How do I write an Obituary?

By: Melanie Walters

Writing an obituary can be a daunting task so often funeral homes and mortuaries will write the obituary for you based on the information you provide to them. Once you have collected the information about the deceased that you'd like to include in the obituary, writing it is not that difficult.

The hardest aspect of obituary writing is collecting the dates and information about the deceased's life. Writing the obituary for a loved one can be a therapeutic and welcomed task. This is your opportunity to show your loved one in the best possible light and to include information about the deceased that may not be widely known.

An obituary is a celebration of the deceased and it is an honor to be the one to write it. Now that you have taken on this task, here are some ways to make the writing go a little easier.

How to Write an Obituary, Sentence by Sentence

If you've read obituaries in the newspaper or online, you'll notice that there is a pattern to them. The always have certain elements included and the information flows from specifics of the death and funeral, to details about the deceased and surviving family. You can find sample obituaries to use as inspiration at ObituariesHelp.org.

• The first sentence starts with the full name of the deceased, the city in which they resided, the date they died, where they died and sometimes cause of death.


• The next sentence often tells when and where the deceased was born, and the names of parents.


• Then the obituary can go on to give accomplishments and a chronological account of the person's life and education.


• A list of surviving family usually is at the end, but can also be included right after the first sentence announcing the death.


• The obituary closes with the funeral, burial, wake, or memorial details and a foundation where memorial gifts can be donated.

Niche Article Directory: http://www.thatsmyniche.com

Melanie Walters recommends ObituariesHelp.org for Newspaper Obituaries, free genealogy resources, guides to building a family tree, sample letters of sympathy and condolence, written examples of eulogies as well as help with all aspects of funeral planning.

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