituary, and, if so, they provided it and paid for it.
When my uncle passed away (also long ago) I was asked to write his obituary- which I did.

This topic is somewhat upsetting- after a longtime friend died last year, there was nothing except mention of his death on the funeral home's website. And of all of his 'friends,' I was the only one who posted Condolences to his family. :(
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My condolences on the loss of your friend Janice. I lost a very good friend before COVID hit and I know it's devastating.
 
Murrmurr said:
You know, when members of city, state, and federal governments need an obituary, tax payers pay for them. Full page, sometimes. Always glowing, lots of details and flattering photos.

:mad:
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I've never heard of a government agency needing an obit or being able to use one for any legal purpose -- that's what death certificates are for.

Coincidentally just this morning I had to apply for one for someone who has been gone for 40 years.
 
When I worked in advertising sales for a major daily metro newspaper, occasionally I had to work the obituary line (nobody liked to, so we had to take turns). Usually the obit was called in by the funeral home, but occasionally the family did it.

I take an obituary as follows (names changed to protect the guilty): "John Jones of Smallville, age 81, died Tuesday. Loving husband of the late Mary. Devoted father of John Jr., Andrew and Marian. Funeral at 11 a.m. Friday at XYZ Funeral Home." Blah, blah, blah.....

Not a half hour later, I get a call from XYZ Funeral Home with the following: "John Jones of Smallville, age 81, died Tuesday. Loving husband of Elinor. Devoted father of Mark, Susan, Clarissa and Thomas. Funeral at 2:30 p.m. on Friday at XYZ Funeral Home. Burial to follow at The Blessed Grounds of Eternal Rest Cemetery."

Okaaay. I inquire as to why I have two divergent notices for what appears to be the same person. The funeral director explains that the "first family" and the "second family" hate each other so much, they can't get together on a funeral. So, they're having two funerals....at the same funeral home...but different times. Since the "second family" has "legal" possession of the remains, they also get the burial rights. I'm not sure how "first family" got "second family" to agree to let "first family" display Mr. Jones' body at "their" funeral, but ......

I'm sure it was a dilemma for family friends to decide which (or both) funerals to attend.
 
Flarbalard said:
I've never heard of a government agency needing an obit or being able to use one for any legal purpose -- that's what death certificates are for.

Coincidentally just this morning I had to apply for one for someone who has been gone for 40 years.
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:confused: I don't know what you mean..."to use one for any legal purpose"

Oh, oh, I get it -- No, I wasn't talking about a gov't agency needing an obit. I was talking about obituaries for gov't officials. They don't have to pay for their obituaries.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Now I just go directly to the funeral homes' websites to read them.
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How do you know if someone has died? Do you read funeral home notices regularly?

When my mother died a decade ago, there was no placement by the obituary in any paper. There were many to choose from. I paid the two most logical ones and even then a cousin asked why I hadn’t put it in such & such. The funeral home did also put it on their site, but if you knew the person was dead it would just be more info.
 
Only about ten years ago, in San Diego, my brother's simple obituary was about $250.
Not included from the funeral home.
It's the funeral homes that escalate their services astronomically!
 

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