Do you read the obituaries?

[JunieJay]

I never read them, unless I know someone who has died and I need to look up the info on funeral home, etc.

My girlfriend, who I’ve been friends with most of my life, reads them daily (in our hometown newspaper). Almost everyday she calls me to tell me about someone who has died. Only rarely is it someone we know. She’s absolutely obsessed with dead people, I guess. Today she called me at work to tell me about some 80 year old man who she thinks might be our old softball coach (I certainly have NO recollection of this name) has died. She says she might be going by the funeral home tomorrow to see if its him.? Not sure what she plans on saying to his family, since she can't even remember if this is the person who coached our softball team some 35 odd years ago.

She’s 43 years old, but she acts like she’s 80. I’m starting to wonder if she is depressed. She’s never been married and has no kids, maybe she is bored, I don’t know. I just feel bad. I’m not sure if I should say something, or just let her continue on with this.

Any experience with someone like this? Or are you one to read and obsess over the obits?

 

[Bob Slydell]

Not normally, no. My mom used to read them daily, but then, she worked at a nursing home, so she used to look each day to see if any of her residents were in there. I think she still reads them today out of sheer habit, even though she hasn't worked at that home in 15 years or so.

 

[AmazingGrace]

I need to make sure I'm not listed. If I am, then that'd really put a damper on my plans for the day.

 

[oxfordcircus]

I read them sometimes. They can be interesting - to see what someone thought important enough to include.

But I've never stalked any body I've read about in the obits.

 

[pittypat]

Now that my parents have both passed away, I do read the obits on-line from my hometown since I don't live there anymore. I've found out about several former classmates who've parents have died.

 

[MommaPooh]

I read them daily.

 

[Debbie Jean]

DM who is now 77 yo has read them for as long as I can remember... she refers to them as "the Irish sports page"! My folks live in Boston and every morning she goes out for coffee with "the girls" and picks up both the Globe and the Herald ... it's the first section she reads

 

[Deb in IA]

I scan them daily in our hometown paper.


We live in a small town and know a lot of people here.

(We also read the "Divorces" and "Marriages" listings from the County Courthouse, that are published in the paper . . . because we like to keep up on gossip! )

 

[ilovepcot]

I don't bother with reading the obits in the town where I now live because I know so few people here. I do read the online obits from back home because a town of 4,000, there are chances you'll know the deceased. I guarantee it!

 

[Minnesota!]

I read them daily and have since I was old enough to read. I find them fascinating - what people say about their loved one. Some are so eloquently written, even if I didn't know the person, I feel like I did after reading about them.

I try and say a little prayer after I read them - for the passed person and the people he/she left behind.

People put the obits in the paper in hopes that people will read them and realize how loved their loved one was. I am sure they are appreciative of us that read them and know how special this person was....

 

[Mermaid02]

Every day for work- I keep records of a lot of cancer patients and sometimes it's how we find out someone has passed and can take care of our paperwork.

 

[Bob Slydell]

We live in a small town and know a lot of people here.

I think that's an important point. I grew up in a fairly small city, so there was more of a likelihood of knowing people in the obituaries in the paper than there are in a larger city's paper, like were we live now.

 

[SC Minnie]

I grew up in a small town where we knew just about everyone. I read the obits from the Charlotte paper that lists obits from local towns. I have found out about a former co-workers wife who passed away and we were able to attend the funeral that afternoon- meant a lot to him. I have found out about friend's parents this way too.

DH thinks I am just weird.

 

[Oreo Cookie]

No I don't read the obits daily, but my DMIL and DFIL do.

 

[KPeveler]

my mother reads them for work - she works in a voter registration office, so if there is obit of the vote then they get taken off the list.

 

[AprilShowers]

I read them every day. We are in the monument business, so it's important that we keep up with these things.
It's also a small town, and DH and I know alot of people.

 

[MushyMushy]

Yes, I read them whenever I read the paper. I live in a small town, so there is often a person I know in there.

The older I get, the more people that is.

 

[Chuck S]

I think it is more of a small town thing. I never read them in CA unless I had been informed that someone I knew passed away. Here in TX, in a town of about 25K, I read them all the time. They even announce them on the radio.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

Small town over here, I usually only read them if I knew the person(last one was the family member of a HS classmate)

 

[Poohbear123]

I need to make sure I'm not listed. If I am, then that'd really put a damper on my plans for the day.

Me too! I really don't think there is anything wrong with it, twice I found Obits of friends of my DH and we went in respect. They didn't have our phone number so they were glad we saw it in the paper.