Death Notices

by geevee 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  geevee

  Hi all,
  
  I am wondering if this happens in your area.
  
  Recently two Dubs have died in our region. They were older people and have been JW's for many years and supposedly they have had many years of dub service. They should be well respected members of the JW community with the possiblity of many friends.
  
  YET... apart from the immediate family, there are NO death notices in the paper. Nothing, absolutley zip. No JW's have even tried the silent witness by placing a notice in for their dear friend and saying Jehovah or new system or ressurection.......
  
  I am not aware of any directive in any form saying dubs shouldn't do this.
  
  Does it happen in your area? Is anybody aware of why it does/doesnt happen?
  
  thanks
• 

  TheOldHippie

  Burials are handled by the family, and if the family chooses not to make any mention of the congregation, that is entirely their business. In my congregation, we once, when an elder who had a couple of decades earlier been sent to form the congregation and who had a very small family (wife and child), added some lines from the congregation in the orbituary. Otherwise, that is not done, but again, that is up to the family.
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  Scully

  Placing notices like this is costly, relatively speaking. As a JW, I probably could not have afforded to make a lengthy notice in the newspaper.
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  blondie

  Around here there is almost always an obituary in the paper. The wording may vary. Sometimes the service is at the KH (when the person is in good standing). Sometimes the service is at the funeral home (non-JW spouses of JWs usually). On occasion, the family does not want a service (doesn't want to have to pretend with the JWs) but wants people to know the person has died. Sometimes the person who died was the only JW in the family and non-JW family try to adhere to their wishes.

  What is in the obit is up to the family.
• 

  geevee

  Thanks for the replies.
  My point is that when people die, their friends, work collegues, club associates, relatives and so on all place an obituary notice in the paper. It says that they well well thought of, loved, respected or a myriad of other things.
  Sometimes these notices are in the paper for days and there are columns of them.
  Our local paper will not print an obituary notice until the family has placed theirs. But then once that is done, everyone else can the place one. I know that they can be expensive, but if you keep it short, then it isn't so bad. It does let the community know that they were cared about.
  But I cant recall the WTS saying that JW's cant do it if they want. It is just that locally they hardly ever do. Are they just tight with their money? Did they care about the person at all?
  My two cents worth.