An obituary written from the facts you give
Obituaries follow a familiar order, but finding the sentences while arranging a funeral is hard. Give us the facts and one or two details that were truly theirs, and receive three versions ready for the funeral home, the newspaper and the people who need to know.
- A full obituary for the funeral home website or an online memorial
- A shorter newspaper version (papers usually charge by the line)
- A short announcement to share by email or social media
- 1 revision included
Who it is for
- The funeral home asked the family for an obituary
- You have the facts but not the sentences
- You want the family names, dates and service details laid out correctly
A real delivery, unedited
This is exactly what the assistant wrote on September 30, 2026 for the answers below, with no editing on our part, after the automatic fact check that compares every sentence with the answers and removes anything they do not contain. The answers are fictional: the person and the memories were invented for this example.
The answers given
- What you need: Obituary (full, newspaper and online versions)
- Name of the person who died: Harold Lee Jenkins
- Your relationship to them: his son
- Age, and dates of birth and death: 79; born June 1947; died September 26, 2026
- Where they were born, lived and died: born in Knoxville, Tennessee; lived in Chattanooga for 50 years; died at home
- Family who survive them: wife of 54 years, Carol; sons Michael (Dana) and Steven; four grandchildren, Ava, Luke, Mia and Owen; sister Janice Pruitt
- Family who died before them (optional): his parents, Earl and Mae Jenkins; his brother, Donald
- Life story: school, work, service, community: U.S. Army 1966-1968; 34 years as a mail carrier; Little League umpire for 20 years; member of his local United Methodist church
- What they loved, and one detail that was so them: He knew every dog on his mail route by name and carried biscuits in his pocket for them.
- Three words that describe them: steady, kind, dry humor
- Service details (optional): visitation Thursday, October 1, 5-7 pm at the funeral home; service Friday, October 2, 11 am at his church; burial with military honors
- Memorial donations in lieu of flowers (optional): the local animal shelter
- Tone: Warm and personal
- Faith references: Christian
Full obituary
237 wordsHarold Lee Jenkins, 79, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, died at home on September 26, 2026.
Harold was born in June 1947 in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Earl and Mae Jenkins. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968. He later made his home in Chattanooga, where he lived for 50 years. He worked for 34 years as a mail carrier, and he spent 20 years as a Little League umpire. He was a member of his local United Methodist church.
Harold was steady and kind, with a dry sense of humor. On his mail route, he knew every dog by name and carried biscuits in his pocket for them.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol; his sons, Michael (Dana) and Steven; four grandchildren, Ava, Luke, Mia and Owen; and his sister, Janice Pruitt. He was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Mae Jenkins, and his brother, Donald.
Visitation will be held Thursday, October 1, from 5 to 7 pm at the funeral home. A service will be held Friday, October 2, at 11 am at his church, followed by burial with military honors.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the local animal shelter, in honor of a man who loved the dogs on his route.
The family is grateful for every kindness shown to Harold and to them. We trust him to God's care.
Newspaper version
117 wordsHarold Lee Jenkins, 79, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, died at home on September 26, 2026. Born in June 1947 in Knoxville to Earl and Mae Jenkins, he served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, worked 34 years as a mail carrier, and umpired Little League for 20 years. He was a member of his local United Methodist church. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol; sons Michael (Dana) and Steven; four grandchildren; and sister Janice Pruitt. Visitation is Thursday, October 1, 5-7 pm at the funeral home. Service is Friday, October 2, at 11 am at his church, with burial with military honors. Memorial donations may be made to the local animal shelter.
Online announcement
67 wordsWith sad hearts, our family shares that my father, Harold Lee Jenkins, died at home on September 26, 2026, at the age of 79. Visitation will be Thursday, October 1, from 5 to 7 pm at the funeral home. His service will be Friday, October 2, at 11 am at his church, with burial with military honors. Memorial gifts may be made to the local animal shelter.
What you receive
Three versions, written from your answers alone: the full obituary for the funeral home website or an online memorial, a newspaper version that keeps the essentials when space is paid for, and a short online announcement to share by email, text or social media. Survivors are listed exactly as you give them, in the usual American order.
If you only need a first draft and prefer to write it yourself, the free obituary template assembles the standard sentences from your answers in your browser.
Before you decide
What if a date or a name is wrong?
The assistant uses only the facts you type, so check them before you submit. If something needs fixing, use the included revision or edit the text directly before you send it to the funeral home or newspaper.
Who or what writes it?
An AI writing assistant, guided by rules we wrote: the usual American obituary order, survivors listed exactly as you give them, no invented facts. You review it before it is published.
What if it does not work for me?
Write to us within 14 days and we refund you in full. If the text cannot be written at all, you are refunded automatically.
Common questions
Should the obituary include the cause of death?
Only if the family wants it. Many obituaries say "passed away peacefully" or simply give the date. If you do not type a cause, none will be mentioned.
Can I send it directly to the newspaper?
Check it first. Newspapers and funeral homes each have their own rules and prices, often by the line or by the word, and some edit obituaries to their style. The newspaper version is kept short for that reason.
What details should I leave out for safety?
Many families leave out a full date of birth, a home address and the exact times when the house will be empty, because published obituaries can be read by anyone. Month and year of birth, and the city, are usually enough.