Funeral Software, Although many people find it very difficult to manage all the tasks for a funeral for a loved one, as a funeral professional, you can make these chores easier for everyone involved — especially when it comes to creating distinctive funeral stationery, touching DVD tribute videos and high-tech funeral webcasts.
Although all-in-one software technology was created with the funeral professional in mind, the technology benefits client families as well. Streamlining the personalization activities for the death care professional, all-in-one funeral software is quick to learn, easy to use, and is there when you need it.
With the time and money saved on dealing with outside vendors and re-printing funeral stationery with errors, funeral professionals are able to spend more time with their client families, serve more families and be more profitable.
With all-in-one funeral technology, funeral professionals are able to create beautiful funeral stationery, inspirational video tributes and provide online funeral webcasting services.
These menu driven applications walk the user step-by-step through the set up and creation of each product. Preview modes allow you to view and make any correction to what you are going to print or burn to DVD before you perform the task eliminating printing errors, costly mistakes and last minute rushing to correct any inaccuracies.
Plus, advanced options have been enabled so that each funeral product or webcast is of top-notch quality and provides client families with a fitting tribute.
Personalized Funeral Stationery
The possibilities of creating unique, personalized and coordinated funeral stationery are almost endless with all-in-one funeral software. This latest technology allows funeral professionals to create up to 450 different themes and include complete personalization. For example, a personalized funeral register book could include not only photographs that tell the story of the person’s life, but also include special poems or a verse of significance. Bookmarks can be created in house by the funeral professional as a memorial keepsake and contain the lyrics of the deceased’s favorite song. The possibilities are truly endless.
Professional DVD Tribute Videos
Innovative funeral software has turned the DVD tribute video process into a simple three step process that may sound complex, but is really ultra easy. With as many or as few pictures the family would like to use, a funeral professional can quickly scan the photos, add some special effects like music, transitions, or picture touch up and then burn the tribute video onto a DVD. The result is a personal and professional tribute video client families will cherish.
Reliable Funeral Webcasting
With families moving further away from their nuclear circle, sons and daughters going off to college or to serve in the military, or due to illness — it’s not always possible to attend a funeral in person. With funeral webcasting, family and friends who can’t attend a funeral can view the service online in either real time or later, at their convenience. For the funeral professional, getting started with funeral webcasting requires some basic equipment and using the proper webcasting software which is also available as part of an all-on-one suite. However, the start up costs are minimal, the software is easy to use and the results are fantastic.
As difficult as it is for a client family to contend with the loss of their loved one, using all-in-one funeral software can help lighten everyone’s burden just a bit. The family will know that the funeral service created was as beautiful, inspirational and fitting of a tribute that anyone could imagine. Knowing that the little details are taken care of is always a comfort at such a difficult time.
Sample Funeral Program Template, Funeral Template Download, Funeral Template Download is free to download from here. Writing an obituary or funeral program must capture the heart of mourners and it conveys the exact message at the funeral service.
Hundreds of designs and services are available to make a funeral program memorable. Free Funeral Program consists of booklets which are usually passed out to all the mourners present at a funeral place.
A funeral program remains as a memory of the deceased person and it also associates with the list of dealings for the funeral. Though most of the funeral program differs usually in their content and appearance, some of their fundamental features remain the same.
A cover used in the funeral program pamphlet contains the picture of the deceased and it is common in the entire program. Similar to the picture certain other features remains the same, while the feelings expressed differ in one funeral program to other.
This particular template is prepard in MS word format so that changing and customizing it is easy for you. You can change the color scheme and text of this template very easily. Please also note that this template is provided here for the purpose of reference and guidance and you are advised to use it carefully for your tasks and tripple check it to see if it is suitable for you or not.
This template is completely free to use for individual level purposes however you are not allowed to sell or distribute these templates on your behalf. We do hope that you will like it very much.
