Obituaries in West Lafayette, IN | Journal and Courier (2024)

FAQs

Who died reading his own obituary? ›

Marcus Garvey died after reading his own obituary. Zsa Zsa Gabor: In early 2011, many websites, including her English Wikipedia page reported the death of Zsa Zsa Gabor. However, it was quickly revealed that she had not actually died, and that this was a hoax mistaken by several websites as fact.

Why does it cost so much to post an obituary? Publishing an obituary in the newspaper is expensive because of the limited space papers have. Newspapers value every inch of each page, so they must charge to use that limited space for an obituary.

An obituary (obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case.

Even the most sensational obituaries should include key details about the person's life and death. First, you'll want to include the person's name, birth place, age, date of death, location and cause of death (optional).

An obituary is written to tell the story of your loved one. These will often be in the funeral program. There will even be a part of the funeral where the obituary will be silently read by everyone in attendance at the funeral. It is something you and your family should be patient with when you are writing it.

How do you refer to an unmarried partner in an obituary? Typically, an unmarried partner is referred to as a spouse or simply as a partner. You can also list them as a surviving relative if you feel it's appropriate. The goal is to list them in a way that best reflects the relationship they had with the deceased.

Obituary Example: No Funeral or Memorial. [Full name] sadly passed away on [date of death] at their home in [place of passing]. They always spread joy and happiness wherever they went. As per [first name]'s request, no funeral or memorial service will be held.

The family might not have a service, so they felt no need for an obituary, as obituaries are often used to provide information on the funeral. The family may have disagreements about what to include in the obituary.

An average obituary can easily be $200.00-500.00. Costs vary by publication. Newspapers charge by the line and can average $450 for a complete obituary. The average obituary cost begins at $200.00 and increases due to the amount of content, including a photograph and the length of the obituary.

When writing an obituary, leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. And don't include the deceased's home address.

When someone dies, do you have to put a notice in the paper? ›

Obituaries and death notices are not required—but notices to creditors may be. You are under no legal obligation to take out a death notice or obituary.

Usually people include names of a spouse, parents, children (with any spouse's names listed in parenthesis), grandchildren and great grandchildren. You may choose to list grandchildren and great grandchildren individually by name, or simply include the number of each.

In 1897, Mark Twain is said to have read his own obituary, and then remarked, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” And Mark Twain isn't the only one to have this sorry experience, as Wikipedia's List of premature obituaries makes clear.

Writing your own life summary may strike you as unusual, but rest assured, it is perfectly normal to write your own obituary. Many people do it as part of their end-of-life planning, right alongside drafting a will and other essentials.

The Web site hosts obituaries and memorials for more than 70 percent of all U.S. deaths. Legacy.com hosts obituaries for more than three-quarters of the 100 largest newspapers in the U.S., by circulation.

Just like making a will or preplanning a funeral service, writing your obit in advance gives you a sense of control. It also provides you with control over how your life is documented. For these reasons alone, it is worth it to write your own obituary.