1. Gather the facts
Collect names, dates and places before writing anything.
Checklist
- Full legal name, nickname, maiden name
- Date and place of birth
- Date and place of death
- Current city of residence
- Parents' names, including mother's maiden name
- Spouse or partner, and marriage date
- Children in birth order, with cities
- Number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren
- Schools, degrees, graduation years
- Employers, job titles, years of service
- Military branch, rank, years, conflicts
- Church, clubs, unions, volunteer groups
Work from documents, not memory. A funeral home's vital statistics form, an old résumé or a wedding programme settles dates relatives remember differently.
Record the full legal name and the name people actually used. Both belong in the notice.
Include maiden names. Often the only way former classmates and distant cousins make the connection.
Tip Read every proper noun aloud to one other relative before publishing. Spoken review catches what silent proofreading misses.
Avoid Birth date + birthplace + mother's maiden name is exactly what identity thieves need. Omitting the birth year is entirely acceptable.