Resources & Guides

Honest, helpful articles about writing obituaries, planning funerals, and navigating one of the hardest times in life.

Funeral Planning

Direct Cremation vs. Cremation With Service

A practical guide to the difference between direct cremation and cremation with a funeral, memorial, visitation, or celebration of life, including what to ask before deciding.

· 11 min read
Funeral Planning

What Is a General Price List at a Funeral Home?

A practical guide to the funeral home General Price List, what families should look for, when to ask for it, and how to use it to compare options without pressure.

· 11 min read
Funeral Planning

Questions to Ask a Funeral Director Before You Decide

A practical, compassionate list of questions families can ask a funeral director about arrangements, timing, prices, paperwork, obituary details, and what can wait.

· 11 min read
Funeral Planning

Funeral Home Meeting Checklist: What to Bring and Ask

A practical checklist for families preparing for a funeral home arrangement meeting, including what to bring, what to ask, what can wait, and how to protect private details.

· 11 min read
Funeral Planning

Funeral Planning Timeline: What Happens Week by Week

A practical funeral planning timeline for families, from the first day after a death through the weeks after the service, with checklists and decision points.

· 11 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Child

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for a child, with parent-centered wording, privacy guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Partner When You Were Not Married

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for an unmarried partner, with relationship wording, family coordination, privacy boundaries, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Stepparent

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for a stepparent, with family wording, privacy boundaries, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for an Estranged Parent

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for an estranged parent, with honest wording, privacy boundaries, family-conflict guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Friend

A compassionate guide to writing a friend's obituary, with respectful wording, family coordination, privacy boundaries, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Sister

A compassionate guide to writing your sister's obituary, with sibling-centered wording, family guidance, privacy boundaries, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Brother

A compassionate guide to writing your brother's obituary, with sibling-centered wording, family guidance, privacy boundaries, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Grandfather

A compassionate guide to writing your grandfather's obituary, with family wording, memory prompts, privacy guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Grandmother

A compassionate guide to writing your grandmother's obituary, with family wording, memory prompts, privacy guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Daughter

A compassionate guide to writing your daughter's obituary, with family wording, privacy guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Son

A compassionate guide to writing your son's obituary, with parent-centered wording, privacy guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Your Wife

A compassionate guide to writing your wife's obituary, with spouse wording, family guidance, privacy boundaries, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Your Husband

A compassionate guide to writing your husband's obituary, with spouse wording, family guidance, privacy boundaries, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Your Mother

A compassionate guide to writing your mother's obituary, with family wording, privacy guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Your Father

A compassionate guide to writing your father's obituary, with family wording, privacy guidance, examples, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone Who Was Funny

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for someone who was funny, with humor wording examples, privacy guidance, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone Who Loved Their Church

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for someone who loved their church, with faith wording examples, privacy guidance, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone Who Loved Animals

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for someone who loved animals, with wording examples, privacy guidance, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone Who Loved Music

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for someone who loved music, with wording examples, privacy guidance, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone Who Loved Fishing

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for someone who loved fishing, with wording examples, privacy guidance, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone Who Loved Gardening

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary for someone who loved gardening, with wording examples, privacy guidance, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Small Business Owner

A compassionate guide to writing a small business owner's obituary with accurate work history, customer and community wording, privacy boundaries, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Farmer

A compassionate guide to writing a farmer's obituary with accurate farm details, land and work history guidance, privacy boundaries, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Nurse

A compassionate guide to writing a nurse's obituary with accurate care details, credential guidance, patient privacy boundaries, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Teacher

A compassionate guide to writing a teacher's obituary with accurate school details, classroom memories, student privacy guidance, templates, and a final review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for a Veteran

A compassionate guide to writing a veteran's obituary with accurate military service details, family wording, honors, templates, privacy guidance, and a review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary With a Celebration of Life

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary that announces a celebration of life, with wording examples, timing guidance, templates, and a review checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary With No Service

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary when there is no funeral, memorial service, visitation, or public gathering, with privacy wording, templates, and checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary After a Long Illness

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary after a long illness, with privacy guidance, illness wording examples, family review steps, templates, and publishing checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary After a Sudden Death

A compassionate guide to writing an obituary after an unexpected death, with privacy guidance, pending-details wording, templates, checklist, and family review steps.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone With a Complicated Life

A compassionate guide to writing an honest, respectful obituary when a person's life included estrangement, conflict, addiction, illness, incarceration, or painful family history.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary for Someone Private

A compassionate guide to writing a respectful obituary for a private person, with privacy boundaries, wording examples, family guidance, and a publish checklist.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write an Obituary When You Do Not Know All the Facts

A compassionate guide to writing an accurate obituary when some names, dates, family details, service plans, or life story facts are still uncertain.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write a Long Obituary

A compassionate guide to writing a longer obituary with verified facts, meaningful stories, family details, service information, and careful editing.

