Correcting an Obituary: What to Do When There’s a Mistake

Mistakes happen, especially when you’re grieving. One of the most common questions I get is: How do you correct an obituary?

The short answer: It depends. The right steps vary depending on how the obituary was published and who made the mistake.

Here’s a breakdown of the four most common scenarios and how to handle them.

Scenario 1: The Newspaper Made a Typo

You submitted an obituary to your local newspaper, but they printed it with a typo—maybe a misspelled name, wrong date, or missing detail.

✅ What to do:
Call the newspaper as soon as possible and politely explain the mistake. If the error was theirs, they should correct and reprint the obituary at no cost.

🤝 Tip: Be kind. Newspaper teams are stretched thin these days, and mistakes aren’t personal.

Scenario 2: You Submitted the Wrong Information

Maybe you accidentally typed the wrong birthdate or got a name or time wrong. You didn’t catch the mistake before submitting it.

✅ What to do:
Contact the newspaper, explain the correction, and ask for a revised obituary to be published. In this case, since the error originated from your submission, you’ll likely need to pay for the correction.

💡 Reminder: It’s always smart to have a family member (or two) review an obituary before you send it.

Scenario 3: You Found an Error in an Online Obituary

Digital obituaries are typically published on funeral home websites or digital newspaper platforms. The good news? They’re usually the easiest to correct.

✅ What to do:
Reach out to the funeral home or website staff. Most will allow edits or update the obituary for you quickly and without charge.

Scenario 4: There’s an Error in a Historical Obituary

If you spot a mistake in an obituary from years—or decades—ago, it’s unlikely that a newspaper will publish a correction today.

✅ What to do:
Instead, consider submitting the corrected information to a genealogy platform like Ancestry.com or FindAGrave.com. That way, future researchers and relatives will see the updated facts.

Need Help Writing or Editing an Obituary?

You’re not alone. Writing an obituary is emotional, stressful, and time-sensitive. If you need help crafting something meaningful—or correcting a past version—we’re here for you.

👉 Check out our Guide to Writing Obituaries for more support.