How to Create an Obituary

An obituary focuses on the details of a deceased person's life, from their birth to their death. The items are typically listed in the order they occurred, but there are a few exceptions. Each newspaper tends to have a particular style, but some will allow you to put anything you'd like in the obituary. In these cases, it can be special to add in little known details or funny details from a loved one's life. On the simple side, an obituary gives information on who has died and what the funeral arrangements are, but can also provide info on memorial funds and paint the picture of a story of a life lived.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Getting Started

1. Gather information about the deceased person. The basic questions include when and where the person was born, when he died, who the survivors are. and when and where the funeral will be held.

2. Add additional details such as organizations the person belonged to, if there is a special memorial fund set up and where she worked.

3. Ask the family if they would like any other information included, such as special interests, hobbies or a funny or happy memory. For example, maybe Grandma's peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were a favorite.

Write the Obituary

4. Telephone the newspaper and find out how much an obituary costs and how many inches are included in that cost. If the space you are allowed is very short and the obituaries very costly, you may have to limit the type of information you include. A long obituary can be included inside the memorial card at the funeral home or on a printout for family and friends to keep.

5. Purchase a copy of the newspaper and study some of the obituaries to get a feel for the overall tone and style. While you do want the deceased's obituary to be unique, you don't want it to stick out like a sore thumb because it is so different than the others in the same newspaper. By studying other obituaries, you can also get ideas of the best ways to start and end an obituary.

6. Find out when the obituary must be turned in to be printed by the date you want and meet that deadline.

7. Study an obituary template at http://howtowrite.weebly.com/how-to-write-an-obituary.html. Once you've completed the obituary, edit it several times to prevent any typos or misspellings. You may even want to get someone else to look it over for you.

8. Send the finished obituary to the obituary editor. Different editors have different submission requirements. Some want it faxed, some sent via email, some on CD and others in hard copy. Find out what your local newspaper prefers and submit accordingly. This will help prevent delays and errors.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask for a proof, so you can make a final check for errors before the obit goes to print.
• Make sure that the obituary is correct when it comes out in print.
• Use sites like Legacy.com to create an online memorial for a nominal fee.