Submitting an Obituary to the Sheboygan Press: A Practical Guide
The Sheboygan Press runs a solid local obituary section, and if you've never put one through before, it can feel more complicated than it actually is. I've helped several families navigate the process over the years, mostly because people tend to panic when they're already dealing with grief and deadlines. Here's how it works. You start by gathering the essential information: full legal name, date of birth, date of death, place of death, surviving family members, and a brief life summary. The Press typically charges by line or by word count, and the current rate runs somewhere around fifteen to twenty-five dollars per line depending on whether you're running a standard notice or a more elaborate commemorative piece with a photo. The submission process happens through their online portal, which you can find on the Sheboygan Press website under the obituaries or notices section. There's also a phone number if you prefer to call and do it over the phone with a real person. Some people actually prefer that route because you can bounce wording off someone who's done this a hundred times. I usually recommend the phone option for first-time submitters.
Photos cost extra. A single black-and-white photo is typically two hundred to three hundred dollars on top of the base price. Color runs higher. If you're on a tight budget, skip the photo and put that money toward extending the life summary instead. People remember the words, not the picture in the paper. One thing nobody tells you upfront: there's a verification period. The funeral home usually submits the obituary on behalf of the family, and it goes through a quick editorial check before publication. This can add anywhere from a few hours to a day depending on when you submit relative to their deadline. I learned this the hard way once when a family wanted something published within twelve hours of passing. The editor was reasonable and worked with us, but most places won't guarantee next-day unless you pay for expedited placement. Plan for forty-eight hours minimum from submission to print. Here's the counter-intuitive part that trips people up: writing the obituary itself. Most families either make it too formal and stiff, or they include way too much biographical detail that readers gloss over. The sweet spot is about three to five paragraphs covering the key life events, career highlights, hobbies, and the people who survive them. Skip the high school sports stats unless that person genuinely made a name for themselves athletically. Nobody needs to know you lettered in junior high football.
Another thing beginners miss: predeceased relatives matter. List them, but keep it brief. "Preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary, and his brother Robert" works fine. Don't list every distant aunt and uncle unless the family specifically wants that done. It burns lines and money. Churches and organizations sometimes want to be mentioned. That's fine, but again, keep it short. A single sentence at the end covering service details or donation preferences is standard and expected. Anything longer starts reading like a advertisement, and the editor might trim it anyway. The biggest bottleneck I've seen is when families can't agree on what gets included. One side wants to emphasize military service, the other wants to highlight a decades-long career. Compromise usually means splitting the obituary into two sections within the same notice. The Press allows that. It doesn't cost extra. Just flag it to the editor early so they know what to expect.
Get the Full Details
If you're working with a funeral home, they often handle the submission for you. That's convenient but it can also mean less control over the final wording. I've had families call me after seeing the draft and wanting to change half of it. By then it's already been submitted and there's limited window to make edits. If you want direct oversight, submit it yourself through the Press portal rather than letting the funeral director take care of it entirely. Word choice matters more than people think. Words like "beloved," "devoted," and "cherished" are standard but overused. They don't add much information. A simple factual statement carries more weight in the long run. "She taught third grade for thirty-two years at Washington Elementary" tells the reader something real without relying on filler adjectives. Payment is handled at the time of submission. Credit card only, no checks. The Press requires full payment before publication, so have that ready. You'll also need to provide a valid email address for confirmation and proof of the final layout before it goes to print. That proof step is important. Read it carefully. Spelling errors in names are the most common correction request, and fixing them after publication can be difficult and expensive.
The digital version of the obituary stays online indefinitely, which is actually one advantage this publication has over some smaller papers. People can find it years later through search engines. That longevity is worth considering when deciding how much detail to include upfront. Something concise might feel right today but could seem insufficient to someone reading it five years from now looking for information about that person's life. If cost is a concern, consider a simple paid death notice instead of a full obituary. Death notices are shorter, cheaper, and still meet the legal requirements if that's what your family needs. The tradeoff is less personal content, but it's a valid option worth discussing with the Press staff before you commit to the more expensive format. The deadline for same-week publication is usually mid-afternoon on the day before the issue goes to press. For the Thursday printed edition, that means submitting by Wednesday afternoon. Weekend editions operate on different timelines. Call ahead if your situation is time-sensitive.
