Need assistance submitting an obituary? This guide may help

By Larry Judkins

Glenn County Observer

The Observer sometimes receives inquiries concerning the writing and submission of obituaries.

The following Obituary Guide may help.

It may help regardless of what news source or funeral home you submit it to. For the most part, we all want the same information.

The Observer does not charge for publishing obituaries. Unfortunately, nowadays, most newspapers do charge, a fact that The Observer considers unethical for a number of reasons.

An obituary in The Observer typically reaches about a thousand readers. However, this number can vary dramatically, and one recent obituary reached more than 6,000 readers, which is two or three times the number sold by any newspaper in Glenn County.

Obituary Guide

The Observer accepts obituaries and obituary photos only by email. Please send as much of the following information as possible to vmlarry@gmail.com or gcolarry@yahoo.com:

Name of the deceased, his or her age, city of residency, city where the death occurred, and date of the death

Deceased’s place of birth (city and state), date of birth, and parents’ names

Schools (high schools and colleges) attended; noteworthy education achievements

Military service, if applicable

Work experience

Associations, clubs, religious organizations, etc. to which the deceased belonged

Hobbies and other interests

Any other noteworthy achievements or experiences

Names of the deceased’s survivors and their relationships to the deceased (son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, etc.)

Names of those who preceded the deceased in death and their relationships to the deceased

Funeral services; be sure to include the time, date, and place of any services that are planned

Memorial contributions; include the name of the charity and the complete address

Name of the mortuary handling the arrangements (optional)

Photograph (optional): If you have a good quality photo of the deceased, preferably but not necessarily a portrait-type photo, you can also email that for inclusion with the obituary. It does not have to be a recent photo.