NEFAs

NEFAS is an acronym that stands for New England Free Press Association for Obituaries. However, it is more commonly known as the New England Funeral Monitor Association or NEFAs.

NEFAs was a controversy surrounding the publication of obituaries in various New England newspapers. The controversy began in the early 19th century and continued for several decades.

In the United States, custom dictated that newspapers published notices of births, marriages, and deaths for a nominal fee. However, with the growth of the population, these notices became a major income source for newspaper publishers. When an upper-class family member died, a disproportionate amount of space would be dedicated to the obituary. To avoid such social imbalances, the idea of proportional display of Americans in obituaries gained favor.

A site was designated in Boston for these displays, called the wall of the (Old.) Custom House. Towns and cities also had their walls for display. Anyone with a news story about such a death, especially obituaries, would display this news prominently on NEFAs.