A Guide to Crafting a Meaningful Memorial
An obituary is an announcement that a loved one has died.
You also may connect with clergy members who provide pastoral care in your loved one’s faith tradition.
These agencies will often help people who need to write an obituary.
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They may have a guide for obituary writing that’s part of a planning overview.
Some are free, so check with the service provider.
With newspapers, call ahead to check on the rates.
Ask people they once worked alongside, too.
Select your preferred tool, whether you’re writing with pen and paper or on a computer.
Basic Obituary Facts
An obituary needs to include key details about your loved one.
Include their name, age, hometown, and date of death.
When writing an obituary, you’re able to be straightforward and move from one fact to another.
it’s possible for you to be more heartfelt, or even humorous.
You also may already know what your loved one wanted to include and stay faithful to their ideas.
There really is no “right way” to write an obituary.
It’s common to include their job and career information if it applies.
You may want to add any educational achievements.
Who Reads the Obituary at a Funeral?
An obituary is different from a eulogy, which is usually presented at a funeral or memorial service.
An obituary is written, while eulogies are spoken when a family gathers to remember the loved one.
Deciding on a speaker (or more than one) is a part of the funeral planning process.
So you’ll include both living and deceased family members.
What you’re able to do is describe the family members beginning with the closest relationships.
A “preceding them in death” paragraph can include those who have not already been mentioned.
Funeral or Memorial Details
An obituary is meant to share details about any funeral and memorial services.
If you plan to invite the public, be clear that this is the case.
If your ceremony is private, be clear about that, too.
For a public memorial, simply invite “family and friends” to the service.
That includes the name of the funeral home and any memorial website to honor your loved one’s life.
If not, then the choice is up to the family.
Just be sure to name and location of the charity or memorial fund to which donations should be sent.
Checking the Facts
Obituaries are more than a matter of public record.
They can become lifelong keepsakes for the people left behind.
You’ll want to be sure it’s right.
Be sure that the spellings of names and places are right.
Sometimes, the ears are better than the eyes when it comes to improving the tone of a story.
Proofreading Tip
Edit the obit first, then proofread it.
Editing involves revising, reorganizing, and rewriting sentences for clarity.
Proofreading is checking details like spelling and punctuation.
You’re bound to catch more when you focus on one task at a time.
Summary
Structuring an obituary is largely a matter of choice; no two are alike.
In some cases, a dying person may leave clear instructions or even write their own obituary.
A well-crafted obituary will help the living to move forward too, and remain forever as a precious keepsake.
Frequently Asked Questions
An obituary should be informative.
Be sure to include:
Check with loved ones before including the cause of death.
In some cases, you may prefer to keep this detail private.
Or you’re able to just not mention it at all.
Obituaries should not be written in the first person.
This means you should not use “I” language.
Remember that an obituary is not a personal tribute, like a sympathy card or condolence letter.
You should also exclude personal addresses and phone numbers.
Beyond the Dash.How much does an obituary cost?September 20, 2021.