The Mortuary Science program at Mesa Community College
has as its central aim recognition of the importance of funeral service personnel as:
Members of a human services profession;
Members of the community in which they serve;
Participants in the relationship between bereaved families and those engaged in the funeral service profession;
Professionals knowledgeable of and compliant with federal, state, provincial/territorial, and local regulatory guidelines in the geographic area where they practice as well as
Professionals sensitive to the responsibility for public health, safety, and welfare in caring for human remains.
The program has the following objectives:
To enlarge the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession;
To educate students in every phase of funeral service and to help enable them to develop proficiency and skills necessary for the profession;
To educate students concerning the responsibilities of the funeral service profession in the community at large;
To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct;
To provide a curriculum at the post-secondary level of instruction; and
To encourage student and faculty research in the field of funeral service.
Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Mortuary Science
The program is a member of the National Association of Colleges of Mortuary Science (NACMS). As such, it is permitted to grant membership into Mu Sigma Alpha, the National Honor Society of Mortuary Science.
The Associate in Applied Science degree (AAS) in Mortuary Science includes studies in public health, business management, natural sciences, legal, ethical and regulatory concerns, and clinical requirements associated with the mortuary field. The curriculum combines coursework in mortuary science with a general education component. The Associates in Applied Science degree from Mesa Community College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE). Completion of the program prepares the student to sit for the National Board examination and begin state internship requirements.
As the only program of its kind in South Carolina, and one of only a handful of public college programs in mortuary science in the United States, Piedmont Technical College’s ABFSE-accredited Funeral Service Education program is well equipped to prepare students for a rewarding career in the Funeral Service and Mortuary Industry.
The program offers both an Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate.
The associate degree offers students the educational foundation needed to seek licensure in South Carolina or in another state, both as a funeral director and an embalmer.
The certificate, which is available only online, was developed for students interested in becoming licensed funeral directors in the Carolinas. The courses in this program will prepare students to take the South and North Carolina Funeral Directors’ Exams.
The Funeral: A Service of Witness to the Resurrection
Placing of the Pall
Sentences of Scripture
Psalm, Hymn or Spiritual
Prayer
Confession and Pardon
Readings from Scripture
Sermon
Affirmation of Faith
Hymn
Prayers of Thanksgiving, Supplication and Intercession
(or, The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper)
Lord’s Prayer
Commendation
Blessing
Procession
Family members will pray around the body as soon as possible after death. People will try to avoid touching the corpse as it is considered polluting. The corpse is usually bathed and dressed in white, traditional Indian clothes. If a wife dies before her husband she is dressed in red bridal clothes. If a woman is a widow she will be dressed in white or pale colours.
The funeral procession may pass places of significance to the deceased, such as a building or street. Prayers are said here and at the entrance to the crematorium.
The body is decorated with sandalwood, flowers and garlands. Scriptures are read from the Vedas or Bhagavad Gita. The chief mourner, usually the eldest son or male, will light some kindling and circle the body, praying for the well being of the departing soul.
After the cremation, the family may have a meal and offer prayers in their home. Mourners wash and change completely before entering the house after the funeral. A priest will visit and purify the house with spices and incense. This is the beginning of the 13-day mourning period when friends will visit and offer their condolences.
‘Shradh’ is practiced one year after the death of the person. This can either be an annual event or a large one-off event. This is the Hindu practice of giving food to the poor in memory of the deceased. A priest will say prayers for the deceased and during this time, usually lasting one month, the family will not buy any new clothes or attend any parties. Sons are responsible for carrying out Shradh.
1.As Death Approaches: Traditionally, a Hindu dies at home. Nowadays the dying are increasingly kept in hospitals, even when recovery is clearly not possible. Knowing the merits of dying at home among loved ones, Hindus bring the ill home. When death is imminent, kindred are notified. The person is placed in his room or in the entryway of the house, with the head facing east. A lamp is lit near his head and he is urged to concentrate on his mantra. Kindred keep vigil until the great departure, singing hymns, praying and reading scripture. If he cannot come home, this happens at the hospital, regardless of institutional objections.
