If your loved one just passed away, you may be asking yourself, “How do I write an obituary?” Some people feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of writing an obituary. They worry that they’ll forget important facts and information, or that the obit won’t fully capture their loved one’s life.

To assist, we have prepared this guide to writing an obituary. Here are the most important things to keep in mind:

1. Always check with the newspaper. Some newspapers have specific style guidelines or restrictions on length, some will need proof from us that your loved one has passed away which we can provide upon request, and some only publish obituaries written by newspaper staff members. Be sure to ask the newspaper, when you contact the if they charge for the obituary or not.
2. Include biographical information, as much as you have available and feel comfortable sharing (the more information you include, the easier it is for acquaintances to identify the deceased as someone they knew). Some items you may wish to include:

• Full name of the deceased (including maiden name, nickname, or any other name by which your loved one might be identified)
• Dates and locations of birth, marriage, and death
• Predeceased and surviving loved ones’ names
• Schools attended
• Military service
• Place of employment and position held
• Membership in organizations (for example, civic, fraternal, place of worship)
• Hobbies or special interests

3. Consider listing one or more charities to which you’d like donations made.
4. If services are public, include full memorial service information: location, day, and time of memorial service.  If services are private, indicate so (for example “Private services will be held”). We would recommend waiting until the cremation is completed before setting any dates for services, if you want your loved one’s remains present.
5. Plan to publish the obituary at least 1-2 days prior to services so that friends and family can make arrangements to attend.
6. Examples of Obituaries: we encourage you to look at examples of obituaries in the paper you will be running the obituary in to get an idea of their format and to get ideas about what to write about your loved one. You can also look online at www.rickgoodingfuneralhomes.com ,
7. Other places to post your obituary: not everyone is using traditional print media to share obituaries today. You can post them on Facebook or other social media sights, and you may also make your own memorial website to share your obituary on.

Our links page has contact information for most local papers in our area.