### Submitting Through a Funeral Home The most common and seamless way to submit an obituary is through a funeral home. If you are working with a funeral director, they will typically handle the entire process for you. Funeral homes have established relationships with the *Republican-Herald* and are familiar with the newspaper's specific formatting guidelines, submission deadlines, and pricing structures. They will draft the text with your input, submit it directly to the newspaper's advertising department, and coordinate the payment as part of your overall funeral package. This option minimizes stress and ensures that the obituary meets all publication standards. ### Submitting Directly as an Individual
If you are not using a funeral home, or if you prefer to manage the publication yourself, you can submit the obituary directly to the newspaper. To do this, you will need to contact the *Republican-Herald* advertising or obituaries department. When submitting directly, keep the following requirements in mind: * **Verification of Death:** To prevent fraudulent submissions, the newspaper requires verification of the death before publishing. You will need to provide contact information for the funeral home, crematory, or medical institution handling the arrangements, or submit a copy of the death certificate. * **Submission Portal or Email:** The newspaper typically accepts submissions via an online portal or a dedicated email address. Visit the official *Republican-Herald* website and navigate to the obituaries or classified advertising section to find the current submission form or contact email. * **Payment:** Direct submissions must be paid for in advance. The newspaper staff will provide a quote based on the length of the text and whether you choose to include a photograph. ## Understanding Deadlines and Pricing Because the *Republican-Herald* operates on a strict print schedule, timing is critical when submitting an obituary.
### Publication Deadlines Obituaries must be submitted and approved by a specific cutoff time to appear in the next day's edition. Generally, the deadline is in the early afternoon on the day prior to publication. However, deadlines for Sunday and Monday editions, as well as holiday schedules, often require earlier submission. Always confirm the exact deadline with the newspaper or your funeral director to ensure the notice runs on your preferred dates. ### Pricing and Formats The cost of publishing an obituary in the *Republican-Herald* varies based on several factors: * **Line or Word Count:** Paid obituaries are typically charged by the line, column inch, or word count. Longer biographies with extensive family listings will cost more to print. * **Photographs:** Including a black-and-white or color photograph of your loved one will incur an additional fee. * **Death Notices vs. Full Obituaries:** If you are on a budget, you may opt for a simple death notice. This is a brief, low-cost statement containing only the essential facts (name, age, date of death, and service times) without biographical details. ## How to Write and Format the Obituary To ensure the submission process goes smoothly and to avoid costly revisions, it is helpful to write and proofread the text before sending it to the newspaper.
### Essential Information to Include A standard obituary typically follows a structured format: * **Biographical Details:** The deceased's full name (including maiden name or nicknames), age, town of residence, and date and place of death. * **Life Highlights:** A brief summary of their life, which may include their education, career, military service, hobbies, and community involvement. * **Family Members:** The names of surviving family members (spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings) and predeceased family members. * **Service Information:** The dates, times, and locations for visitations, memorial services, and burial ceremonies. * **Memorial Contributions:** If the family prefers donations in lieu of flowers, include the name and address of the designated charity. ### Reviewing and Proofreading Double-check the spelling of all family names, the accuracy of dates, and the addresses of service locations. Because newspapers charge for publication and corrections can be difficult to coordinate after the print deadline, ensuring the accuracy of the text beforehand is essential. ## Finding Published Obituaries Once an obituary is published, family members and friends can access it both in print and online. The *Republican-Herald* provides digital access to recent and historical obituaries.
### Online Search Tools To find a recently published obituary, visit the official *Republican-Herald* website and navigate to the obituaries section. The online portal allows users to: * **Search by Name:** Enter the first and last name of the deceased to locate their specific tribute page. * **Filter by Date:** Narrow down search results by selecting the week or month of publication. * **Interact with the Tribute Page:** Online obituaries often feature a guestbook where visitors can leave condolences, share memories, upload photos, or send flowers to the family. ### Accessing Historical Archives If you are conducting genealogical research or looking for an older obituary, the digital search on the newspaper's website may be limited to recent years. For older records, you can visit local libraries in Schuylkill County, such as the Pottsville Free Public Library, which maintains microfilm archives of the *Republican-Herald* and its predecessor publications. Online historical newspaper databases may also provide digitized access to older editions.
