Behind the Scenes: Obituaries: A department of one

And sometimes they’re angry — though that doesn’t happen very often. Grief manifests itself in different ways.

If I’m being honest, though, the hardest part of being the obituary department is deadlines. Because those are non-negotiable. And trying to explain that the paper has already gone to press when someone is asking over and over if there’s anything I can do is not fun.

We are a Wednesday paper that goes to press on Mondays by 3:30 p.m. Because our paper gets printed in Salem, that means we have to send pages (electronically, yay technology) to the printshop so they can get the finished newspapers on the truck back to Hood River early Tuesday morning. From there, it’s picked up by a couple of our employees, who must get it to post offices by a certain time in order for it to go out for delivery on Wednesday.

It’s a process is what I’m saying. And it hinges on us being done at a certain time.

My obituary deadline is noon on Monday. The page is one of the last to get finished, specifically so we can allow loved ones as much time as possible to get submissions turned in. Deadline really should be at 9 a.m. because it takes me time to contact families to let them know I’ve received their obituary, get their okay and payment, proof the copy and then place it on the page — where it gets proofed again. Depending on how many obituaries have come in, that can take several hours to accomplish.

But anyway, once noon hits, we start laying out the obituaries page — even if I’m still waiting on a phone call or editing. Sometimes it’s obvious that I’ll need a second page in order to get all of that week’s submissions in. Sometimes I don’t know until 11:59 a.m. If I do need additional space, that might mean upending a page that has already been laid out. (Which is also why we never promise a run date for press releases — there are too many variables on deadline day.)

Though I try to get everything in, eventually I do have to call it a day — there gets to a point where there isn’t any more time for changes or additions. There have been times I have gotten very late submissions Monday and had to be the bearer of bad news: No print edition this week.

It’s not all bad, though: I can always put the obituary online on our website before the next print edition, or update the online death notices and service announcements page. And think how early you are for next week!

Other things to keep in mind:

Yes, we charge for obituaries. Yes, even if your loved one has lived in the Gorge all their lives. Obits start at $100 — approximately 250 words and a photo — and go up from there. I’ve heard that our obituaries are very reasonably priced, and I’ve heard they are exploitatively high. The bottom line is that the newspaper is a business. We don’t go to the coffee shop and say, “Oh, well, I think coffee should be free.” I mean, you might actually think it should be free, but you understand why it is not.

No, I will not let you edit an obituary someone else has submitted. Sometimes people cannot agree on the wording of an obituary — or what photo to use. The bottom line is whoever pays for the obituary gets the final say. It is perfectly acceptable, and happens more often than you might think, for different parties to submit obituaries for the same person. (Even for the same issue.)

Yes, I can get you hard copies of your loved one’s obituary, or send a PDF of the obituaries page, or share the online link.

No, I cannot write your obituary for you. Sometimes I get random names and dates scribbled on a sheet of paper — that counts as asking me to write it.

Yes, you are always welcome to give me a call or send an email with specific obituary questions (or any question, really. I love talking about the paper): trishaw@gorgenews.com (or obits@gorgenews.com); 541-386-1234 ext. 109.