Martin Funerals Carletonville
How To Write An Obituary
It can be a daunting task. There are many things to consider. But before you begin to write an obituary, let’s determine what an obituary is.
An obituary is often referred to as a notice of death, often called a funeral notice. It informs others of someone’s death.
Although there is no rule, most obituaries are written as a matter-of-fact, containing information about a person’s death; the time and place of death; causes or circumstances of death; surviving relatives; religious services and any other burial and funeral arrangements.
When space is not a consideration, writing an obituary can become a memorial and what you write can truly become a tribute to a loved one’s life as well as a notice of their death.
How To Write An Obituary
Before you begin to write, we suggest you gather the following:
- Decedent’s full name as you would like it to be published.
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Date of death
- Photo
- Funeral date and time
- Name and address of where services will be held
First steps to writing an obituary
The main purpose of an obituary is to inform others of someone’s death and to briefly (and publicly) commemorate him. A family member is usually in charge of the obituary, but if the person who died has no family or is estranged from his family, the task may fall to a good friend. Obituaries are sensitive, so be sure you’re the appropriate person to write them first. Things to know before you start
Gathering biographical facts
- Before you start writing, gather the facts you’ll need. An obituary presents basic information about the person’s life and death.
- Decide what you want to write about. The information is given usually includes:
- Full name (some people put a maiden name in parenthesis)
- Date of death
- Where the person was living at the time of death
- Date of birth
- Birthplace
- Key survivors (spouse, children) and their names
- Time, date, place of memorial or burial services (if you want the public invited)
- Add any extra information that’s relevant or important to those closest to the person. It’s common to include:
- Cause of death
- Biographical information, life story, or major life events (covering as much or as little as you’d like)
- Survivors who are grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews, friends, or pets
- Memorial tribute information, such as “instead of flowers, donations may be made to such-and-such hospice or such-and-such non-profit organization”
- It’s a good idea to run these facts by other family members to check for accuracy, as well as to make them feel included before you invest time in writing.