2.The Moment of Death: If the dying person is unconscious at departure, a family member chants the mantra softly in the right ear. If none is known, “Aum Namo Narayana” or “Aum Nama Sivaya” is intoned. (This is also done for sudden-death victims, such as on a battlefield or in a car accident.) Holy ash or sandal paste is applied to the forehead, Vedic verses are chanted, and a few drops of milk, Ganga or other holy water are trickled into the mouth. After death, the body is laid in the home’s entryway, with the head facing south, on a cot or the ground—reflecting a return to the lap of Mother Earth. The lamp is kept lit near the head and incense burned. A cloth is tied under the chin and over the top of the head. The thumbs are tied together, as are the big toes. In a hospital, the family has the death certificate signed immediately and transports the body home. Under no circumstances should the body be embalmed or organs removed for use by others. Religious pictures are turned to the wall, and in some traditions mirrors are covered. Relatives are beckoned to bid farewell and sing sacred songs at the side of the body.
3.The Homa Fire Ritual: If available, a special funeral priest is called. In a shelter built by the family, a fire ritual (homa) is performed to bless nine brass kumbhas (water pots) and one clay pot. Lacking the shelter, an appropriate fire is made in the home. The “chief mourner” leads the rites. He is the eldest son in the case of the father’s death and the youngest son in the case of the mother’s. In some traditions, the eldest son serves for both, or the wife, son-in-law or nearest male relative.
4.Preparing the Body: The chief mourner now performs arati, passing an oil lamp over the remains, then offering flowers. The male (or female, depending on the gender of the deceased) relatives carry the body to the back porch, remove the clothes and drape it with a white cloth. (If there is no porch, the body can be sponge bathed and prepared where it is.) Each applies sesame oil to the head, and the body is bathed with water from the nine kumbhas, dressed, placed in a coffin (or on a palanquin) and carried to the homa shelter. The young children, holding small lighted sticks, encircle the body, singing hymns. The women then walk around the body and offer puffed rice into the mouth to nourish the deceased for the journey ahead. A widow will place her tali (wedding pendant) around her husband’s neck, signifying her enduring tie to him. The coffin is then closed. If unable to bring the body home, the family arranges to clean and dress it at the mortuary rather than leave these duties to strangers. The ritual homa fire can be made at home or kindled at the crematorium.
5.Cremation: Only men go to the cremation site, led by the chief mourner. Two pots are carried: the clay kumbha and another containing burning embers from the homa. The body is carried three times counterclockwise around the pyre, then placed upon it. All circumambulating, and some arati, in the rites is counterclockwise. If a coffin is used, the cover is now removed. The men offer puffed rice as the women did earlier, cover the body with wood and offer incense and ghee. With the clay pot on his left shoulder, the chief mourner circles the pyre while holding a fire brand behind his back. At each turn around the pyre, a relative knocks a hole in the pot with a knife, letting water out, signifying life’s leaving its vessel. At the end of three turns, the chief mourner drops the pot. Then, without turning to face the body, he lights the pyre and leaves the cremation grounds. The others follow. At a gas-fueled crematorium, sacred wood and ghee are placed inside the coffin with the body. Where permitted, the body is carried around the chamber, and a small fire is lit in the coffin before it is consigned to the flames. The cremation switch then is engaged by the chief mourner.
6.Return Home; Ritual Impurity: Returning home, all bathe and share in cleaning the house. A lamp and water pot are set where the body lay in state. The water is changed daily, and pictures remain turned to the wall. The shrine room is closed, with white cloth draping all icons. During these days of ritual impurity, family and close relatives do not visit others’ homes, though neighbors and relatives bring daily meals to relieve the burdens during mourning. Neither do they attend festivals and temples, visit swamis, nor take part in marriage arrangements. Some observe this period up to one year. For the death of friends, teachers or students, observances are optional. While mourning is never suppressed or denied, scriptures admonish against excessive lamentation and encourage joyous release. The departed soul is acutely conscious of emotional forces directed at him. Prolonged grieving can hold him in earthly consciousness, inhibiting full transition to the heaven worlds. In Hindu Bali, it is shameful to cry for the dead.
