Memorials for the recently deceased
Manage a close relative's memorial
Adding your relationship to existing memorials you manage

Memorials for the recently deceased

(These changes apply to non-famous memorials added after January 11, 2022.)

When adding memorials for those who are recently deceased, if you are not a family member and it is too soon for the burial information to be known, please wait until the burial information is known to create the memorial. 

When adding a memorial for a person who is recently deceased (within the past year), you'll be asked, "Are you a close relative?" If you are related, select Yes and choose your relationship. When adding your relationship, you can choose to make it public or private using the checkbox "Show relationship in source information." If you are related within our updated transfer guidelines, found under Request to Manage, the memorial is added in the standard manner and managed by the close relative.
If the member adding this memorial is not related within our updated transfer guidelines, to be sensitive to family members, the memorial displays with limited information to others on the site for the first three months after the death date. After three months from the death date, the view of the memorial is no longer limited. The memorial will show as others do except that for up to a year from the death date, the option for a close relative to 'Manage' the memorial will show on the memorial.

Here is an example of what a memorial for a recently deceased person looks like in a search list (for everyone except the manager):



The manager's view of the memorial is the same as any other memorial they manage.

Managing a close relative's memorial

During those first three months after the death date (when the memorial displays with a limited view), we have added a simple way for close relatives to request to manage the memorial. A close relative can click the 'Manage' button, add their relationship, and become the manager for a new memorial for that person. The option to ‘Manage’ can be found on the memorial and in memorial lists. Since the manager is related, the memorial will now display and act as any other memorial. You can choose to make your relationship public or private.

To request to manage a memorial for someone you are related to (within our updated transfer guidelines) who has died in the past year, select 'Manage' and go through the process to become the manager of the memorial.

While your account is new and you are learning more about the site, you may run into a limit on transfers. If you've reached the limit and the memorial you are requesting to manage is a relative, contact support with the memorial ID, your relationship, and your request to manage it for assistance.

Adding Your Relationship to Memorials You Manage

Relationship information helps us make decisions about merges, transfer requests and memorials for the recently deceased. To add your relationship to an existing memorial that you manage, select Edit, scroll down, and choose your relationship.

You can choose to make your relationship public or private. If you choose to keep your relationship private, nothing will be displayed next to your profile name for other members, but you will see a note that your relationship is private.

You can find a list of memorials you are related to by hovering over your profile name, selecting 'My Memorials' and choosing 'Related' from the dropdown menu next to 'My Memorials.'

In memorial lists, you will also see a green dot (public) or lock (private) to indicate memorials for people you are related to.

We have a limit on the number of memorials you can manage within each relationship type. This relationship addition is to help members manage family member memorials for those who are recently deceased. We look forward to providing other relationship options in the future.

Note: While we are rolling out this change, memorials created before the update may not have all the features described.