Obituaries | Middletown-Wallkill Daily Voice (2024)

FAQs

Do people still publish obituaries? ›

Most people submit obituaries to local newspapers, but depending on the deceased's relationship with their community, you might also consider sending the obituary to: National newspapers. Church newsletters and websites. Community publications.

For one, obituaries are stories with a closure unlike the daily news items that are generally interim reports. They are often good stories. One reads about remarkable accomplishments, odd achievements, quirky lives, wild adventures, strange vicissitudes, and forgotten personalities.

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.

Posting an obituary is not a legal requirement and is a sentimental action. Families don't have to publish one if they don't want it or do not have the funds to do so. While you do not have to share a death note or obituary, you must file a death certificate with your state's office.

The cost of a newspaper obituary depends on the size of the newspaper's circulation, whether there's a photo, the number of days it will run, and the size of the obituary. Small towns may charge $50, but on average expect to pay at least $250 for the typical short obituary.

Deciding not to publish an obituary is #perfectlynormal in grief. If publishing an obituary in the paper or online feels (or felt) wrong to you - perhaps drawing unwanted attention or sharing on a level beyond what's comfortable - that's OK. There is no one right way to honor someone you love.

Someone, a writer like you, is both performing a valuable public service by honoring the deceased with a well-written commemoration, and making a living by getting paid for their writing service, year after year.

Alternative Options for Publishing an Obituary

If a family chooses not to write an obituary, that's okay. No law insists families should publish an obituary. But there are several alternative options available for families to help pay tribute to the deceased.

Someone who wants to have the last word even in death. Someone who knows who they are, the lives they led, the choices they made and how those choices impacted their generation. It's basically someone who wants to tell their own story and get real and raw about it in ways only they can. I personally would do this.

What to do instead of an obituary? ›

There are a couple of alternatives. If you do not wish to write an obituary for your loved one, you could write and publish a death notice. A death notice is a very shortened version of an obituary. It announces someone has died.

While there are no rules when it comes to who writes the obituary, they're typically written by family members or close friends. When a loved one passes, the family usually decides who will write it based on their relationship to the deceased or writing ability.

Publishing it in local or smaller metropolitan newspapers costs around $60 to start. Large metropolitan newspapers charge anywhere from $263 to several thousands of dollars. Cheaper alternatives to publishing in the newspaper include online-only newspapers, memorial websites and social media.

Copyright and Obituaries. To be clear, obituaries are protected by copyright. They are creative works of expression that are fixed into a tangible medium of expression. Both the text and the images that make up an obituary are protected by copyright (even if the facts and information are not).