JONESBORO, Ark., Sept.19 - The National Obituary Archive™ announced Wednesday it has established a fund to help pay the funeral expenses of needy families who lost loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The National Funeral Assistance Fund is accepting contributions from visitors to the online memorial set up last week by the National Obituary Archive™ in the wake of the disastrous airline hijackings and attacks.

The company's top executives pledged to launch the fund with personal contributions.

“The attacks on the World Trade Center towers took the mighty and the poor alike,” said Nadine Smith, President of Continental Computer Corp., which operates the National Obituary Archive™. “Among the victims were messengers, fast-food workers and others of very modest means, as well as firefighters and rescue workers. We will do our part to help those families who can’t afford the sudden, unexpected costs they now face.”

Continental and the National Obituary Archive™ pledged to cover all administrative costs of collecting and distributing the funds to ensure that the full amount of every donation goes to help a bereaved family.

Contributions may be made by credit card at the memorial on NOA’s Web site at www.NationalObituaryArchive.com. Visitors to the site may donate to an individual family’s expenses or to a general fund, which will be distributed through funeral homes to needy families by directors of the Fund.

The National Obituary Archive™ is endorsed by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the largest association of funeral professionals in the world, and is the primary provider of obituaries to America Online. It is available to members of the leading online service at AOL Keyword: obituary

Last week, the National Obituary Archive™ erected a special section on its Web site to memorialize the victims and enable visitors to the site to express their condolences. Hundreds of people signed the online Guestbook in the first few days after the attacks, and visitors continue to stream to the site by the thousands every hour.

“We post the names of the dead as they are confirmed, and we welcome anyone who wishes to sign our Guestbook or post Tributes to any or all of the victims,” Ms. Smith said.