Losing someone is heavy. It's a weight that doesn't just sit in your chest; it spills over into a mountain of logistics you never asked for. Somewhere between calling the funeral home and picking out a casket, you realize you need to tell the world—or at least Portage County—what happened. That usually leads people straight to the Stevens Point Journal obituaries.
But honestly? The way people approach these local notices has changed a lot lately. You can't just drop a handwritten note at a front desk and expect it to appear the next morning. It’s a bit more "corporate" than it used to be, mostly because the Journal is part of the massive USA TODAY Network (Gannett).
The Real Cost of Saying Goodbye
Let's talk money first because that's where the biggest surprises happen. People think of the Stevens Point Journal as their local neighborhood paper. It was founded way back in 1853 as the Wisconsin Lumberman, for heaven's sake. But today, the pricing reflects its status as a digital-first, national-scale entity.
If you’re planning to place a notice, don't expect a flat "twenty bucks and a handshake." Basic packages often start around $35, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. If you want a photo (and who doesn't?), the price jumps. If you want it to run for multiple days, the price jumps again.
I've seen families get quoted hundreds of dollars for a long, heartfelt tribute. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you're already grieving. A pro tip? Many local funeral homes in Stevens Point, like Pisarski or Shuda, handle the submission for you. They have the templates ready and know the deadlines, which can save you a massive headache even if the newspaper's bill remains the same.
Finding Someone: The Digital Scavenger Hunt
Maybe you aren't writing one. Maybe you're just trying to find an old friend or a distant relative. Searching for Stevens Point Journal obituaries can feel like a scavenger hunt if you don't know where to look.
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Basically, there are three main paths:
- Legacy.com: This is the big one. Since the Journal is a Gannett paper, their modern obits live on Legacy. It’s searchable, but it only goes back a couple of decades reliably.
- The Stevens Point Area Genealogy Society (SPAGS): These folks are the unsung heroes of Portage County history. They have an incredible "Obituary Index" that covers the Journal and the old Gazette. If you're looking for someone who passed away in, say, 1954, this is your best bet.
- Ancestry.com: If you have a subscription, they’ve digitized huge chunks of the Stevens Point Daily Journal microfilm. It’s great for seeing the original layout, complete with those old-school local ads.
Why the Saturday Issue Matters (Or Doesn't)
One weird thing that trips people up is the print schedule. Back in 2022, the Journal stopped printing a physical Saturday edition. If you’re timing a funeral and want the obituary to be in the hands of locals on a specific weekend morning, you have to plan around that gap. Everything stays online, of course, but for the older generation in Point who still likes to clip the paper and put it on the fridge, that Saturday "blackout" is a real thing to keep in mind.
Beyond the Journal: The Local Alternatives
It’s important to remember that the Journal isn't the only game in town anymore. While it has the most "official" weight, the Portage County Gazette and the Point/Plover Metro Wire also carry local death notices.
Sometimes, the Metro Wire is actually faster with the "breaking news" of a local passing because they aren't tied to a massive corporate printing schedule. If you’re on a budget or just want the widest reach, you might find yourself looking at these local-only outlets alongside the Journal.
How to Actually Write the Thing
When you finally sit down to write, don't overthink the "newspaper voice." People in Central Wisconsin value authenticity. Talk about their love for the Plover River, their secret recipe for booyah, or how many years they spent working at the paper mill or the university.
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Avoid these common mistakes:
- Misspelling the surviving relatives: Double-check every single name. Triple-check them.
- Forgetting the "In Lieu of Flowers" part: If there’s a specific charity like the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, make sure the link or address is clear.
- Missing the deadline: For most weekday editions, you need everything submitted and paid for by noon, at least two days before publication.
Accessing the Archives Without Paying a Fortune
If you’re doing genealogy and hit a paywall on the Journal’s website, head to the Charles M. White Public Library downtown. They have the microfilm. It’s free. It’s a bit dusty, and the machines might make a whirring sound that reminds you of 1995, but it’s the most comprehensive record of Stevens Point history in existence.
You can literally scroll through the 1918 flu pandemic or the local reaction to the end of WWII. The obituaries from those eras are fascinating—they used to be much more descriptive, often detailing the "pious nature" of the deceased or the exact flowers at the service.
Practical Next Steps for Families
If you are currently tasked with handling a notice in the Stevens Point Journal obituaries section, your first move should be to ask your funeral director for their "newspaper rate" sheet. They usually have a direct line to the GWM-Obits team at Gannett, which can bypass the clunky online self-service portals.
If you're doing this solo, prepare your text in a Word doc first so you can see the character count. Most of these papers charge by the line or by the word, and those "extra" adjectives can add $50 to your bill before you even realize it. Keep it punchy, keep it honest, and remember that the digital version on Legacy.com will likely outlive the physical paper anyway.
For those just looking for information, start with the SPAGS website. It's the most "human" way to navigate the history of the people who built this town.