How to Write and Submit an Obituary to the Morning Call
The Morning Call runs obituaries daily in their Allentown, Pennsylvania edition and on their website. Getting one published isn't difficult, but there are a few things they require and a few ways people mess it up on the first submission. I've handled this for dozens of families over the years, so here's what actually matters. First, understand the format. The Morning Call accepts obituary submissions through their online portal or by phone. They publish them in both the print edition and on their website. The process takes about 15 minutes if you have the information ready. If you don't, it can stretch to an hour or more depending on how much research you need to do. The key details you need upfront are the full legal name, date of birth, date of death, city of residence, and the name of the funeral home handling arrangements. Surviving family members should be listed in order: spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, then siblings. The paper usually lists them as "survived by" without going into exhaustive detail, though they'll include whoever the family specifies.
I learned the hard way that the Morning Call does not accept obituaries written entirely in all caps. A few years ago, a family submitted one where every line was uppercase because they thought it looked more formal. The copy desk rejected it and called me back. You need to write it in standard sentence case. It reads better anyway.
What Makes an Obituary Work
The most common mistake I see is treating the obituary like a resume. Lists of achievements read flat. People want to know who the person was, not just what they did. Mention the hobby they spent their weekends on. Note the restaurant they used to frequent. Include one specific detail that makes them recognizable to friends and neighbors. This is what separates a generic notice from something people actually remember. Biographical sketches work best when they're chronological but not rigid. Lead with the death information and current residence, move through life highlights briefly, then list survivors. Keep the tone consistent with how the family wants to remember them. Some families prefer solemn language. Others want humor and warmth. The Morning Call will publish either approach as long as it's factual and respectful.
Get the Full Details
Submission Process and Costs
You can submit directly through the Morning Call's website at mcall.com. They have a dedicated obituary section where you'll fill out a form. There's also a phone line for people who prefer to talk to someone. Both routes go through the same editorial team. Pricing depends on length and format. A basic text-only obituary runs around $200 to $350 depending on word count. Including a photograph adds a fee, usually between $50 and $100 depending on size. Memorial ads placed by funeral homes cost more but sometimes families bundle the obituary and ad together. I'd recommend checking current rates directly with the paper since pricing changes periodically. Turnaround time is typically 24 to 48 hours for standard submissions. If you need it published sooner, call ahead and ask about expedited processing. They can sometimes fit an obituary into the next day's edition if space allows, but this isn't guaranteed and usually costs extra.
Photos and Formatting Details
Submit a clear, recent photograph if you can. A headshot works fine. Group photos tend to get rejected because the subjects are hard to identify. Digital files should be at least 300 DPI and in JPEG or PNG format. Scanning a physical photo at home usually produces poor results. If you don't have a digital image, the funeral home can often scan one for you at no charge. The Morning Call does not allow images with watermarks or logos from other publications. This sounds obvious but happens more often than you'd expect. Also, avoid submitting photos that are too large in file size. Files over 5 MB get rejected by their upload system and slow down the entire process. Keep your image under 3 MB to be safe.
When Things Go Wrong
I encountered a situation last year where a family submitted an obituary that contained an incorrect maiden name. The error wasn't caught before publication. By the time we noticed it, the obituary was already online. Fixing it required a correction notice the following day, which is awkward for the family and adds another charge. Always triple-check names, dates, and spellings before submitting. Ask two or three different people to review it independently. This catches about 90 percent of errors before they become problems. Another edge case is when the person who passed away had lived in multiple cities. The Morning Call typically lists the city of residence at the time of death. If the family wants to acknowledge previous residences, mention them in the text rather than trying to make it a separate section. The layout doesn't accommodate multiple location headers.
Alternatives to Consider
If the Morning Call isn't reaching the right audience, consider broader platforms. Legacy.com aggregates obituaries from newspapers nationwide and lets you submit once to multiple outlets. Funeral home websites also publish notices that get shared automatically. Some families choose to skip the newspaper entirely and post memorial content directly on social media, though this lacks the permanence and reach of a printed record. The Morning Call remains a solid choice for the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas because it reaches the demographic most likely to have known the deceased. Older readers, longtime residents, and community members who follow local news are still engaged with the paper. For a younger or more dispersed family, adding an online-only option might make more sense as a supplement rather than a replacement. The best obituaries are the ones that feel true to the person. Spend time gathering stories from people who knew them well. Write clearly. Check everything twice. Submit early enough to allow for revisions. That's really all there is to it.
