News Examiner Obituaries

The Little Stories We Almost Miss

You know that feeling when you’re flipping through the paper—or swiping on your phone—and you hit the obituaries? Most people skip right past them. But those pages aren't just endings; they’re treasure troves of everyday life.

I’ve found myself reading the News Examiner obituaries while waiting for my coffee to brew. And let me tell you, it’s addictive. You wouldn’t believe the gems hidden in those short paragraphs.

Real People, Real Quirks

Last week, I read about a guy who built a giant mailbox shaped like a chicken. He did it because the mailman complained about his tiny box.

Then there was the lady who always wore purple hats to bingo night. She once won a turkey in November and froze it for Christmas.

Why You Should Care

I promise, this isn’t sad or morbid. Reading the News Examiner obituaries is like flipping through a family scrapbook—if you could borrow someone else’s family for a minute. It connects you to the town in a way that Nextdoor or Facebook never could.

These are the people who lived across the street. They taught kindergarten, baked casseroles, and argued about lawn care. When you read their stories, you understand the fabric of your community.

A Little Slice of History

Think about it: in fifty years, someone might search for “the guy with the chicken mailbox.” And thanks to the News Examiner, that story will still be there. It’s history without the dust.

I once found an obituary for a man who was famous for never missing a single town parade—for sixty years. His family wrote that he “marched to his own drum, but always in time.” That’s poetry, my friends.

More Than Names on a Page

Here’s my challenge: next time you see the obituaries, stop and pause. Pick one name—any name. Read about their hobbies, their silly catchphrases, or how they loved their cat like a child.

You’ll start noticing patterns. People love fishing. They love baking pies. They love their garden tomatoes more than they’ll admit.

It’s like a real-life Facebook feed, but with better writing and no political arguments. And everyone gets a genuine like.

A Good Laugh, Too

I swear, some of these obituaries are funnier than sitcoms. One woman’s family wrote that she “never met a garage sale she didn’t like, and her house looked it.” Brutal? Honest? Hilarious.

Another one said the deceased “kept his lawn so green, neighbors suspected he watered it with tears of jealousy.” You can’t make this stuff up.

These are the real stories you won’t see in the headlines. And they remind us that life is short, strange, and gloriously weird.

Your Own Story Starts Here

Reading the News Examiner obituaries makes me want to live a little more memorably. Would someone write about my quirk? I hope so.

So next time you grab the paper, skip the front page for a minute. Flip to the obits. You’ll find laughter, tears, and maybe a recipe for banana bread. It’s the most human part of the whole paper.

And who knows? You might even find a story that makes you smile—like the one about the chicken mailbox. That never gets old.