Roses Funeral Program — Bifold
Pink roses and soft green leaves, drawn for a mother, grandmother or gardener.
1 sheet, printed both sides, folded once · US Letter
Finished, not blank
6 Funeral Program Examples, Panel by Panel
It is easier to write a program after seeing one that is finished. These six examples are complete, with a name, an order of service, an obituary and a thank-you, for six quite different people and services. All of them are invented, and all of them are templates: if one is close to what you need, download it and change the words.
The six examples
Sample funeral programs you can download
Read the insides
Four sample programs, opened
Each inside spread shows a different kind of service and a different voice in the obituary.
A mother and grandmother
A church service; the obituary is warm and specific.
A rancher’s graveside service
Plain speech, a short order, held outdoors.
A formal service for a physician
Titles used throughout; Biography instead of Obituary.
A non-religious celebration of life
No clergy, no scripture; a poem closes the page.
The front
Funeral program cover wording examples
The line above the name sets the tone for everything else. These are the ones families choose most:
- In Loving Memory of
- Celebrating the Life of
- A Celebration of Life
- Homegoing Celebration for
- In Memoriam
- A Service of Remembrance
- Mass of Christian Burial
- In Honor and Memory of
- Forever in Our Hearts
Below the name go the dates, then the day, time and place of the service and the name of the officiant. Dates can be written in full, as years only, or as Sunrise and Sunset.
The life story
What a program obituary looks like
A program obituary is shorter than a newspaper one: 100 to 150 words. The examples above all follow the same three moves. First, the facts: full name, when and where born, parents if you wish. Second, the life: work, service, faith, what the person loved and was known for, in one or two concrete details. Third, the family: who survives them, in order of closeness.
The details do the work. Kept every thank-you note, or planted sunflowers along the fence every spring, tells a guest more than devoted and beloved ever will.
The back
What goes on the back panel
The back is practical. In the examples it holds a two- or three-sentence thank-you from the family, the pallbearers or honorary pallbearers, where the burial will be, and an invitation to the meal or reception afterward. A request for memorial gifts in place of flowers goes here too, and a final line of scripture or poetry closes the panel.
The running order
Funeral Order of Service
Eight orders to copy.
Open →
For the back panel
Acknowledgement Wording
Fourteen thank-you messages.
Open →
Every design
Funeral Program Templates
All 28 templates.
Open →
Questions families ask
Are the people in these funeral program examples real?
No. Every person, church, cemetery and detail was invented so that the samples would read like real programs without borrowing anyone’s life.
Can I copy the wording from an example?
Yes, that is what it is for. Keep the structure, change the particulars. The order-of-service lines, headings and thank-you messages can be used as they are.
Which example is best for a mother?
Roses is written for a mother and grandmother, with a daughter’s tribute in the order and Proverbs 31 as the verse. Sunflower and Butterfly are also written for women and are less formal.
How long should the obituary in a program be?
About 120 words fits a bifold panel at a comfortable size. If you have written more, the eight-page booklet gives the life story a full page.
Free funeral templates · Updated through October 2026 · by David Nelsen. Every name, date and place printed on these templates is invented sample wording; each file is opened in Microsoft Word and Google Docs before it is published.