Notices and obituary
The notice as it will appear, checked against the list of details to leave out, and every paper or site it will run in with its deadline and price.
For a first pass, the notice is essential, checked against the leave-out list below. Where it will run is optional when the notice goes only on the funeral home's site or a family post (Notices and telling people).
The notice
What the notice will say (Notices and telling people). Before it runs, check it against the leave-out list on this page.
Leave these out
| Leave out | Why |
|---|---|
| Date of birth and place of birth | Criminals collect obituary facts to build identity-theft profiles |
| Middle name and maiden name | Part of the same profile |
| Mother's maiden name | Part of the same profile |
| Home address | With the service time, it tells burglars when the house is likely empty |
From AARP, on obituaries and identity theft. Age and town are usually enough for people who knew the person (our convention).
Where it will run
One row per newspaper, website or bulletin (Notices and telling people). Ask each for its deadline and price; a newspaper charge billed through the funeral home is a cash advance item.
How to use these sheets
- Leave these out: the date and place of birth, middle and maiden names, the mother's maiden name and the home address. AARP lists these as the details identity thieves use.
- Service time means an empty house. If the notice gives the time, name a house sitter on the house checklist.
- Ask each paper for its price and deadline. No neutral source publishes them; a charge billed through the funeral home is a cash advance item.
The example row is from Sam Okoro, who plans a short notice online only at first. Whether the cremation provider's website carries notices, and at what charge, is still open; Sam will ask, and will ask the local paper for its price and deadline. Details are invented.
The content of a life story is the family's. This manual gives the identity-theft list and a convention for the order of parts; each newspaper sets its own rules and prices.