The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert

Described as quirky and charming, The Coffins of Little Hope takes place in small-town Nebraska.  Essie Myles is the local newspaper's octogenarian obituary writer.  Older people in town now contact her ahead of time to work on their obituaries.  She happens on the story of a local girl who was supposedly kidnapped by her mother's boyfriend.  But there is no evidence the girl ever existed.  Essie is also concerned about her grandson, the newspaper editor, and her great-granddaughter, who was abandoned by her mother.

Essie's voice sounds like my grandmother's - straightforward and unsentimental. She's hard to forget even after the book is done.

 NYTimes review.