When writing an obituary, you want to create one that truly honors the deceased. Below is a guide to help you through the writing process to ensure the obituary celebrates the life of your loved one.
An overview of their life
The first step is to collect the correct information about the person who has passed. Note their full name, age, date, place of birth, education, accomplishments, marriage details and where they lived.
Include a summary of the deceased’s life from when they were born to their last day on earth. If you gather too much information you can shorten it, but make sure you capture every detail of their life that adds value to the obituary. Using an already-published obituary as a template can give you some ideas on how to summarize information and write one for your loved one.
Make it personal
A great obituary should describe how a loved one lived their life. Include their hobbies, personal characteristics and passions. This helps those who read it better understand who your loved one was and what was important to them. If you decide to print the obituary in a newspaper, keep in mind there is usually a charge for each word, line or inch.
List family members
A typical obituary will list family members, both living and deceased. Include the full names of parents, siblings, children and spouses. You can also list grandchildren and great-grandchildren if desired. If space is limited, you don’t have to mention every family member by name and can instead refer to them generally. For example, “She had 10 loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren”.
Service information
Funeral details such as the date, time and burial location are valuable pieces of information that should always be included in an obituary. These details will give those who want to attend the funeral something to refer to.
Let Strouf Funeral Home help you
Writing an obituary can be time-consuming and draining during an already difficult time. If you’re in the Racine, Kenosha or Milwaukee area and experiencing the loss of a loved one, the caring staff at Strouf Funeral Home can help you through every step of the funeral planning process, including writing an obituary. Contact us today to help honor and celebrate the life of your loved one.