Obituaries are the common way to let the public know when someone has passed away. They serve as a death announcement, sometimes a service invitation, and a traditional way to let everyone in on the fact that someone has died. No matter what you do with funeral homes in Baltimore, MD for your loved one between a funeral or cremation, you will likely want to write up an obituary. Some people will place it on the funeral home website and then share that announcement around on social media to let everyone know. Others will also place the obituary in local newspapers so you can ensure that everyone who knew and loved your family member has the chance at seeing they are gone.
But what do you want to put in that announcement? They generally start out with basic information, like the name, age, and place of residence of the person who passed away. Then, they often go into the time and place of death. You do not have to share the cause of death unless the family chooses to do so. If many people knew that your loved one was battling cancer, you might say they lost their battle. But the actual cause of death is no one’s business but the family. However, some people choose to share that information, so they don’t have to repeat it over and over again at services or by phone.
If you want to open the service up to the public, you can share the service information in the obituary as well. You will list the time, date, and location of the service. You might also list the visitation information if you have chosen a traditional funeral and burial. If you are having a smaller, more intimate service with just family, you can say that the service is behind held in a certain location, but you don’t have to mention when or what time. That way, people know it’s for family only. They can still send gifts to the funeral home or to you, but they won’t attend.
It’s also common to add a short biographical sketch of your loved one. You can’t get their whole life into the short paragraph, but rather just some of the important details and key areas of their life. It can be hard to narrow it down, but you can include much more detail in their service.
The last key element to include is other members of the family. You might want to list people in your family that preceded that person in death and those that are still alive as well. Someone who knows your loved one’s sister, for example, might see the sister’s name and realize they have lost a loved one. They can then reach out in support.
While you may not have much or any, experience in writing an obituary, the professionals at funeral homes in Baltimore, MD know plenty about it and can help you through that process and many more. Contact Hari P. Close Funeral Service, P.A. for a consultation.