· 12 min read
Obituary Writing

How to Write a Short Obituary

A compassionate guide to writing a short obituary with the right facts, respectful wording, practical templates, and editing tips for families.

· 10 min read
First 24 Hours

What Not to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Death

A calm guide to the most common first-day mistakes after a death, including what not to move, sign, post, cancel, or decide before the right facts are confirmed.

· 11 min read
First 24 Hours

What to Do With a Loved One's Phone, Email, and Social Accounts

A compassionate digital checklist for families handling a loved one's phone, email, cloud photos, subscriptions, and social media accounts after a death.

· 12 min read
First 24 Hours

How to Announce a Death Respectfully Online

A compassionate guide to sharing a death announcement online, including what to say, what to leave private, when to post, and sample wording families can adapt.

· 11 min read
First 24 Hours

How to Notify Family After a Death: What to Say and Who to Tell First

A compassionate guide to telling relatives and close friends after a death, with simple scripts, timing advice, online announcement guidance, and a family notification checklist.

· 12 min read
First 24 Hours

Death Certificate Checklist: How Many Copies You Need

A practical family guide to certified death certificate copies, who may ask for them, what information to track, and how to avoid ordering too few or too many.

· 11 min read
First 24 Hours

Who to Call First After Someone Dies: A Practical Family Guide

A calm guide to the first calls after a death, including when to call 911, hospice, a doctor, a facility, a funeral home, and close family.

· 12 min read
First 24 Hours

What to Do When Someone Dies While Traveling: A Family Checklist

A compassionate first-day guide for families when someone dies away from home, including domestic travel, death abroad, funeral home transfer, documents, and obituary timing.

· 12 min read
First 24 Hours

What to Do When Someone Dies in a Nursing Home: A Family Checklist

A compassionate first-day guide for families after a nursing home death, including who to speak with, what to ask, belongings, funeral home release, and obituary timing.

· 12 min read
First 24 Hours

What to Do When Someone Dies in a Hospital: A Family Checklist

A compassionate step-by-step guide for families after a hospital death, including who to speak with, what to ask before leaving, and when to publish an obituary.

· 11 min read
First 24 Hours

What to Do When Someone Dies at Home: First 24 Hours Checklist

A calm step-by-step guide for families handling an expected or unexpected death at home, including who to call, what not to move, and how to prepare for the funeral home.

· 12 min read
SEO & Publishing

How to Publish an Obituary Online for Free (Including via AI Assistants)

Learn how to publish obituary online pages, post obituary online free, and create obituary online manually or with AI assistant/API workflows.

· 13 min read
Developer API

Free Obituary API - Publish Obituaries Programmatically

Developer-focused obituary API guide covering publish obituary API calls, obituary REST API response format, and rate-limit-safe integrations.

· 11 min read
AI & Automation

How AI Assistants Can Write and Publish Obituaries (ChatGPT, Claude & More)

How modern tools can AI write obituary drafts and publish permanent memorial pages, with ChatGPT obituary prompts and review best practices.

· 12 min read
Writing Guide

How to Write an Obituary for a Mother, Father, Spouse, or Child

Relationship-specific guidance for writing obituaries - with real examples and templates for every family member.

· 12 min read
Examples

15 Obituary Examples You Can Use as Inspiration

Real sample obituaries for different situations - traditional, modern, short, long, religious, and non-religious. Copy and adapt freely.

· 14 min read
Planning

The Complete Funeral Planning Checklist (2026)

Everything you need to do after someone dies - organized by timeline. From the first 24 hours through the weeks after the service.

· 11 min read
Costs & Planning

Cremation vs. Traditional Burial Cost Comparison (2025-2026)

Compare direct cremation and traditional funeral burial costs in the United States for 2025 and 2026, including hidden fees and cemetery expenses.

· 10 min read
Writing Guide

What to Include in an Obituary: The Complete Checklist

Every element that belongs in an obituary - from required facts to the personal touches that make it meaningful. Printable checklist included.

· 9 min read

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