Submitting an obituary to Pioneer Press requires specific information and adherence to certain guidelines. For placement, email the details outlined in the obituary checklist below to [email protected]. Currently, online submissions via the website are not available. For any inquiries, please contact the obituary desk directly at 651-228-5263.
General Information Needed for Obituary Submission
When you reach out to Pioneer Press to place an obituary, you will need to provide the following general details for contact and processing purposes:
- Your Full Name
- Address (including City, State, and Zip Code)
- Phone Number
- Alternate Phone Number (optional)
Obituary Specifications for Pioneer Press
To ensure your obituary is accurately and respectfully presented in the Pioneer Press, please prepare the following specifications for your submission:
- Name of the Deceased
- Complete Obituary Text: Compose the obituary content as you wish it to appear.
- Photo Submission: A photograph of the deceased can be included. JPEG or PDF files are preferred for photo submissions. TIF and other file formats are also accepted. Should any issues arise with the photo file, the Pioneer Press team will contact you to resolve them.
- Preferred Ad Run Dates: Indicate the dates you wish for the obituary to be published. Pioneer Press offers discounts for obituaries running for more than one day. To avail of this discount, the schedule must be set upon the first run date. If a photo is included, it must run for all scheduled days to qualify for the discount. Please contact Pioneer Press for detailed discount information.
Pioneer Press Obituary Policies
Adhering to Pioneer Press policies ensures a smooth and respectful obituary placement process. Key policies include verification of death and guidelines for referencing external content.
Verification of Death
To uphold the integrity of obituary publications, Pioneer Press requires verification of death. This is a mandatory step before any obituary can be published. To facilitate this, you must provide the name and phone number of the funeral home or cremation society that is handling the arrangements. Pioneer Press will contact them during their business hours to verify the passing. If the deceased has donated their body to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program, or a similar program, the phone number of that program will be required for verification purposes.
Please allow sufficient time for Pioneer Press to complete the verification process, especially when submitting close to weekend hours or during weekends when business hours may be limited.
Alternatively, a death certificate is also accepted as proof of death. Providing either the funeral home/cremation society contact or a death certificate is necessary for obituary publication.
Guestbook and Outside Websites
Pioneer Press has specific guidelines regarding references to external websites or guestbooks in obituaries. To maintain content control and reader experience within their platform, obituaries published in print and online by Pioneer Press cannot directly reference guestbooks or obituaries hosted on other media sources. However, it is permissible to include a website for the funeral home or a family email address for contact purposes. If you have questions regarding this policy or need clarification, please contact Pioneer Press directly for assistance.
Pioneer Press Obituary Process
The obituary placement process at Pioneer Press is designed to be straightforward and supportive during a sensitive time. Once you have submitted all the necessary information for the obituary, Pioneer Press will prepare a proof for your review. This proof will be sent to you via fax or email before the obituary is published in the newspaper.
This proof is a crucial step as it will include the exact text of the obituary, the scheduled publication dates, and the total price. It is imperative to review this proof with utmost care to ensure all details are correct and to your satisfaction.
Should you find any errors or require changes, Pioneer Press must be notified promptly before the daily deadline. These deadlines are critical for ensuring timely publication in the Pioneer Press. Please be aware that after the obituary has been published, Pioneer Press cannot be held responsible for any errors that were present in the final proofed version.
For online obituaries, any changes post-publication can be managed through the obituary desk. Should you need to make amendments to an online obituary after it has been published, please call Pioneer Press directly for guidance and assistance.
Payment Procedure for Pioneer Press Obituaries
Pioneer Press requires pre-payment for all obituary notices before they are published. Payment must be completed by the specified deadline in the deadline schedule to ensure the obituary appears as requested. After you have received the proof of the obituary and have approved its contents, you will need to arrange payment.
Accepted Payment Methods:
- Credit Card: Payments via credit card are accepted exclusively over the phone due to PCI (Payment Card Industry) regulations. Please call 651-228-5263 to make a credit card payment.
- EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer): Pioneer Press also accepts payments via check by phone. To use this method, you will need to provide your bank routing number and account number when you call.
- Cash: For those who prefer to pay in cash, payments are accepted at the Pioneer Press front counter during business hours, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Please note that cash payments are not accepted on weekends or holidays.
Pioneer Press Obituary Rates
Understanding the rate structure for obituaries at Pioneer Press is important for budgeting and planning. The cost is structured based on the length of the obituary and any additional features such as photos.
- Minimum Charge: There is a minimum charge of $162 for an obituary up to 10 lines.
- Cost Per Line: For obituaries exceeding 10 lines, each additional line is charged at $12.20. Even if an ad is under 10 lines, it will still be charged the minimum rate of $162.
- Discounted Rate for Second Run Date: If you choose to run the obituary for a second day, the line rate is reduced to $8.20 per line, starting from the first line.
- Example Calculation: For an obituary that is 20 lines long and running for the first day, the cost would be $164.
- Photo Charges: Including a photo with the obituary incurs an additional charge of $125 per photo per day. For example, if you include two photos in the obituary and run it for two days, there would be a total of four photo charges, amounting to $500.
Pioneer Press Obituary Deadlines
Meeting the deadlines set by Pioneer Press is crucial to ensure your obituary is published on the intended day. Please adhere to the following deadlines without exception:
| Hours | Deadline (no exceptions) | Ad | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| MONDAY – FRIDAY 9:00AM – 5:00 PM | Next Day Publication | Must receive obituary content and payment on the same day by 4:30 PM. Make any changes by 5:00 PM. | Must receive photo(s) by 4:30 PM. |
| SATURDAYS 10:00AM – 2:00PM | Sunday Publication | Must receive obituary content and payment on the same day by 1:30 PM. Make any changes by 2:00 PM. | Must receive photo(s) by 1:30 PM. |
| SUNDAYS 12:00PM – 3:00PM | Monday Publication | Must receive obituary content, payment, and final changes on the same day by 2:30 PM. | Must receive photo(s) by 2:30 PM. |
Memoriam Requests at Pioneer Press
In addition to obituaries, Pioneer Press also offers the option to publish Memoriam submissions. Unlike obituaries, Memoriams are designed as remembrances of a loved one who has passed away and are not necessarily published immediately following the death. The rate structure for Memoriams is different from that of obituaries.
For detailed information regarding Memoriam submissions, including rates and guidelines, please contact Pioneer Press directly. You can call 651-228-5280 for more information or email your Memoriam ad request to [email protected].
The hours for Memoriam inquiries and submissions are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please note that the Memoriam department is closed on weekends and holidays.
