Reading Obituaries in the Times Daily Florence: What You Need to Know
When someone in Northwest Alabama dies, most families still go with the local newspaper for their formal notice. The Times Daily Florence runs these notices every day, and they matter more than people outside the area probably realize. I've helped several folks navigate this process over the years, usually when a family member passed away and they needed to get things right. The obituary section at the Times Daily covers Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and the surrounding towns in Limestone and Lauderdale counties. These aren't just brief death notices. Many run two or three pages with full biographical sketches, surviving family lists, service details, and donations information. The newspaper has been publishing these since 1965, which means there is a substantial archive going back decades. Getting an obituary published involves a few steps that most people don't think about until they are actually doing it. First, you decide whether you are writing a traditional newspaper obituary or running a funeral notice. The distinction matters because the fees are different and the editors treat them differently. A full obituary with biographical content typically costs between $150 and $400 depending on length and whether you include a photo. A simple funeral notice runs about $50 to $75.
The submission process is straightforward but has some wrinkles. You can submit online through their website, email it, or drop off a typed copy at the newspaper office on 555 8th Street in Florence. Their deadline for same-day publication is usually 3 p.m., but if you miss that window the piece gets pushed to the next morning. I learned this the hard way in 2019 when my uncle died on a Thursday afternoon and I didn't catch the timing. The notice ran on Friday instead of Thursday, which meant it missed the actual service. Now I always aim for Wednesday if the death happens mid-week. One thing that trips people up is the photo policy. They accept digital images via email in JPEG or PNG format, but the resolution needs to be at least 300 DPI at the printed size they want. Most families send phone pictures that are way too small and end up getting pixelated in print. I always tell people to either use a professional headshot or take a photo with a decent camera against a plain background and save it at full resolution before emailing it in. The editorial staff will review submissions for obvious errors like misspelled names or incorrect dates, but they do not do line editing on content. If you want something phrased a certain way, you have to get it right the first time. Corrections after publication cost extra and run in a separate short notice. There is no free rewrite pass.
If you need to look up a past obituary, the Times Daily keeps an online archive that goes back several years. The search function is functional but clunky. You can search by last name and approximate date range. For records older than about five years, the digital archive gets spotty and you may need to contact the newspaper directly or visit the Lawrence County Public Library microfiche collection. I once spent an hour tracking down a great-aunt's 1987 obituary through the library because the online system only had records from roughly 2018 onward. Another detail worth noting: the Times Daily publishes companion obituaries through a partner service called Legacy.com. This means when you submit through the newspaper, your notice may also appear on their national obituary aggregation site. Some families find this helpful because distant relatives and old friends who moved away can find the notice more easily. Others prefer to keep everything local and opt out of the syndication. You can request exclusion at the time of submission, though it adds a small surcharge to the legacy posting if you decide later you want it removed. For people who want to honor someone without going through the traditional route, there are alternatives. Local funeral homes often maintain their own online memorials that link to church bulletins and community boards. Social media tributes have become common, especially for younger deceased. But for older residents and established families in Northwest Alabama, the Times Daily obituary still carries weight. It is the public record that the community expects, and skipping it can draw uncomfortable questions from people who do not understand why you chose not to publish.
Get the Full Details
The bottom line is that it is a manageable process if you plan ahead. Gather the essential information before you start: full legal name, date of death, surviving immediate family, service location and time, and your preferred donation recipients. Have a photo ready at the correct resolution. Submit early in the day to avoid deadline stress. And double-check every name spelling against official documents before you hit send.
