Newspaper Guidelines

There are many ways to say farewell; from formal funeral services to private home-setting celebrations. Regardless of how you decide to do this, announcing it to the public is very important. Newspaper and other publications enable us to notify the public of the death, possibly invite them to share in the celebration, and they are important for historical and genealogy purposes. There are two forms of publication that can be done; Newspaper Death Notice and/or an Obituary.
A death notice is a minimal notice giving the information of their name, where they lived, and their family, i.e., spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings, parents, etc. They may also announce when and where a funeral service or celebration will take place.
An obituary is usually a more detailed account of a person's life and is often prepared for the newspaper from a form that the family fills out. Obituaries are a written form of collective remembrances. These usually outline the life lived, their family, the funeral service, pallbearers names, officiant, and maybe even a thank-you for those who have helped.
When community members leave, whether we know them personally or not, we mark their time with us by publicly commemorating their passing. The final words are one way we say goodbye and the way we will remember. These final words are often the way survivors pay tribute, perhaps make amends, and express hope for immortality.