Semien Lewis Funeral Home Obituaries (2024)

FAQs

Is the obituary read at funeral? ›

An obituary is written to tell the story of your loved one. These will often be in the funeral program. There will even be a part of the funeral where the obituary will be silently read by everyone in attendance at the funeral. It is something you and your family should be patient with when you are writing it.

Reasons a Family Might Not Want to Write an Obituary

While there are many benefits to writing an obituary, there are also reasons why a family might not want to. Some may feel that it is too personal or private to share with the public, while others may not have the financial means to pay for its publication.

Keep in mind the length: the average size of an obituary is approximately 200 words, but some publications may accept obituaries as long as 450 words or as short as 50 words.

D., Boston-based clinical psychologist, occasional obit reader, and author of the book How to Be Yourself. “They cause us to reflect on the narrative of our own life and what we want that life to mean. Young people especially might look to them for guidance, a way of tapping the wisdom of their elders.”

You are under no legal obligation to take out a death notice or obituary. Think of the latter as a final gift to your loved one—a celebration of who they were and the legacy they created. The former is more of a courtesy to give people information so they too can honor and memorialize the dearly departed.

Obituaries are not required by law , so the deceased's family might have chosen to forego publishing one. Publishing an obituary can be expensive , and the funds may be unavailable. The deceased has few family members or friends , so there might have, unfortunately, been no need for an obituary.

Additionally, some families may prefer to keep the details of their loved one's passing private and not share them with the public. Another reason a family might choose not to write an obituary is that it can be expensive.

Newspapers charge by the line and can average $450 for a complete obituary. The average obituary cost begins at $200.00 and increases due to the amount of content, including a photograph and the length of the obituary.

North Dakota newspaper The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead ran what is certainly one of the shortest obituaries ever published. Accompanying a photograph and name of local resident Douglas Legler, the obit, which ran Wednesday, had just two simple words: “Doug died.”

What is the last sentence of an obituary? ›

Concluding Message

Phrases like “We will always carry your memory in our hearts,” or perhaps a favorite quote of your loved one are heartfelt and personal.

The first paragraph of the obituary should include the deceased person's full name, including any nicknames they may have used, their age, date and place of death.

Why does it cost so much to post an obituary? Publishing an obituary in the newspaper is expensive because of the limited space papers have. Newspapers value every inch of each page, so they must charge to use that limited space for an obituary.

Reading an obituary is not so much an act of mourning a death but of reviewing a life of notable accomplishment and celebrating it. Obituaries are capsule biographies. Still, obituaries concern death.

During a funeral or memorial service, it is common for someone to stand up and read the obituary to the attendees. This reading may be performed by a family member, a close friend, or a designated individual.

The eulogy is a deeply personal reflection of someone's life. Family or friends usually give this speech. However, clergy or the funeral celebrant may read it for the family. As this is a very emotional time, some people may not feel comfortable delivering the eulogy to the congregation.

A funeral typically follows a structure that includes pre-service arrangements, an opening segment with welcome and acknowledgments, main service components like eulogies, readings, and music, followed by closing remarks or prayers, and often concludes with post-service events like a committal service and reception.

Editor Carol DeChant explains, "Obituaries are usually mini-biographies, focused on what a person did, but the eulogy is much deeper, more about who the person was... It's meant for the select group of people who knew and cared for that person, or who care for the survivors."