Obituaries on some funeral home websites are more detailed than the one that is eventually published in a print or online newspaper. The charge for the funeral home’s obituary is usually a part of the funeral cost and is not dependent on the length of the obituary (within reason). That’s not necessarily true for a print obituary which may end up being edited and reduced in length even if cost is not an issue.

Do not assume those funeral home website obituaries will always “be there for the taking.” That’s not the case.

While working on DNA matches, I needed the obituary of a distant cousin. I had a paper copy but did not have it handy. “It doesn’t matter. I can get it on the funeral home website.”

Nope. Not any more. The funeral home was bought out a few years ago and the new owner updated the site and the old obituaries were gone.

A good reminder for me to make copies of obituaries when they run or when I discover them and not just think “it’ll still be there later.”