Writing and Submitting Death Notices to the Peoria Journal Star
I've helped dozens of families navigate death notices over the years, mostly through friends who didn't know where to start. The Peoria Journal Star has a fairly straightforward process, but there are enough quirks that you'll waste time if you just show up cold. Here's how it actually works. The first thing to understand is the difference between an obituary and a death notice. An obituary is a full article with biographical details, usually written by the newspaper or a professional service. A death notice is a concise announcement, often just the facts — name, dates, surviving family, funeral arrangements. The Journal Star charges by the line or by word count for death notices. As of my last check, it runs roughly $5 to $8 per line depending on length. A standard short notice can easily run $150 to $300. Longer, more detailed ones go up from there. Factor that into your planning before you start drafting. Submission used to require calling the obituaries desk directly. Now you can submit online through their website or by phone. The online portal is slower during peak hours, usually evenings and weekends when most people are trying to file. I recommend submitting during weekday afternoons if you can. The staff is more responsive and can catch errors before publication.
Here's what you need to have ready: the full legal name of the deceased, date of death, age at death, a list of immediate family members (both those who preceded them in death and those surviving), the funeral home handling arrangements, service details including date and location, and optionally a brief biography or mention of survivors beyond the immediate family. The newspaper will verify the death against public records, so make sure the details match what's on file. Mismatches cause delays. I ran into a specific problem last year when a family submitted a notice with the wrong spelling of the deceased's middle name — it didn't match the death certificate or the Social Security records. The paper held the notice for three days while they tried to confirm the correct spelling. The family missed the desired publication date entirely because of a single letter. The workaround was straightforward: pull the death certificate or the funeral director's paperwork before submitting anything. Don't rely on memory. Have the document in front of you when you fill out the form. The timeline for publication varies. Standard placement runs about 24 to 48 hours after submission and payment. If you need it published sooner, ask about rush placement, though that typically costs extra and isn't always available depending on the edition cycle. The Sunday edition has a larger death notice section, which means more visibility but also a higher chance of your notice getting buried at the bottom if it's short. Some families choose to run a longer notice on a weekday when the competition for space is lower.
One thing most people miss: you can request a complimentary copy of the paper on microfilm or digital archive for your records. The Journal Star keeps these for a long time, and having your own copy is useful if you need to reference the notice later for genealogical research or legal purposes. Just ask the staff when you submit. Photo inclusion is another option that's worth considering. You can upload a photograph along with the notice for an additional fee. A clear, recent headshot works best. Blurry phone pictures get printed poorly and don't do the person any favors. If you're going to include a photo, take the time to get a decent scan or digital copy first. The biggest pitfall I see is families trying to write the notice themselves without guidance and then spending hours editing it down to fit the line limits. Death notices have a sweet spot. Too short and they look impersonal. Too long and you're paying for every extra line. Aim for about 10 to 15 lines if you want something substantial without overspending. The staff can help you trim, but they won't rewrite it for you. Come with a draft that's already close to your target length.
Get the Full Details
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Incorrect phone numbers for the funeral home. Outdated addresses for service locations. Missing information about whether the service is public or private. These seem minor but they matter to people reading the paper who want to attend. Double check everything before you hit submit. Another issue is ordering prints of the published notice. The newspaper sells framed copies and reprints, but you have to request those at the time of submission or within a certain window afterward. If you wait too long, you might not be able to get an official copy. Order one or two at submission time just in case. If cost is a concern, consider running the notice online only through the Journal Star's website. It's free to post an online death notice and it stays up indefinitely, whereas the print version is a one-time publication. Many families now choose to do both — a short print notice and a more detailed online version. That gives you coverage across both audiences without doubling the print cost.
The Peoria Journal Star's obituaries desk can be reached at their main newsroom number. Don't be shy about asking questions. The staff deals with this daily and they've seen every variation of family request imaginable. They'll tell you what will and won't work before you waste time on something that gets rejected. There's no one-size-fits-all approach here. The right choice depends on your budget, your timeline, and how you want to remember the person. But getting the basic details right and submitting them cleanly will save you stress during a difficult time. That's the main thing worth remembering.
