What is a Memorial Website?

Memorial Website

A memorial website, also known as a virtual memorial, can take many forms. Sometimes a memorial website will be a simple affair, consisting of a few cherished family photographs as well as a biography of the deceased. These simple memorial websites can be seen as a sort of online obituary, providing important information about the lost loved one and helping family members to cope with their loss.

Other virtual memorials are much more elaborate, containing not only photographs but video tributes, music clips and messages from loved ones.  One of the great things about a memorial website is that it can grow and evolve over time.  Many times a virtual memorial will start off quite simply – with just a photo or two.  As more and more family members log on to the site and leave their comments and tributes the site may continue to grow, becoming a place for family members to gather and share their stories and their memories of those left behind.

There is no one right way to set up a virtual memorial – just as there is no one right way to grieve the loss of a loved one.  The loss of a cherished family member is always a traumatic event, and every member of the family must be allowed to grieve in his or her own way.  By setting up a memorial website those left behind can grieve the loss on their own terms, helping those left behind come to terms with the loss.  The simple act of gathering together as a family – whether at the local funeral home or in the world of cyberspace, can start the healing process.  Gathering the family together online is a great way to continue the healing process after the funeral has ended and the surviving family members have gone back to their individual lives.