7.Bone-Gathering Ceremony: About 12 hours after cremation, family men return to collect the remains. Water is sprinkled on the ash; the remains are collected on a large tray. At crematoriums the family can arrange to personally gather the remains: ashes and small pieces of white bone called “flowers.” In crematoriums these are ground to dust, and arrangements must be made to preserve them. Ashes are carried or sent to India for deposition in the Ganges or placed them in an auspicious river or the ocean, along with garlands and flowers.
8.First Memorial: On the 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th day, relatives gather for a meal of the deceased’s favorite foods. A portion is offered before his photo and later ceremonially left at an abandoned place, along with some lit camphor. Customs for this period are varied. Some offer pinda (rice balls) daily for nine days. Others combine all these offerings with the following sapindikarana rituals for a few days or one day of ceremonies.
9. 31st-Day Memorial: On the 31st day, a memorial service is held. In some traditions it is a repetition of the funeral rites. At home, all thoroughly clean the house. A priest purifies the home, and performs the sapindikarana, making one large pinda (representing the deceased) and three small, representing the father, grandfather and great-grandfather. The large ball is cut in three pieces and joined with the small pindas to ritually unite the soul with the ancestors in the next world. The pindas are fed to the crows, to a cow or thrown in a river for the fish. Some perform this rite on the 11th day after cremation. Others perform it twice: on the 31st day or (11th, 15th, etc.) and after one year. Once the first sapindikarana is completed, the ritual impurity ends. Monthly repetition is also common for one year.
10.One-Year Memorial: At the yearly anniversary of the death (according to the moon calendar), a priest conducts the shraddha rites in the home, offering pinda to the ancestors. This ceremony is done yearly as long as the sons of the deceased are alive (or for a specified period). It is now common in India to observe shraddha for ancestors just prior to the yearly Navaratri festival. This time is also appropriate for cases where the day of death is unknown.
Hindu funeral rites can be simple or exceedingly complex. These ten steps, devotedly completed according to the customs, means, and ability of the family, will properly conclude one earthly sojourn of any Hindu soul.
The Order of Service Layout
Order of Service Cover:
The cover of the order of service contains the full legal name, date of birth, date of death, location and time of service. The cover will sometimes have a photo of the deceased, and sometimes the cover contains a caption such as “In Loving Memory” or “Celebration of Life”
Order of Service Outline:
Music Plays (Procession)
Introduction — Opening Remarks to start the occasion
Music, Song or Hymn is sung or a verse or poem is recited (The verse, funeral poem, or song is usually listed in the booklet)
Funeral Readings
Memories of the Deceased, Eulogy, Tribute
Music Poem or Reading
Prayers
Hymn or Music (lyrics listed in Order of Service)
Committal and Blessing
Closing Music
Back Cover of Order of Service
The back Cover usually contains expressions of thanks from the family, and the place where the repass or reception. Also, if you have any special donation requests, you can include them.
View our Order of Service Templates
Order of Service Template
It’s a demanding time when someone close to you passes away and you are the one responsible for making arrangements. At a time of loss and grief, it is difficult to make sure that you have given all the care possible to planning a service which reflects the essence of the person whom you have lost. A professional and compassionate Funeral Celebrant can be so very helpful in distilling the elements of a loved one’s life into an honest and respectful eulogy.
Most people use a trusted local funeral director. Whoever you choose to handle your arrangements, it’s a good idea to ensure that they are members of a professional association and are bound to adhere to a code of conduct. You may wish to read the NSW Office of Fair Trading booklet on Organising a Funeral – Buyer’s Guide.
