Lynden Tribune Obituaries (2024)

FAQs

Why are some obituaries not published? ›

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.

Suggested wording: “It is with great sadness that the family of (deceased name) announce (his/her) passing….”

Marcus Garvey died after reading his own obituary. Zsa Zsa Gabor: In early 2011, many websites, including her English Wikipedia page reported the death of Zsa Zsa Gabor. However, it was quickly revealed that she had not actually died, and that this was a hoax mistaken by several websites as fact.

Some families make the final line a dedication honoring their loved one. Phrases like “We will always carry your memory in our hearts,” or perhaps a favorite quote of your loved one are heartfelt and personal. Other families select a short prayer, a religious quotation, or a line from a poem to place at the end.

It is absolutely the family's right to choose their own level of privacy or openness in an obituary notice, and it is important for readers to respect this. Acquaintances, colleagues and friends never find out the true cause of death in some cases.

The Deceased Did Not Want One

Before your loved one passes on, they may leave a special request not to have an obituary published, and this could be for many reasons. For example, if they had a complicated past or suffered from mental issues or addictions, they may wish to keep that private.

When writing an obituary, leave out details that could be used for identity theft, such as the deceased's date and place of birth, middle name, maiden name and mother's maiden name. And don't include the deceased's home address.

The closing paragraph is typically rather short and includes details regarding services or gatherings, as well as any requests regarding donations being made to charities or organizations that are meaningful to the deceased.

It can include, or exclude, anything the family wishes. Dear Abby: Here in the South, an ex-spouse is often listed this way: "Jane Doe of Memphis, Tenn., is the mother of his children." The primary reason is so the children feel their surviving parent, and the years their parents spent together, are acknowledged.

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.

Are girlfriends mentioned in obituaries? ›

How do you refer to an unmarried partner in an obituary? Typically, an unmarried partner is referred to as a spouse or simply as a partner. You can also list them as a surviving relative if you feel it's appropriate. The goal is to list them in a way that best reflects the relationship they had with the deceased.

These are their four most common preoccupations: "I want to tell you that I love you." "I want to tell you that I forgive you." "Would you tell me that you love me?"

It's important to remember that an obituary is supposed to be an announcement and brief biography of the deceased. Don't feel the need to recount every detail of their life. Also try to avoid bragging about every accomplishment or award the deceased received.

Obituary Example: No Funeral or Memorial

[Full name] sadly passed away on [date of death] at their home in [place of passing]. They always spread joy and happiness wherever they went. As per [first name]'s request, no funeral or memorial service will be held.

There could be several reasons why you're having difficulty finding an obituary. The person you're looking for may not have had an obituary, the newspaper that published it could have gone out of business, or it could have never been saved or digitized.

Before we give you tips on finding obituaries, it's worth noting that obituaries aren't legally required.

Every day, editors on The New York Times Obituaries team scan news reports and dig through emails from readers to learn who died recently; they then decide whether to assign a reporter to write about one of those lives. The process can be challenging.

While there are no rules when it comes to who writes the obituary, they're typically written by family members or close friends. When a loved one passes, the family usually decides who will write it based on their relationship to the deceased or writing ability.