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Losing someone is heavy. It's a weight that doesn't just sit on your chest; it complicates your schedule and your brain. When you're trying to figure out fort worth star obits, the last thing you want is a clunky website or a confusing submission process. Honestly, most people think they can just shoot an email to a general inbox and hope for the best.
It doesn't work that way anymore.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a legacy. Founded way back in 1906, it’s survived everything from the Great Depression to the digital collapse of local news. But because it’s so old-school yet trying to be new-school, finding an obituary—or placing one—is kinda like a scavenger hunt if you don't know the shortcuts. You've got the physical paper, the digital archives, and then the third-party platforms like Legacy.com that actually host the "living" versions of these tributes.
Finding Fort Worth Star Obits Without the Headache
If you're looking for a friend or a distant relative, you’ll probably start at the Star-Telegram website. It’s the natural move. However, you’ll notice quickly that they redirect you to a partner site. Most of the current fort worth star obits are actually powered by Legacy.com.
This is actually a good thing. Why? Because Legacy allows for Guest Books. You can see photos, read what other people wrote, and even get notifications if someone else leaves a comment. It’s more of a community space than just a block of text in a Sunday paper.
Searching the Archives
If you need something older—like, really older—you can't just scroll. For deaths between 1966 and 1993, the Fort Worth Public Library is actually your best friend. They keep a specialized index. They won't show you the full text for free online, but they have the microfilm. If you're out of state, you can even email their Social Science and Periodicals Unit (perdocs@fortworthlibrary.org) and for a small fee (usually around $5-$7), they'll dig it up for you.
For anything from 1994 to the present, the digital archive on the Star-Telegram site is your primary tool. Just remember that searching by "Date of Death" is often less accurate than searching by "Date of Publication." Papers sometimes run obituaries a week or more after the passing.
The Reality of Placing an Obituary
People are often shocked by the price. "It's just words," they say. Well, in the world of fort worth star obits, those words have a premium.
Pricing starts around $55, but that’s the bare minimum. That’s like the "economy class" of obituaries. If you want a photo—and you almost always should—the price jumps. If you want it to run for multiple days, the price jumps again.
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Why the Cost Varies
- Line Count: You aren't paying for the story; you're paying for the real estate on the page.
- Photos: A black-and-white photo is cheaper than color, but most people go digital-first anyway.
- Digital Extras: The "permanent" hosting on Legacy.com often carries its own fee, sometimes around $149 if you aren't bundling it with a print ad.
Honestly, the best way to handle this is through your funeral director. They do this every day. They have the portals. They know the deadlines (which are usually 24-48 hours before the print date). If you try to do it yourself via the dfw.obituaries.com portal, just be ready to have your credit card and a high-resolution JPEG handy.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Content
There’s a trend lately of writing "life stories" instead of "death notices." While that’s beautiful, it gets expensive fast. I’ve seen families spend $800 on a single obituary because they included every single grandchild’s middle name and a poem about fly fishing.
Keep the "must-haves" in the paid section:
- Full name (and nickname).
- Service times and locations.
- Where to send donations (this saves you from getting 50 bouquets of lilies you don't want).
Save the long-winded stories for the digital Guest Book or the memorial service program. It’s more intimate there anyway.
Fact-Checking is on You
The paper doesn't fact-check your obituary. If you spell your Aunt's name wrong, it's going to be wrong in history. Double-check the dates. Then triple-check them. Once that ink hits the paper for the Sunday edition, it’s permanent.
Actionable Steps for Success
If you’re currently in the thick of this, take a breath. It’s a lot. To make fort worth star obits work for you without losing your mind or your savings, do this:
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- Check the Funeral Home First: Most Fort Worth funeral homes (like Greenwood or Thompson’s) include a basic online obituary on their website for free. Link to that on social media instead of paying for a 5-day print run.
- Use the Library for Genealogy: If you’re doing family research, don't pay for those "find a record" sites yet. Call the Fort Worth Public Library at 817-871-7721. They are incredibly helpful and way cheaper.
- Draft Offline: Don't write the obit in the submission portal. Use a Word doc or Google Doc. It prevents the session from timing out and losing your work.
- Ask for the Package Price: Sometimes running an ad in the Star-Telegram and a smaller local paper (like one in Arlington or Northeast Tarrant) comes with a bundle discount.
Getting the word out about a loved one shouldn't be a financial burden or a technical nightmare. By using the digital archives for search and being strategic about your print choices, you can honor their memory without the unnecessary stress.