Working With Pugh Funeral Home Asheboro Obits
Getting an obituary right at Pugh Funeral Home in Asheboro isn't rocket science, but there are a few things that trip people up if you've never done it before. They publish through the Randolph County newspaper and on their own site, and the process has some quirks that aren't obvious until you're already in the middle of arranging something. The basic workflow starts when the family contacts Pugh directly or when they've already made funeral arrangements and need the obituary drafted. You provide the biographical information, and their staff formats it for both print and online publication. The standard obituary at Pugh runs about 200 to 400 words for the free tier, with extended versions available for an additional fee. That's typical for most funeral homes in the area. They'll include the death date, place of service, surviving family members, and where donations can be sent if applicable. One thing most people don't realize: you don't have to go through Pugh to publish an obituary. You can submit it directly to the Asheville Citizen-Times or News & Record, or use a free obituary platform like Legacy.com. But there's a reason families stick with Pugh. Their staff already has the service details, the correct spelling of every name, and the church address memorized. When you're dealing with grief and exhaustion, having one point of contact that handles everything is worth the convenience fee. It saves about 30 to 45 minutes of back-and-forth coordination on top of the actual writing time.
I ran into a specific issue a couple years ago with a family who wanted to include a military honor section in the obituary. The veteran had served in Vietnam, but the family only had a discharge papers photocopy that was faded and missing the unit designation. Pugh's staff couldn't verify the service details from what was provided, and the newspaper would reject the piece without proper documentation. The workaround was straightforward once we figured it out: I had the family contact the National Archives through their eVetRecs portal to request an official military summary. That came back within 48 hours with the unit, rank, and dates of service clearly listed. The obituary ran on schedule after that. Without that document, they were looking at a week-long delay or a generic "served in the military" line that didn't feel right to them. Here's the part nobody tells you about editing obituaries after they've been submitted. If you catch an error before publication, Pugh will fix it at no charge. Once it's printed in the newspaper or posted online, corrections cost extra and aren't guaranteed. I've seen families find a misspelled maiden name in the morning after the evening deadline had already passed. By then, the only option was paying for a correction notice in the next edition, which ran another $50 to $75. Always proofread twice before hitting submit. Have someone who wasn't involved in writing it read through the final version. Emotional attachment to the text makes you blind to typos. The online component is worth understanding separately. Pugh's website hosts obituaries indefinitely, which is useful but has a limitation: the page doesn't allow reader comments or memories to be added by visitors unless the family specifically sets up a memorial guestbook through their platform. Some families expect this feature by default and are disappointed when it's not there. If you want people to share stories, you need to request that setup at the time of submission. It takes an extra 10 minutes and a separate form, but it makes a meaningful difference for larger families spread across different states.
Pricing varies but roughly breaks down to about $150 to $300 for a standard printed and online obituary through Pugh. Going direct to the newspaper can drop that to around $100 for print alone, but you lose the consolidated service and the online hosting. Free options exist on Legacy.com, but those obituaries sit in a generic feed where they can get buried quickly, and there's no guarantee they'll link to any memorial content or service information. For a local Asheboro family, having the obituary tied directly to Pugh's page means people searching for the funeral details find everything in one place. Turnaround time is usually 24 to 48 hours from the time you provide the information, assuming everything is complete upfront. Incomplete submissions — missing survivor names, incorrect phone numbers for the service, that sort of thing — push that to 3 to 5 business days. The staff at Pugh are reasonable about this, but they can't rush the newspaper's deadlines on your behalf once the copy is submitted. Plan accordingly. There's also a consideration around photos. Pugh allows one photograph with the obituary at no extra charge. Additional photos run about $25 each. The photo needs to meet specific resolution requirements — they'll tell you the exact specs when you submit. Using a compressed image from social media usually results in pixelation on the printed version. Take the extra five minutes to upload the original file from the camera or phone.
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Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The biggest mistake I see is families listing the wrong address for the visitation or service. Pugh handles the funeral, but if the visitation is at a church instead, that address needs to be correct and clearly labeled. A wrong street number in an obituary creates confusion on the day of the service, and people end up showing up at the wrong location. Always double-check the venue address against the actual building, not just what's written on a template or last year's form. Another issue is failing to specify whether the service is public or private. Some families assume everyone will know based on the wording, but vague language like "private ceremony" without further clarification leads to unsolicited visitors at the family home. State clearly whether the service is closed to the public or if the memorial gathering is open. It's an uncomfortable conversation to have, but it prevents real problems afterward. Be aware that Pugh, like most funeral homes, does not guarantee that their obituary will appear in any specific newspaper. They submit it, but the publication timeline depends on the newspaper's editorial process. If timing is critical — say, someone needs to see the obituary before booking travel — set a hard deadline and communicate it clearly to the staff. They can prioritize accordingly, but they need to know the constraint exists.
Lastly, don't assume the obituary is final after publication. Some families regret not including a particular detail, like a favorite charity or a hobby they wished had been mentioned. You can always request an updated version or a supplemental notice, but the original remains online and in print. If there's something important that was missed, consider adding it to the online memorial page instead, where updates are easier to make without reprinting costs.
