How to Create an Obituary for Funeral Services
Creating an obituary, or obit, is an emotional experience---especially if it is for someone known and loved by you. Be positive in your writing and make sure to include important information such as the date, time and location of the visitation and funeral services, along with a positive recollection of your loved one's life.
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Instructions
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Speak with family members of the deceased in order to gather the information needed for the obituary. Get the person's date of birth, place of birth, names of immediate family, work history, accomplishments or awards. Ask the relative any other questions you may have. Take notes and make sure to ask how to spell each name.
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Sit down in a quiet area and put together a rough draft with the information. Begin the obituary with the person's name, age, where he was living at the time of death, and his date of death. Follow that information by the details gathered earlier and go into more detail about his life. For example: "Bill Rogers, 68, of Chicago, passed away Sept. 23, 2008, at Baptist Memorial Hospital."
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Make this a positive retrospective on the life of your loved one. Fill it with words of joy and accomplishment. For example: "Bill cherished the time he spent with his grandchildren and enjoyed watching NCAA basketball." Keep in mind that some newspapers will limit the size of the obituary by either word count or by inches.
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Include funeral service information toward the end of the obituary. Include the name of the location where services will be held, along with the address, date and time of the service. If there is going to be a visitation prior to the funeral, include that information as well.
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Ask the family of the deceased if they would prefer contributions to a favorite charity or organization in lieu of flowers. If the family wishes to have this done, include the name of the organization at the end of the obituary. For example: "In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations be sent to Hospice of Central Iowa or the Knoxville Fire Department."
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Find out if the funeral home has a website where condolences can be left online. If so, include the web address at the end of the obituary. This allows people who cannot make it to the service to express condolences and share any memories of the deceased.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid including irrelevant information, such as, "Robert worked at Jiffy Mart at the age of 16 for two months." The information in the obituary should highlight his life, not minor details. Make a rough draft of the obituary and read through it carefully. Have a family member, such as the deceased's spouse, sibling or parent, look it over as well. Make any corrections before sending the obit to the newspaper or funeral home.
