Copyright St. Paul Pioneer Press
To place an obituary, please include the information from the obituary checklist below in an email to obits@pioneerpress.com. There is no option to place them through our website at this time. Feel free to contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263 with any questions. General Information: Your full name, Address (City, State, Zip Code), Phone number, And an alternate phone number (if any) Obituary Specification: Name of Deceased, Obituary Text, A photo in a JPEG or PDF file is preferable, TIF and other files are accepted, we will contact you if there are any issues with the photo. Ad Run dates There is a discount for running more than one day, but this must be scheduled on the first run date to apply. If a photo is used, it must be used for both days for the discount to apply, contact us for more information. Policies: Verification of Death: In order to publish obituaries a name and phone number of funeral home/cremation society is required. We must contact the funeral home/cremation society handling the arrangements during their business hours to verify the death. If the body of the deceased has been donated to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program, or a similar program, their phone number is required for verification. Please allow enough time to contact them especially during their limited weekend hours. A death certificate is also acceptable for this purpose but only one of these two options are necessary. Guestbook and Outside Websites: We are not allowed to reference other media sources with a guestbook or an obituary placed elsewhere when placing an obituary in print and online. We may place a website for a funeral home or a family email for contact instead; contact us with any questions regarding this matter. Obituary Process: Once your submission is completed, we will fax or email a proof for review prior to publication in the newspaper. This proof includes price and days the notice is scheduled to appear. Please review the proof carefully. We must be notified of errors or changes before the notice appears in the Pioneer Press based on each day’s deadlines. After publication, we will not be responsible for errors that may occur after final proofing. Online: Changes to an online obituary can be handled through the obituary desk. Call us with further questions. Payment Procedure: Pre-payment is required for all obituary notices prior to publication by the deadline specified below in our deadline schedule. Please call 651-228-5263 with your payment information after you have received the proof and approved its contents. Credit Card: Payment accepted by phone only due to PCI (Payment Card Industry) regulations EFT: Check by phone. Please provide your routing number and account number. Rates: The minimum charge is $162 for the first 12 lines. Every line after the first 12 is $12. If the ad is under 12 lines it will be charged the minimum rate of $162. Obituaries including more than 40 lines will receive a 7.5% discount per line. On a second run date, receive a 20% discount off both the first and second placement. Place three obituaries and the third placement will be free of charge. Each photo published is $125 per day. For example: 2 photos in the paper on 2 days would be 4 photo charges at $500. Deadlines: Please follow deadline times to ensure your obituary is published on the day requested. Hours Deadline (no exceptions) Ad Photos MEMORIAM (NON-OBITUARY) REQUEST Unlike an obituary, Memoriam submissions are remembrances of a loved one who has passed. The rates for a memoriam differ from obituaries. Please call or email us for more memoriam information Please call 651-228-5280 for more information. HOURS: Monday – Friday 8:00AM – 5:00PM (CLOSED WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS) Please submit your memoriam ad to memoriams@pioneerpress.com or call 651-228-5280. William “Bill” Frederick Hering IV served the city of Woodbury as chief of police and director of public safety for 32 years before retiring in 2007. “Bill was a gentle, kind, and thoughtful leader with a wonderful sense of humor. He helped shape the culture we’re proud of today, one grounded in doing the right thing for the right reasons, treating everyone with respect, and serving with compassion and courage,” Woodbury Public Safety Director Jason Posel said. “He guided our organization through significant growth and change, always with a steadfast commitment to excellence in service.” Hering, 76, was born and raised in Bayport. He died on Nov. 1 following a recent diagnosis of brain cancer, according to an obituary. “Bill was very active in the lives of his family,” the obituary reads. “He attended countless games, concerts, and school events as a supportive dad and grandpa. He played softball for many years, was a fire station history buff, and enjoyed photography. He and his wife Carol cherished annual summer vacations with family and doting on their pets.” Hering began his policing career in 1970 in Bayport, “carrying on his grandfather’s and father’s legacy of public service,” according to the obituary. He also served as a firefighter in Coon Rapids and a police officer in Oakdale before serving the city of Woodbury. “Late in his career, he proudly earned his bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Concordia University, St. Paul,” the obituary reads. During his time as Public Safety Director and Police Chief in Woodbury, Hering led efforts to modernize the department and introduced new technology, such as moving from paper to digital reports and records, Posel said. “He also emphasized service for those on shift, ensuring that our call responses and investigations went as far as possible to support individuals and the community,” Posel said. “While off-duty, Bill was a dedicated husband and father who promoted a family-first mentality.” Posel recalls his first time interviewing for a part-time position with the department in 1996 with Patrol Sergeant Lee Vague and Hering, who at the time was Deputy Chief. “I was incredibly nervous, but Bill and Lee were both so kind and welcoming, even though I was just a kid with little actual experience and even less interviewing experience,” Posel said. “Interestingly, Bill went on to become the next Chief, followed by Lee, and I became the Chief after Lee. It’s remarkable to think how the three people in that one interview room would all go on to hold the same position leading the department.” Posel said when he applied for his current position, Hering had long been retired. Posel describes Hering as being generous with his time and said Hering shared many experiences and lessons with him that have left an impact on his life. “Bill set the tone for how people should be treated, and that legacy continues to define our Woodbury Public Safety culture today,” Posel said. “Bill will be deeply missed.” A visitation for Hering will be held on Thursday, Nov. 13, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bradshaw Funeral Home, 2800 Curve Crest Blvd., Stillwater. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, at Memorial Lutheran Church, 15730 Afton Blvd., Afton, with visitation starting at 10 a.m. and a luncheon to follow. Instead of flowers, the public is asked to make donations to the Public Safety Woodbury Community Support Fund, which helps first responders provide immediate assistance to community members in crisis. “Contributions to another service-oriented charity of your choice are also appreciated,” the obituary reads.
