Remember Lisa Bearnson?

His memorial service for anyone who might want to watch it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DvVno1N2Y8

Yes, that is very normal here. I have a brother- and sister-in-law whose only family photo, ever, is from my FIL’s funeral, so that’s the one that is hanging on my MIL’s wall with all of the rest of our family portraits.

I found his obituary and It was very confusing so I thought I had overlooked her name. Then I read it a second time and realized that she simply isn’t mentioned. Assumed it was a divorce. 

I don’t see what’s so confusing about the obituary. Whether or not they were actually divorced, it’s clear he and Lisa were not together at his time of death. She’s listed only in relation to his children, who appear to be listed from oldest to youngest.

I noticed it, too, and found that odd. I have seen other LDS members that I follow on Instagram that lost family members. They take photos at the funeral, but most are solemn in nature and in good taste, if you want to call it that. I know I sound judgmental. I just found it so odd that it looked like it was photos taken at a joyous occasion rather than a funeral. We have taken photos at the funeral dinner with family and we are generally in good spirits there, connecting with loved ones and friends and reminiscing about the deceased. But at the graveside service, it’s usually very solemn. I did like the custom of writing a farewell on the casket in sharpie. I wish we did that for my brother that we laid to rest a few months ago. 

I’ve never been to another funeral to compare, but Mormon funerals are, in general, pretty upbeat compared to what I see on TV or in movies. 

My Dad and stepmom were listed in my mom’s obituary along with my Dad’s sisters. We aren’t LDS.

I was raised in CA and I never saw the smiling around the casket photo until I moved to Utah, and I still find it very odd and a tad uncomfortable to me. It is very common here. To each their own, though.

Heidi Swapp's mother passed recently and she shared on her IG photos from the funeral. The entire family was smiling like they were at a fun event rather than a funeral. It is very odd to me. But I suppose if you believe that your loved one is going to a very special place I guess I'd be happy for them too??

I included my husband’s first wife in his obituary. Not LDS. She was an important part of his life. (They were friends after the divorce and she and her second husband were friends to both of us.)

It is not uncommon to mention previous spouses here in the Midwest. It’s often done in simple statements like “X married Y in 1992. X later married Z in 2001.” Sometimes the divorce is specifically mentioned, maybe with a date. Same can be done when someone’s spouse died and they remarried.