2007-01-30 07:51:36 · 8 answers · asked by srsulmtd 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
They are not mandatory, as noted.
Whether one will be printed generally depends on how important the person is. Newspapers often prepare obituaries of celebrities in advance, in the event they die suddenly.
For people who not famous, the family usually has to supply the information for the obituary, which is often written by lower level staff members at the newspaper.
2007-01-30 08:00:14 · answer #1 · answered by parrotjohn2001 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Most people don't if the victim dies in embarrassing circumstances - doing 110 in a 25 mph zone with a BA of 0.60, for instance. (He may make the front page for that one.)
As towns grow, the chances of getting an obit decrease. The NY and LA Times, for instance, have as many obits as the Fresno Bee, but Fresno has 400,000 people, while NY & LA have 8 million.
In my town, Modesto, if you want more than four lines, you have to pay them for it. Newspapers are slowly going obsolete, thanks to the Internet. They are cutting corners wherever they can, trying to stay alive. Obituaries interest maybe 100 people, tops. Brittany Spears getting married or divorced again (I've forgotten which she is right now) will interest thousands. If they can reduce the Obituary page to half its size and load in more pictures of this week's "Star of the Century", they will.
2007-01-30 14:29:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Looks like you already got the part of "no, not mandatory". I used to work for a newspaper, and it is part of the services from the funeral home (assuming the family wants one).
However... assuming there WAS one, and you are having trouble finding it.. your best bet is knowing the date of death, and location of burial. Use these to see if you cannot find the name of the funeral home involved. Most of them are more than helpful if you are a relative. Hint.. if the person died after 1960, go to rootsweb.com; click on searches; use the social security death index to see if you can find the person.
2007-01-31 10:50:55 · answer #3 · answered by wendy c 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No you do not have to. The mortuary may want you to if you are having an ceremony at there lot, it offers them free publicity when they are mentioned in the obituary.
2007-01-30 08:02:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It's strictly a voluntary ritual. Many folks request that their heirs/relatives do not submit an obit. However, if you do submit one, usually the publication requires proof of death or some sort of testimony for verification of death.
2007-01-30 07:55:07 · answer #5 · answered by Fred C. Dobbs 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's not mandatory-but it does let old friends know who died & can come pay there last respects.
2007-01-30 08:11:54 · answer #6 · answered by mary k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it is not required. It is simply a personal decision whether you want one or not.
2007-01-30 07:59:35 · answer #7 · answered by Edward L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not mandatory.
2007-01-30 07:56:05 · answer #8 · answered by true blue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