Announcing engagements and births in the newspaper

I put in my son and daughters engagements, for them to keep a copy of the newspaper that day to show their children/ grandchildren.

We put a death notice in the paper for my mum, and were surprised to see people at the funeral who had read it, and put themselves out to come and pay their respects.

Common practice here still.

Our engagement was in our local paper, our wedding photo on front page of same paper (obviously not much news that week!) and I put the births of our children and grandchildren in also, plus deaths of our parents.

Must emphasise this was all years ago, even the GC’s births, and I wouldn’t do it nowadays. But back then, our weekly local paper was eagerly read by everyone. Nowadays, it’s full of adverts and rubbish, hardly anyone seems to buy it.

And with SM, just no need.

Definitely useful for deaths as people often don't know when someone has died. But do they read the paper? There are also online websites where you can post a death, put a photo, and people can add virtual flowers and a comment. Lovely idea, but again not very helpful unless people know about it.
I think there should be somewhere online where everyone who has died gets listed. It would be so helpful. There was an old lady I lost touch with (mother of my much loved cousin who also died) and I would have liked to know if and when she died for my family tree.

I agree Zoejory it is useful for obituaries. I regularly check online, the local paper of the town where I was born. Obviously I would hear about the demise of friends, but not necessarily that of people that I knew years ago, but with whom I had lost contact,

Never really thought about it. I get my info through the grapevine these days and pretty quickly at that thank goodness.

The death notices still seem to be used but not so much birth and marriages here. At my time of life I look to see if any people I know have died when/if I get the Herald Sun and The Age.

I think it's still useful for deaths.

Weddings and births not so much.

I still see prayers to St, Jude occasionally.

I an remember when our local paper required the signatures of both parties for engagement announcements. This was because a few men did not know they were getting engaged until it appeared in the paper!

I think deaths are different as people who knew you or your family years ago might wish to pay their respects, or at least know so they can say the right thing if they bump into a family member. Also families don't always know everyone who worked with the deceased, knew them in different capacities etc or are too distressed to make numerous phone calls.

But with engagements or new babies surely anyone who needs to know will get a phone call or text or see it on Facebook.

HeyBetty but it’s still useful for older people, people who may not rely on modern technology.

It used to be popular but I think it's just pretentious now.

My father always used to say "When I die don't put me in the paper" and we didn't.

Not weddings or births but I think it’s still useful for deaths.

Going out of fashion, it's true. But for those of us who have been tackling our family trees, these newspaper records have been very useful.

Families not famines