Once you have phoned your funeral director, they will either ask you to come to their office to discuss arrangements, or they will visit you in your home. They will discuss the appropriate funeral celebrant for you and make recommendation based on your needs. You do not have to use the celebrant recommended by your funeral director but may nominate your own celebrant if you wish.
Your funeral director will help you with the death certificate (usually obtained from the deceased’s doctor) and help you to decide on where and when to hold the service, cremation or interment, flowers,transport and other aspects of the service.
If you decide to ask me to be your funeral celebrant, I will visit you in your home to have a discussion with you and other family members about what will be an appropriate tribute to the deceased one as well as a consolation to the bereaved. It is a good idea for you to make brief biographical notes about the deceased’s life. I can use your notes and your ideas to write a eulogy which reflects the life and spirit of the deceased. Family members or friends may wish to add their own tributes to be read at the service by them, or if they feel that is too difficult, I can read the tribute on their behalf. I can help with the choice of music and readings that are appropriate to the deceased. You may wish to have a funeral program to give to the mourners as a momento of the occasion. I can assist with the writing, design and printing of that if you wish.
I will meet with you, with your input, I can
Design the order of service
Write the funeral service
Write the eulogy
Give help and advice to family members or friends who wish to write and/or deliver tributes
Help you to choose music
Suggest poetry and readings
Integrate additional cultural or family needs into the service
Elements of a Sample Funeral Program
Since the booklet will become a keepsake for many who attend the funeral, several items should be included:
Full legal name of deceased person
Dates of birth and death
Time, date and place of funeral
Name of the priest, minister or other dignitary officiating the service
Place of interment
Full names of pallbearers
Name of person delivery the eulogy
Titles of songs played and/or sung
Religious Funerals
If the deceased person is having a religious funeral, other elements can be included in the program:
Scripture, Gospel or Bible citations: State the reference and the person who is reading it
If the funeral service has servers, as is used during a Catholic Mass, those names should be listed as well.
Bereavement verses
Optional Elements to Include
Depending on how many pages you want the funeral program to be, many other elements you can include:
Pictures of the deceased person
Favorite poetry
List of surviving family members
Brief biography
Charities where donations may be made
Time and place of the “after funeral” breakfast or luncheon
Funny anecdotes or quotes
Words of gratitude from the family to those who attended the service
Artwork created by the deceased person
Selecting a Cover for the Funeral Program
The cover of the funeral program should speak not only of the person who died, but also about the type of funeral being held. The cover will be the first thing everyone will see and most likely remember the most about the program. Samples of funeral program covers include:
A sunrise or sunset
Any nature scene
Falling rain
Flowers, trees or plants
Crosses, rosaries or other religious symbols
Collage of photos or a single photo of the deceased person
This memorial program template displays an Australian flag background for the patriotic or countrymen. Your loved one’s photo is set in an oval framing with the flag as a soft backdrop. The back displays the continuing graceful background with a white transparent overlay perfect for a poem or short obituary/biography. The main colors for this funeral resolutions program template are red, blue and white.
The inside displays a complimentary cosmic background to display your funeral memorial template. *The front cover title is not editable with our preprinted titles design however, you can purchase this same design in our Any Occasion category.
Order of Service booklets are distributed at the time and place of the Funeral providing those in attendance a guide to following the service, with the words to hymns or prayers as well as instructions where to go following the Service – more importantly the booklets serve to celebrate the life of the deceased and can be kept as a keepsake.
We offer a fast 48 hour service, and if required SAME DAY design, proof, print and dispatch (subject to availability)
We can also offer advice to people who are making advance preparations for their funeral/memorial service, so that we can offer their families a discreet and professional service when the time comes.
Please contact us for advice or help, we are here to try to make this part of your funeral arrangements as easy as possible for you, at this difficult time.
