Publish an obituary in Hometown Focus

WHAT IS PUBLISHED FOR FREE:

  • HTF will publish a full obituary and a photo (if desired) on our website free of charge.
  • HTF will publish an abbreviated obituary (no photos) in the print edition of the newspaper free of charge.

HOW TO PAY FOR A FULL OBITURARY:

  • A full obituary and a photo (if desired) published in the print edition of the newspaper is charged by the column inch.
  • Once HTF receives the obituary, photo and your request for a full obituary, we will provide you with the cost prior to publication.
  • Payment is due prior to publication and can be handled by phone if paying with a credit card.

The deadline for submission of the print edition obituaries (both full and abbreviated) is first thing Thursday morning, although sooner is always better.

Please email: editor@htfnews.us

Nancy M. Claviter



Nancy M. Claviter, 86, of Virginia, MN passed away, Thursday, December 24, 2015 at Essentia Health St. Mary’s in Duluth. Nancy Marie Claviter was born April 6, 1929 in Virginia to Nicholas and Carmella (Dote) Poce. She was united in marriage to Melvin Claviter on August 14, 1947 in Virginia. Nancy worked at the Ski View Motel and Grandes Hardware, […]

Thomas B. Gobats



Thomas B. Gobats, 65, of Eveleth, passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family and friends, Thursday, December 24, 2015. Thomas B. Gobats was born June 13, 1950 to Sam and Doloris (Smeland) Gobats. He graduated from Mountain Iron High School in 1968. He was an outstanding football player and was recently inducted in the Mountain Iron Football […]

Patricia F. (Mitchell) Parent



Patricia F. (Mitchell) Parent, 70, of Virginia, passed away Saturday, December 26, 2015 at Northland Village Assisted Living in Buhl. Patricia Fay Parent was born January 28, 1945 in Chisholm, MN to Chester and Florence (Gilness) Mitchell. She was united in marriage to Thomas Parent on March 4, 1983 in Virginia. Patricia liked furring and traveling with her husband. Patricia […]

A New Year’s resolution:

Let the Mystery be


“Let the Mystery be.” – Iris Dement, Infamous Angel My friend Dan is a psychologist whose office is down the hall from mine. I have gotten to know him well over the last five or six years. He is a very bright man with a voracious appetite for reading a wide range of literature. Somewhat spontaneously we began to share […]

Solving the puzzle of your purpose




In 2002, Rick Warren wrote The Purpose Driven Life. By 2007, 30 million copies of the book were sold. The book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for advice books for one of the longest periods in history. That alone makes it obvious that people want to know what their purpose in life is, and why they […]

Ringing in 2016

Storytelling is love: The most important thing of all


We went to the funeral of a good friend yesterday. I didn’t know that I would leave there with inspiration for my New Year’s story for Hometown Focus, but such was the case. Sleepless last night, I was thinking of our friend, and the story I had yet to write for our New Year’s edition. The messages shared by the […]

HTF submission tips



Are you submitting a personal story or a news item? A news item is factual statements written about something that is happening (a meeting, event, etc.) that provides details like who, what, when, where, and sometimes how or why. A personal story is written from your own perspective and includes personal feelings, thoughts and observations. Things to do: 1. Check […]

HTF kudos from 2015



Let me add a big “Thank You” on behalf of the Lyric Center & the IRRRP acting troupe for allowing our New Year’s Eve dinner theater tradition at the Coates Hotel to be spotlighted in the Hometown Focus. Both shows were sold out 3 weeks in advance, and a large number of ticket buyers were 1st timers. We got a […]

HTF story answers questions for a family across the country



Editor’s note: A story written last year by HTF Contributor Dave Setnicker was discovered online by a reader in Oregon. The story was about a WWII veteran from Biwabik, MN, and included information about the death of a fellow veteran named Darwin Nichols (“Biwabik POW was witness for war crimes trial,” by David Setnicker, HTF, Nov. 7, 2014). What follows […]

Students make music with robots at the Lyric Center for the Arts!



VIRGINIA – Workshop in musical robotics for high school students runs January 14 – 16 at Virginia’s Lyric Center for the Arts. Participants will learn about musical robotics, build a new robotic percussion ensemble, and make new music for the freshly created instruments. The workshop culminates in a public performance featuring acclaimed songstress Jillian Rae. Slots remain open; online advance […]