what is an obituary?

       An obituary is a brief news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries were not only written for people considered significant, but also for those family members who wished to write longer memorials dedicated to people they loved and respected. 

       Some people still practice the archiving of obituaries in the parish, church or synagogue attended by their former members. These kinds of archives are becoming increasingly important records, given the current lack death notices in newspapers and the modern practice of listing deaths online. Without the parish records and newspaper notices, many deaths go increasingly unrecorded every year.

      Remember, when families choose to list obituaries on free websites hosted by funeral directors, the information about their loved one's death is not usually maintained beyond one year, unless a small fee is paid annually to keep it online. This is why it is paramount to keep death records/obituaries archived in your community library or church archives through a paper trail. 

       Below is the minimum information one should include in a local archive for death notices and/or obituaries:

1. Name and date of person's death and birth
2. Names of person's children
3. A listing of spouse(s) dead or alive
4. Location of person's death
5. A listing of person's siblings is very helpful
6. Surviving family members
7. Professional information
8. Funeral service details, if there is a funeral or wake

       If possible, it is important to appoint a reliable member of your family, to keep family records, documents, photographs etc...  With today's technology, this type of detailed record keeping is made increasingly possible. However, it is important to keep birth dates and social security information private and offline! Also, do not include current photographs of young children accessible to the public. Include this information at much later date; after they have aged considerably.