Obituaries

What is an Obituary? A notice of a death, especially in a newspaper, typically includes a brief biography of the deceased person.

An obituary should include:

· Start with the person’s full name, date of birth and date of death.

· In chronological order, tell where the person was born, where he/she grew up, where he/she received an education and place of residency for the majority of his/her life and death. Include a list of schools attended, degrees received, vocation and hobbies, if applicable.

· Acknowledge any surviving family members including parents, siblings, spouse, children, and grandchildren, if any. The surviving relatives can be listed by name.

·  Acknowledge any family member that predeceased the individual.

· Make the announcement on when and where the funeral or memorial service will take place and where burial will occur.

· Conclude with a statement regarding memorial contributions and where they can be sent. The initial words can include “In lieu of flowers…” or “Memorial donations may be made to…”

· Make your obituary sound positive and celebrate the life that was lived by including facts about the person’s interest, hobbies, and joys. The people who read your obituary will read it as if walking down memory lane in reflection to his or her life.

Example:

Robert R. Humphrey

Robert R. Humphrey, 19, from Ogema, died at 12:46 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, from injuries sustained in a one vehicle accident in rural Saskatchewan.

Robert was born Dec. 14, 1987, in Ogema, Saskatchewan and was a lifelong area resident. He worked as a combine operator, was a volunteer fireman and first responder for the Ogema Fire Department, and was a member of the local hockey team.

He is survived by his mother and step-father, Lisa and Tim Weems, his two sisters, Melinda and Alex Fields, Cindy and Alfred Collins, and his two nephews and one niece.

He is preceded in death by a sister, Shirley Humphrey.

Services will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the McCall Funeral Home Chapel of Memories. Burial will be in the Union Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his name to the Ogema Fire Department, c/o McCall Funeral Home, PO Box 345, Ogema, SK.

Medusa’s Obituary

Write an obituary for Medusa. (You may make it funny if you wish.)

·  Be sure to use facts about her life (from the myth) and her death (from The Lightning Thief).

·  What will her funeral arrangements be?

·  Where should people send flowers or charitable donations?

·  Use the form below to help you. (Yes, there will be details you have to make up!)

·  Then, on your own notebook paper (in ink!), write Medusa’s Obituary! (You may also type it if you prefer.) Make sure you have two columns!

Full Name:

Date of birth:

Place of birth:

Sweetheart’s name:

Sisters’ names:

Occupation and employment:

Education (school, year, degree)

Organizations and memberships

Awards, honors, special achievements

Other information

Now, re-write these details as a two-column obituary with her name at the top.