I spoke with a caller who was pretty irate an obituary in the paper this week for a man she knew. In listing his survivors, the brother whom had refused to speak to for years was omitted.

"I'd like to know how (The Star) can just erase his past," she demanded to know. And of course that's a fair question.

The reality is that obituaries are essentially classified ads. The Star offers nine lines free to area residents, but any more space must be purchased. And the content is 100 percent up to the survivors, often working with funeral homes to write and submit them.

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