Your Funeral Booklets can be customized in many ways to reflect the life of your loved one. Most popular is a memorable photograph, with feathered edges, or an image that evokes a personal relevance. Our website has a useful resource page with the words to popular hymns, songs, poems and readings.
Order of Service Booklets are tastefully and professionally designed and printed, and folded to A5 size (148x210mm). Our design team are very experienced in producing these types of booklets and are fully aware that these can be difficult and emotional times for the bereaved. We are professional and understanding and can produce booklets within 24 hours for urgent funeral services with the minimum of fuss.
Your booklets can be printed using your word document or pdf; alternatively we can create a bespoke design for you. Provide us with your photos and wording, and we shall email you a proof to check, prior to printing.
Funeral Booklet – Order of Service sample
Funeral Order of Service Templates
Please feel free to contact us for advice or help, we are here to try to make this part of your funeral arrangements as easy as possible for you, at this difficult time.
We produce eyecatching colour posters to display at the service, printed from favourite photos of your loved ones.
Printed Digitally, in full colour on 140gsm Poster Paper from your 300dpi photograph supplied to us on a USB Stick or by email, or we can make high resolution scan of your photos.
These posters are very popular when displayed at the service or at the reception, reminding mourners of the loved one.
We can make beautiful, evocative photo collages bringing happy memories back to all who knew your loved ones. Your personalised collage can be printed as posters, and can also form the back page of the order of service booklet to great effect. There is a small extra charge of £45.00 for this work. We can also supply the artwork as a PDF for you to keep on your own computer.
When a loved one passes, the process of funeral preparation is exhausting at best. It has often been compared to planning a wedding in one day; contacting family and friends, making arrangements with the funeral director, overseeing the assets and financial accommodations. It can be so overwhelming that the grieving process takes a backseat and the actual meaning behind the funeral ceremony goes overlooked for what it is – a celebration of a life – a rekindling of memories – a remembrance of a person who is being honored.
With all the confusion and mixed emotions, it can be hard sometimes to take a moment and chronicle the life once lived in ways that can be distributed to all the friends and families. Perhaps this is why funeral programs are key in any funeral.
These funeral or memorial booklets are distributed to those attending a funeral or memorial service and act as a brief, yet sentimental glimpse into the life of a person being honored.
When creating a funeral program, there is a commonly basic list of information about the loved one that should be included are:
* Full name
* Dates of birth and death
* Time, date and place of funeral
* Name of priest, minister or other dignitary officiating the service
* Place of interment
* Full names of pallbearers;
* Name of person delivering the eulogy
* Titles of the songs played and/or sung
Depending on the length and how many pages are included in the funeral program, other elements that can be included are:
* Pictures of the loved one
* Favorite poetry
* List of surviving family members
* Brief biography
* Charities where donations may be made
* Time and place of the “after funeral” breakfast or luncheon
* Words of gratitude from the family to those who attended the service
* Artwork created by the loved one
Because the cover is the first thing everyone will see and most likely remember the most about the program, selecting a cover for the funeral program should not speak only of the person who died, but also about the type of funeral being held. Some covers may include:
* A sunrise or sunset
* Any nature scene
* Falling rain
* Flowers, trees or plants
* Crosses, rosaries or other religious symbols
* Collage of photos or a single photo of the loved one
It isn’t necessary for funeral booklets to be complex, yet they don’t have to be simple either. While general funeral programs consist of a standard sheet of paper folded in half, there are no rules or regulations restricting the amount of pages and information included.
Here is an simple example of a funeral program (sometime referred to as a memorial service bulletin or obituary program) which is a printed booklet that can contain a photo, order of service, photo collages, funeral or memorial service information, obituary, poems and acknowledgments and pall bearer information. Below is an example of a floral design funeral program. For more information about funeral program, visit our Funeral Programs Infomation section on this website. You can also view other sample funeral programs.
