For information on submitting an obituary, please contact Reading Eagle by phone at 610-371-5018, or email at obituaries@readingeagle.com or fax at 610-371-5193.
Most obituaries published in the Reading Eagle are submitted through funeral homes and cremation services, but we will accept submissions from families. Obituaries can be emailed to obituaries@readingeagle.com.
In addition to the text of the obituary, any photographs that you wish to include can be attached to this email. Please put the text of the obituary in a Word document, a Google document or in the body of the email. The Reading Eagle also requires a way to verify the death, so please include either the phone number of the funeral home or cremation service that is in charge of the deceased’s care or a photo of his/her death certificate. We also request that your full name, phone number and address are all included in this email.
All payments by families must be made with a credit card. We will send a proof of the completed obituary before we require payment. The obituary cannot run, however, until we receive payment in full.
Obituaries can be submitted for any future date, but they must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. the day prior to its running for it to be published.
Please call the obituary desk, at 610-371-5018, for information on pricing.
A group of judges will be busy today at the Oley Fire Company Fairgrounds, deciding which contestant’s submission will be selected as the winner of the America250PA Apron Contest.
The apron contest is being held as part of the 78th Annual Oley Valley Community Fair, which opens Thursday morning and runs through Saturday. The contest is affiliated with the America250PA initiative, celebrating the 250th anniversary of America.
County and community fairs across the state have invited crafters to design, sew and submit a red, white and blue apron as part of the contest. The grand prize winner at each fair is eligible for the statewide contest, to be held in January during the 2026 PA Farm Show in Harrisburg.
In Oley, five cash prizes ranging from $200 to $20 will be awarded to five winners. Prize money was provided by Boyertown-based Luft Logging.
Aprons will be judged based on overall appearance, creativity, workmanship/suitability and design/color. All contest entries will be available for viewing during the three days of the fair.
Marie Haas, who along with her granddaughter, Leah Haas, is chairing the contest committee, was hoping for a good turnout when contacted before the contest.
“I’ve been to some other fairs around the area, and they had aprons submitted,” Haas said. “We don’t know how many we’ll get, but I hope we’ll have at least as many entries as they did.”
She said she’s seen aprons this summer at fairs in Allentown; Kimberton, Chester County; and Schnecksville, Lehigh County.
Shirley Moyer, a longtime member of the Oley Valley Fair Committee who is employed as the full-time secretary/treasurer for Oley Township, said she has fielded some inquiries from people interested in the contest.
“Some people have been asking about it,” Moyer said. “I’m hoping that with the premiums we’re able to offer a good amount of people will have entered.”
Participants were required to drop off their entries earlier this week.
The America250PA Apron Contest is just one of numerous competitions at the Oley Fair.
Moyer in 2023 came up with the idea for a hay or straw bale decorating contest, in which contestants submit decorated bales in advance of the event. The bales, which must include the dates of the fair, are placed in different locations throughout the Oley Valley as publicity for the upcoming event.
New to the fair last year was an eating contest featuring local celebrities who compete to see who can consume a hamburger, a serving of famous Oley Fair french fries and a vanilla milkshake in the shortest amount of time.
According to Kevin D. Bieber, president of the fair association, that contest was brought back this year by popular demand.
“Everybody really enjoyed that contest so we’re doing it again,” he said. “Our celebrities are good sports about participating, which makes it a lot of fun.”
Other competitions include a pumpkin weigh-off, chocolate and angel food cake baking contests, poster making, bowling pin decorating and others.
The fair will be open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Parking is available at the fairgrounds for $5 per car. There is no admission fee to enter the event.