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I understand that nowadays obituaries are paid for by the surviving family so there is one reason.
But since doing some genealogical research I find it extremely informational to read newspaper obituaries and learn more about how people died. Not always possible to find death certificates. One of my great-greats near relatives committed suicide due to severe poor health and possible depression and the 1930's newspaper write-up was very specific about how and what occurred. No family member ever mentioned it.
I wonder if I can specify that my obit be honest about my death. I would have nothing to hide at that point.
Recently a local obit was very specific and I could tell the spouse and the deceased meant it that way. She died because (as they thought) a RX prescribed to the deceased caused "black spots to appear on her legs" and shortly thereafter infection which caused her death. That was very eye-opening and she was doing a public service for many others.
Maybe my Catholic upbringing makes me accept death more matter-of-factly.
When it's a person in the public eye we get a lot more information about their death if it is unexpected, lately it has been suicide.
I am not a morbid person, normal in curiosity but not too nosy.
Some obituaries do imply the cause of death by including things like "The family requests that memorials be given to the Alzheimer's Association/Colon Cancer Awareness/American Heart Society/Etc." or specifically list "Mr. Smith passed away after a long term battle with XYZ disease."
Now, if I had listed in my late husband's obituary, "Mr. germaine2626 died due to fatal complications resulting from significant staff errors at the ABC nursing home, in My Town, Wisconsin." I would probably be facing numerous lawsuits. (IMHO, it is better to file a formal complaint with the state so that the facility is investigated and other families do not have to face the same loss. Now, that is the true public service.)
Nowadays, when someone in their teens, 20's, 30's maybe even 40's dies, the family should at least say "died of natural causes", otherwise, many people will assume it was probably a drug overdose.
Nowadays, when someone in their teens, 20's, 30's maybe even 40's dies, the family should at least say "died of natural causes", otherwise, many people will assume it was probably a drug overdose.
You make a good point. Our minds do want answers and will often go the the simplest explanation even if it's not fair to the deceased or their family.
Survivors writing the obit don't have the experience a newspaper writer would have to hint at the cause and give people a clue.
I think that's one reason people clam up about talking about someone who died under age 80, afraid to say something because they don't really know what happened and gossipy people make stuff up.
My brother wrote a fantastic obit for our father detailing some of his life's highlights but didn't list cause of death (78 y. o.) because there were so many things wrong at that point, Parkinson's, heart failure, etc. At that age people don't really ask questions.
Some obituaries do imply the cause of death by including things like "The family requests that memorials be given to the Alzheimer's Association/Colon Cancer Awareness/American Heart Society/Etc." or specifically list "Mr. Smith passed away after a long term battle with XYZ disease."
Now, if I had listed in my late husband's obituary, "Mr. germaine2626 died due to fatal complications resulting from significant staff errors at the ABC nursing home, in My Town, Wisconsin." I would probably be facing numerous lawsuits. (IMHO, it is better to file a formal complaint with the state so that the facility is investigated and other families do not have to face the same loss. Now, that is the true public service.)
So sorry for your loss, especially under those circumstances.
This is exactly where more information would be useful but the lawsuit issue keeps it silent.
I've also found that the Silent Generation and Greatest Gen. are pretty mum about this stuff.
Someone I know age 80 had a routine colonoscopy and her GI perforated her colon. She ended up with peritonitis (not a small thing at her age) hospitalized for a week. I asked the name of her GI and she did not want to say his name. Isn't that crazy?
My small local hospital gets the highest A rating in our state (not the one she went to) and I have been to the ER there and got great treatment. Yet people here routinely go the the hospital in the larger city nearby which has reports of much higher infection rates and a C report from state. Yep, that's where she went.
[quote=twinkletwinkle22;52190221]I understand that nowadays obituaries are paid for by the surviving family so there is one reason.
This is the reason- it is now up to the writer of the obit. We're seeing some very odd obits nowadays and probably many that will genealogically insignificant- who knows that what's written is remotely true?
why don't obituaries state cause of death any more?
Did they ever?
I'm not a big obituary guy, at least not yet, but I don't recall seeing anything like "John Smith succumbed to throat cancer on Sunday...".
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