Why do people keep obituaries

Writing an obituary can be part of the grieving process. Remembrance is an important part of grieving. Writing those memories down often provides a spark of admiration, perhaps even humor, that will remind you that the good things about your loved one live on in you and others.

You may not think it now, but your loved one is a part of history. And future generations in your family may want to know more about that person and their history. Dates, places of birth, year of immigration, maiden names, children, spouses and parents are all jumping-off points for genealogy researchers to trace their roots through obituaries.

One last word: If you choose to place your obituary in multiple locations, you do not have to use the same text for each. You can use an abbreviated version for newspapers to limit costs and place a full obituary online for free. Just remember that these are words that will live on past you, so think carefully about survivors. They were special to you and others. Remember them.

Our Funeral Matters professionals can help you every step of the way by explaining different options, providing guidance and advice to help you through this difficult process. Toggle navigation. Blog Connect to the information you need in order to make end-of-life choices. Reprinted by permission. For those who just briefly scan the obituary section of the newspaper or avoid it all together, this statement might seem a little off; after all, the whole reason for an obituary in the first place is because someone has died.

But at my hometown newspaper, I penned well over obits over the course of two years, and I can tell you none of them contained more than a sentence or two about the person's death. Instead, paragraph after paragraph detailed the deceased's love of family, career achievements, philanthropic endeavors, and lifelong hobbies.

Obituaries are about life, and I loved writing them. I enjoyed reading obituaries long before I started writing them. That might sound a bit morbid, but as a little kid reading the Los Angeles Times , I always lingered over the death notices.

I was nosy, and I loved learning about the lives of these colorful strangers. Two days after my college graduation, I started my very first job as an editorial assistant at my local paper; this meant I did whatever mundane tasks the editors needed done. While I had to do a lot of one-off errands One time I was sent to the home of an elderly woman who wanted her poem about Ronald Reagan, who had died two years earlier, printed in the paper.

When I arrived her dog promptly bit me. At first, I was nervous about this task. I wasn't sure how to deal with people talking about the fresh death of a loved one; I was 21 and a budding journalist, not a grief counselor. I feared there would be unstoppable tears, maybe a little wailing, and definitely some stonewalling. But to my surprise, people were very open.

They liked talking about their mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. Obituaries were initially written by writers at a newspaper, especially when more famous members of a community passed. Funeral directors began offering the service, and while many still do, more and more are being written by a family member with guidance from a funeral director. Newspapers will also generally make them available in their online editions. At Fares J. Radel, we also include obituaries on our own website.

A well-written obituary can help an family heal. Radel Funeral Homes and Crematory, our caring team of experienced professionals will be honored to guide you through the process of writing an obituary. We can help you avoid some common and sometimes embarrassing errors and omissions. If you are preplanning a funeral, we can help you convey important aspects of your life to your loved ones to be included in your own obituary. Currently you have JavaScript disabled.

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