How to Make an Obituary Layout
Mourning the loss of a loved one can be an emotional experience. It's not the time you want to think about logistics but with the need to make burial decisions and funeral arrangements pressing upon you, organization becomes crucial. The first thing that needs to be done is to announce the death to all family and friends. The simplest way to do this is to write an obituary. Whether the obituary is posted in your local newspaper, church bulletin or online, getting the word out is the best way to allow others to share in the mourning process. Writing an obituary is a way to announce the death while preserving the memory of the person's life.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Write the obituary
-
1
Gather facts about the individual's life and death. These should include date of death, funeral details, locations that the individual lived in, names and locations of immediate family members, schools attended, job positions and personality characteristics.
-
2
Write down facts in reverse chronological order.
-
-
3
End with information about the funeral and with an address where memorials may be sent.
Format the obituary
-
4
On a piece of paper, or Microsoft Word document on a computer, place the photograph on the top left of page.
-
5
Write the individual's full name in bold next to the picture.
-
6
Write the date of birth hyphened to the date of death directly under the individual's name.
-
7
Leave a space.
-
8
Place obituary content in paragraph form.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Word the obituary to fit the personality of the deceased. Obituaries should be formal and formatted uniformly but can include short stories that provide a glimpse into the individual's life.
Keep in mind the length of your obituary. While it may not make a difference for online postings, many local newspapers charge by picture size, word count or general length of the obituary.
References
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
