OBITUARIES

                                                

Honoring Our Community

Every person who lives in our valley leaves a unique mark on it. Whether they were a lifelong local leader, a quiet neighbor, a dedicated volunteer, or a familiar face at the coffee shop, their story matters. We built this space to give families a beautiful, respectful, and permanent place to celebrate those lives. Here, we honor the characters, creators, and community members who have shaped the Spring Green area.

Text advertising layout with 'MEDIUM RECTANGLE' and dimensions '300 X 250' on a black background.
  • Dr. Kathleen McDonald

    Dr. Kathleen McDonald

    Dr. Kathleen Marie McDonald, age 74, of Spring Green, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2026, at Upland Hills Health in Dodgeville.  Born on January 18, 1952, in Dodgeville.  Kathleen was the cherished daughter of Frank and Agnes J. (Reichling) McDonald Continue Reading

                                                
Obituary Rate Card & Submission Guidelines

Valley Sentinel: A Tribute of Record
A note on our obituary services and community value.

When families choose Valley Sentinel to memorialize a loved one, they are investing in a dignified, permanent record within the community they called home.

  • A Respectful, Intentional Environment: We believe a memorial should not be competing with flashing web banners, auto-play videos, or programmatic advertisements. Our pages provide a clean, quiet, and respectful space focused entirely on the individual and are free from our usual paid advertising.
    If you are a local organization that helps families navigate end-of-life care and would like to place a respectful, intentional ad in this space, please reach out at editor@valleysentinelnews.com. Spaces are strictly limited to ensure a dignified environment. Options include an exclusive top banner sponsorship ($250/mo), medium rectangle ($125/mo), and bottom banner ($50/mo).
  • Hyper-Local Community Reach: A tribute placed in Valley Sentinel is delivered directly to the Spring Green area of the Lower Wisconsin River Valley. It ensures the news reaches the neighbors, former colleagues, and local friends who matter most, rather than being lost in a massive, regional broadcast feed.
  • Historical Record: We serve as a historical archive for our region. Whether a family chooses our digital placement or opts for our print inclusion (temporarily paused), they are securing a lasting, curated piece of local history that is carefully laid out by our editorial team.
  • Predictable, Flexible Pricing: Our flat-rate tiers keep pricing predictable, eliminating confusing column-inch formulas. We offer bracketed word-count tiers, giving families full control to edit their tribute to fit their financial needs without sacrificing quality or placement.

We are honored to help you share their story.

Tiered Obituary Packages

All packages include immediate digital publication on the Valley Sentinel website, optimized for sharing and mobile viewing. Standard text listings of funeral home arrangement details (name, address, phone number and a link back to the funeral home listing) are always included at no extra charge.

  • Basic Notice (Up to 150 words): $85
    • Ideal for short death notices, memorial service announcements, or brief summaries.
  • Standard Tribute (151 to 400 words): $195
    • Our most common format, providing ample space to detail career, community service, and surviving family members.
  • Legacy Biography (401+ words): $275
    • Designed for extensive life histories and comprehensive survivor lists without the constraint of a strict word count.

Customizations & Add-Ons

Enhance the tribute with the following visual inclusions:

  • Print Layout Fee: $25 flat
    • Required for formatting and placing the obituary into our physical print edition.
  • Photograph Integration: $25 per photo
    • Includes digital cropping, formatting, and print color-correction. If photo(s) is/are included in the email then this will be included by default.
  • Funeral Home Logo: $20
    • Visual logo inclusion for localized branding alongside the arrangement details. Included by default as an advertising service to the funeral home, opt-out upon request.
  • Veteran Flag / Military Branch Seal: $10
    • A small icon (American flag and/or military branch seal) placed within the layout to honor the deceased’s military service.

Submission & Invoicing Protocols

How to Submit: Please direct all obituary submissions and inquiries to our editorial desk at editor@valleysentinelnews.com.

Required Materials Checklist: To ensure timely publication and avoid layout errors, please include the following in your submission email:

  1. The Text: Must be submitted as a Word document (.doc/.docx) or pasted directly into the body of the email. Please do not send text as a PDF or image file.
  2. Photos/Logos: Attach all requested media as high-resolution image files (.jpg or .png).
  3. Add-ons: Clearly list any requested upcharges in the email body (e.g., “Print Layout,” “1 Photo,” “Veteran Flag,” etc.).
  4. Billing Information: Provide the name, address, phone number and email address of the accounts payable contact for the funeral home.

Billing Terms: Valley Sentinel invoices funeral homes directly on a per-obituary basis. Invoices will be issued upon receipt and review of the submission. Payment is due in full prior to the final publication date.