Writing and Publishing an Obituary in St. Marys, PA: What Actually Works
I spent three years helping people at my former church handle death notices when the family was too overwhelmed to do it themselves. St. Marys is small enough that everyone knows everyone, which means the stakes on getting this right feel higher than they do in a big city. Here is how you actually get it done without losing your mind. The main place obituaries run for St. Marys is the St. Marys Evening Times. They also pick up submissions through the Karns City Tribune if the family lives closer to that side. There are online memorial sites like Legacy.com that pull from multiple papers, but if you want the obituary to actually appear where people in town will see it, the Evening Times is the one that matters most. You submit directly to the newspaper's obituary desk. You can email it or call. I found that calling while someone is actually at their desk during business hours gets you a faster turnaround than email, usually same-day or next-day publication. Email tends to queue for the next print cycle. If you need something out fast because a service is happening within 48 hours, call.
The standard word count runs about 200 to 400 words depending on the section. Longer pieces cost more per line. I learned that the hard way when I accidentally sent a 600-word draft and got hit with an extra charge I didn't expect. Keep it tight. Most people read the front-section obits once and move on. Photos are accepted but they are not free. A small grayscale photo in the print edition runs an additional fee. Digital-only versions on the paper's website sometimes allow a photo at no extra cost, which is worth asking about. I always recommend requesting the digital-only version with a photo attached rather than paying for print inclusion unless the family specifically wants it in the paper copy.
What to Include and What to Leave Out
A standard obituary for this area follows a pretty rigid structure. Lead with full name, age, city of residence, and date of death. Then list surviving family members in the typical order: spouse, children, grandchildren, parents if applicable. Mention predeceased relatives briefly. Include service details. That is basically it. People want to add personal touches. I understand that. But the editors here will cut anything that feels like a biography. Anecdotes about the person's favorite fishing spot or their legendary apple pie do not belong in the obituary itself. Put that in a separate memory card or a social media post. The newspaper wants facts, not storytelling. One thing I noticed repeatedly: local obituaries in St. Marys tend to emphasize church involvement, veteran status, and long-term employment at local employers like Kennametal or the hospital system. If the deceased served in the military, mention the branch and years. If they were a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church or a local Methodist congregation, include that. It signals to readers who might not have known the person well that this was a rooted community member.
Get the Full Details
The Submission Process
When you submit, you will need the deceased's full legal name, date of birth, date of death, name of the funeral home handling arrangements, and the funeral service information. Have the funeral director's contact info ready because they often coordinate directly with the paper's obituary editor. This shortcut saves time and reduces errors since the funeral home has done this dozens of times. The Evening Times accepts submissions via their online form on their website under the obituaries section, by email to their general news desk, or by phone. The online form is the most reliable because it creates a timestamped record. I recommend using it and then calling to confirm receipt. Payment is required before publication. They accept credit card, check, or money order. If you are working with a funeral home, they usually handle the payment directly. If you are doing it yourself, expect to pay between $75 and $200 depending on length and whether you include a photo. Verify current rates by calling the paper directly since pricing changes occasionally.
A Problem I Ran Into That Others Should Avoid
Once I submitted an obituary for a man whose name was listed as "Robert James Miller" on his death certificate but who had legally gone by "Bob Miller" his entire life in St. Marys. The newspaper published him as "Robert J. Miller" because that is what was on the paperwork. His brother called the paper in a fury because nobody in town called him Robert. We had to run a correction the next day, which delayed the online posting and upset half the family. The workaround is simple: always provide the name the person actually used in daily life as the primary name, and list the legal name in parentheses or in the "also known as" field if the paper has one. Call ahead and ask the editor what they prefer, because some will insist on the legal name first. The most frequent error I see is incomplete survivor information. People forget to list a surviving sibling or an ex-spouse who was relevant to the family structure. The paper does not verify this information. They print what you give them. If you leave someone out, they will notice after publication and it causes real family friction. Triple-check the family list before submitting. Another mistake is providing wrong service times. I once saw an obituary list a visitation at 4 PM when it was actually scheduled for 5 PM. The funeral home gave the incorrect time to whoever filled out the form, and it printed that way for three days before anyone caught it. Always confirm service details directly with the funeral home or church, not from memory or a text message someone forwarded to you.
Online Alternatives
If you do not need the print version, Legacy.com allows free obituary postings that stay up indefinitely and can include photos, guest books, and tribute videos. This is useful for distant relatives who will not see the local paper. However, in a town the size of St. Marys, most people still rely on the print edition. So the ideal approach is to publish in the Evening Times and then cross-post to Legacy.com for free. That covers both audiences. Some families also use memorial platforms like ForeverMissed or Funerary, which offer more customization. These are fine if the audience includes people outside the area. But if your main goal is letting the community know, the local paper remains the most effective channel.
Turnaround Expectations
For print, expect submission by 2 PM for next-day publication. Late submissions run the risk of being held for two days or pushed to the online-only section. If you submit after 2 PM, call the office to find out whether tomorrow's edition is still possible. Editors are usually willing to accommodate urgent requests if you ask politely. Digital postings go up the same day even if you miss the print deadline, usually within a few hours. This is the safety net most people do not know about. If you are rushing, get the digital version posted first while you sort out the print details. The whole process from drafting to publication should take you roughly 30 to 60 minutes if you have the information organized. Most of that time is spent calling the funeral home to confirm details, not writing. So do not wait until the last hour to start gathering names and dates. Have everything ready before you sit down to write.
