Our local papers publish info given to them by the funeral homes as a free service (info given to them by you, the family). There is also an option of paying the paper for a more elaborate obit, with a picture included, but it is a ridiculously expensive option when you've already had a free one.
Unfortunately death and burial ain't cheap. When my MIL passed way 4 years ago, the funeral home told us we had to
buy a casket for the
viewing and service--even though she was to be cremated. We paid $700 for a "cheap" casket. My uncle had been cremated a few years before and they just laid him on a gurney type device lined with a sheet and a few pillows, free of charge
. I think the death business just preys upon people and their emotions. Shame on them!