In Mom's Memory, Families Write Beautiful Tributes

Saying goodbye to one's mother is one of the hardest things many of us ever go through. One thing families often find helps is telling Mom's story: putting her life into words, to be preserved and cherished for the ages.

Why Newspaper Obituaries Are So Valuable for Genealogy Research

When it comes to researching family history, the obit is a treasure trove of information.

How to Preserve Our Precious Memories Forever

Departed family and friends remain with us in the stories we tell and the memories we share.

21 Most Common Family Heirlooms

A family heirloom is any treasured item that’s been passed down by a family member who has died. Some are treasures in the most literal sense, valuable antiques that could sell for many thousands of dollars. Others have strictly sentimental value, but the fact that they’re not worth much money doesn’t make them any less beloved. Family heirlooms can be many generations old, passed from parent to child for centuries. Or they can be newer, something inherited from a parent or grandparent that will be passed along in the future. Most important, whatever they may be, family heirlooms conjure memories of the special people who passed them along to us. 

Making Amends: Last Chance for Mom's Love

Mom’s sobs were operatic as she walked in the front door, accompanied by her brother-in-law. “That thing wasn’t Harry,” she said. She meant my Dad’s body. 

Amazing Adoption Stories Shared in Obituaries

There are many ways to make a family — and many ways to tell the story of a life.

R.I.P. Kurt Michael Friese: How Apple Pancakes Became a Recipe for Sweet Memories

In Legacy's "Recipe Vault" series, chefs and food lovers share how meals connect us to those we've lost.

Lights, Loss, and Surviving the Holidays: 10 Tips for Grieving Families

When the most wonderful time of the year isn't...

Family Stories: Tips for Making Memories Last Forever

When families gather, history comes alive. Keep the stories flowing with these tips from Comfort Zone Camp.

Before She Was Grandma, She Was a Hero

How one California woman’s selfless act left ripples that lasted for decades.

Best Dad Ever

It’s a simple phrase, three short words, yet it carries incredible, almost unthinkable power. Consider how formidable each of those words is on its own. “Best”—that means none is better, not a single one. “Dad”—well, every person has a father who helped give them life. “Ever”—that’s a time frame that stretches all the way back through eternity.

Mom's Old Handwritten Recipes

Long before the internet became a storage center for any recipe you could ever wish to cook, moms had a different system for finding the recipes they’d use to feed their families. They wrote them down on recipe cards and stored them by the hundreds in recipe boxes and binders.

Take the Time to Talk

For most of us, talking about end-of-life issues with loved ones isn’t easy. But it can be a rich and rewarding experience that connects families and strengthens relationships.

The Taste of Beautiful Memories

Making favorite family recipes helps us hold onto the loved ones we miss most.

True Love to the End

It’s often in the obituaries where an everyday couple’s great romance is finally told.

A Story of Grief and Clothes

How small, intimate memories of our loved ones live on.

Food, Memories, and Loss

Eating is the ultimate social activity; we build relationships around the irreplaceable pleasure of sharing food with others.

Almost Got To See the Cubs Win World Series

A few lifelong Cubs fans came tantalizingly close to seeing their team win the World Series.

When Memories Are All We Have

Tangible reminders are what keep our loved ones close and a continued part of our lives. Here are some ways to keep your memories alive, not just for you but for generations to come.

Gifts From Our Fathers

On Father's Day, Legacy.com Content Screener Venus Zarris highlights a poignant Guest Book entry from a son to his father, and reflects on the gifts she still carries from her own dad.

Story of a Moment: Mother's Day Photo Contest

Some pictures are worth more than a thousand words — when they capture a favorite memory or reflect a lifetime of love at a single glance.

How to Tap Into Your Family’s Holiday Traditions

One great way to get your children thinking about their family’s history is to interview older family members about their own holiday traditions when they were young. And there’s no better time than when everyone’s together for the holidays.

36 Questions That Will Make You Fall in Love (With Your Family)

The Funeral and Memorial Council created Talk of a Lifetime to help families have better conversations.

Survival of the Species

Love, family and experience are focal points for most people who are asked about the meaning of life, but male interviewees also state quite simply and elegantly that a big part of the meaning of life is to procreate.

My Dad

Legacy.com sponsored a family storytelling event at Global Family Reunion in New York. We asked participants young and old to share family stories. This is one of them.

Mouse

Legacy.com sponsored a family storytelling event at Global Family Reunion in New York. We asked participants young and old to share family stories. This is one of them.

Global Family Reunion Stories

Participants shared humorous and touching family stories at Global Family Reunion.

Fourth of July Memories

People love to reminisce about holidays spent with family and friends — even in condolence messages.

The Tale of a Broken Phone

Legacy.com sponsored a family storytelling event at Global Family Reunion in New York. We asked participants young and old to share family stories. This is one of them.

Planning a wedding without your mom

Every day, I think about my mom. Sometimes I’ll look in the mirror and see a resemblance — the same high cheekbones, the same thin lips. Or I’ll hear a song she liked and start singing along to it. “Love shack, baby love shack!” Other times I’ll see material things that remind me of her — her old eyelash curler, which I admittedly still keep in my makeup bag. The crosstitch she made that’s now hanging in my home office. The small sterling silver bracelet she once wore that I now wear every day.

Nana's Scones

My favorite story about Nana involves her legendary baking skill. Nana was already a mother when she emigrated from England to America in 1909, and with her came favorite recipes from her home in the industrial north.

My Italian Grandmother’s Lentil Soup

Author Jodi Moreno remembers a hearty, comforting lentil stew.

An Obituary's Inside Joke

Why would a loving daughter begin her mother's obituary with "Ding dong the witch is dead?"

Mom and Pop Shops

For National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, we're celebrating folks who ran family businesses.

Scrabble Points

Will you be remembered for your love of triple word scores?

Identical Twins

We're celebrating the annual Twins Days festival by spotlighting a few sets of identical twins.