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Funerals are generally open to anyone who wishes to attend. That's why the time, date and place of the funeral is published in the obituary.

A private funeral is only for guests who have been specifically invited to attend by the family of the deceased. That's why an obituary that says "private funeral will be held" does not mention any time, date or place for the funeral. Only invited guests will have that information.

A family chooses to have a private funeral when they want a small gathering of mourners -- close family members and close friends without co-workers, neighbors, fellow club members, classmates and so on showing up.

Also, a private funeral is usually held when the deceased is a celebrity or prominent public figure and the family doesn't want hundreds or thousands of fans or admirers or curious people to attend.

If a private funeral is held, then a month or so later, the family may choose to have some type of memorial service that is open to anyone who wishes to attend. The time, date and place of the memorial service is published in the newspaper on the 'obituaries' page and/or online.

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14y ago

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