Hospice Wisconsin

The early stages of writing an obituary

The main purpose of an announcement is to inform others of the death of someone and make a brief (and publicly) the commemoration. A family member is usually in charge of the obituary, but if the deceased has no family or is separated from his family, the task may fall to a good friend. Obituaries are sensitive, so make sure you are the person to write first. Newspapers usually provide guidance and assistance for writing obituaries, making the process easier. They tend to follow a similar format. Here are the basics:
What you should know before starting

There is a difference between a standard obituary, a death notice, obituary and a news or feature. The steps below are a guide to writing a standard obituary.

Newspapers almost always charge an obituary. death notices are very brief and usually free. News obituaries are more stories, usually on well-known or locally known people, chosen and written by the newspaper staff. You can submit an obituary news of your friend or relative, but the decision to run, it is for the publication.
Funeral (or morgue) houses often write obituaries and place for you, for a fee.

First step: planning with the newspaper

Contact the newspaper (s) where you want the obituary and ask them to guidelines and obituaries of the sample.

You can include newspapers in places where your frend or relative has spent any amount of time, as the town where he grew up or lived, or in a place where he attended college or regularly vacation. Place the obituary published in several publications is an easy way to inform people who might otherwise never learn about its passage.
Talk to the press about pricing options. Because they charge by the length and number of days in the obituary runs, the cost can be considerable, so decide how you want to spend. Your payment generally includes placement in both print and online editions, though some newspapers charge for this.

If you want the obituary to inform readers about the date, time and place for a memorial service, make sure you know the deadlines of the newspaper that the obituary will be published in advance of service.

Step Two: Collection of biographical facts

Before you start writing, gather the facts you need. An obituary contains basic information on the person's life and death.

· Decide what you want to write. The information generally includes:
· Full name (some people put a maiden name in brackets)
· Date of death
· When the person was alive at the time of death
· Date of Birth
· Place of birth
· Surviving key (spouse, children) and their names
· Time, date, place of memory or burial service (if you want the public invited)
·
Add any other relevant information or is important for the closest person. It is common to include:

° cause of death
· Information biographical history of life, or major life events (covering as much or as little as you want)
Survivors · Who are the grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, friends, or pets
Memorial Tribute · information, such as "In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice or this or that particular nonprofit organization"

It's a good idea to run these facts by other family members to verify the accuracy and make them feel included, before devoting time to writing.

Step Three: Writing an obituary

Obituaries tend to use a base, direct writing style, just present the facts. You have samples next to you as a guide - most newspapers suggest you use the latest they have published.

Most of the obits of information contained in about that order, interconnected in a few sentences:
Name
· Age
· Place (city name) of the DEA.