collection on deceased debt

My grandfather recently passed away, he has alot of debt my grandmother knew nothing about. he owes 54.00 to a local newspaper for a subscription since he is dead is my grandmother obligated to pay if there is no life insurance for debts. or can she just send them a death certificate to void the debt. keep in mind my grandmothers name is no where on the subscription.

You're lucky if $54.00 is all the debt he left her. I wish we were so lucky. My father just died three weeks ago and left my sister and me thousands of dollars in hospital bills. Also, he only had a small insurance policy and we had to add several thousand dollars to it just for his funeral.

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Fran Chandler