Create a Custom Funeral Program Online Now
Funeral Programs
Funeral Programs – are also known as a funeral bulletin, funeral memorial programs, funeral service programs or memorial service program and are used to supply information to those that are in attendance at the funeral and usually lists the order of events, pallbearers, special poems and verses, and anything else that the family wants to include to make the service a memorable experience.
Traditionally, the main focus that goes into the funeral program has been the text. With new technologies, families can now incorporate custom images in addition to text to help celebrate the life of the person that has passed on.
(Funeral Programs)
Creating a Funeral Program is Easy
Our online funeral program template software allows you to easily create 100% custom funeral programs in minutes while still keeping the desired quality. The application allows you to choose from hundreds of background templates we provide and also has the ability to upload your own background of your choice. Unlimited pictures and text boxes can be uploaded or inserted to your project as well and can be dragged and dropped anywhere on the page.
You will love, and most likely be amazed at how easy it is to erase backgrounds from pictures. Simply click on the red button to erase and the green button to restore what you may not have wanted to erase.
The application uses new online HTML5 technology that enables the software to auto-save every change you make to your funeral program. This also means that you can access your project on any computer in the world – Mac or PC so you will never have to download the software.
Funeral programs come in many different sizes. The most popular sizes are the 1-up (8.5 x 11 sheet of paper folded in half) and 2-up programs (print two programs on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and folded in half). These two different funeral program templates are displayed below. The finished size for the 1-up programs when folded is 5.5 x 8.5 and the finished size for a half page funeral program folded is 4.25 x 5.5. Either size can be created with or without a boarder (this is only an option if you choose to have your product printed at a local printer).
We are confident you will be pleasantly surprised when you use our software to create your funeral program. Enjoy! Please use Live Chat with any further questions. We are happy to help!
If you have lost a loved one, it is certainly difficult for the family. When we lose a beloved the lives of their family members change suddenly which results in a strain between relationships.
Why should we use a funeral program template? for funeral program design. This is a multi dollar quest as it is an effective way to create a memoir or memento to honor the memory and life of the lost loved one.
The first task which you should do when you plan the funeral is how to write an obituary. This should not be a difficult task as free obituary templates are easily available online.
Templates gives structure to an obituary: funeral program design On the death of loved one it is very possible for you to become stressful. If someone has asked you to write an obituary then by using a pre-structured template you can focus in announcing the death and its details appropriately.
Templates help to communicate whatever is necessary – Other than providing details of the surviving spouse and children, a written obituary also provides the time, date and place of a funeral or memorial service to a large number of people
If you are placing the obituary in a newspaper, then it will include the person’s name, city of residence, dates of birth and death, the time, date and place of the funeral service and names of immediate family members. You can also write a more detailed obituary to be used at the service. Here you can include the person’s education, career highlights and volunteer work, hobbies or religious affiliation.
Templates are there to help in saving the publication cost – Only a few of the newspapers publish obituaries free of cost. It therefore becomes essential for you to know that the cost of announcing a person’s death can be surprisingly high. On using a standard obituary template to communicate the loss helps you to focus on what’s important and, therefore, save publication costs. It is possible for you to share special highlights of the deceased’s life in the eulogy shared at the funeral as well as keep the published obituaries affordable by using a condensed obituary template.
It may be that you are writing a brief description of the deceased’s professional accomplishments, hence you should think about who could share them at the funeral with you on the dais. When you have summarized the involvement of the deceased in a church or assembly you can have someone to help you read the eulogy. By shortening the details of a person’s life and death into a brief obituary template will help turn your stay focus towards what would make their funeral or memorialspecial.
Should you ever be faced with the task of writing someone’s obituary you should consider using an obituary template as it will help you save time, effort and funeral-related expense and at the same time help you stay focus on the details of planning the rest of the funeral.
It is possible for you to use your feelings, words, and images to create a keepsake that everyone will cherish and remember
In times of loss, expressing heartfelt condolences through an obituary serves as a tribute to honor the life and legacy of a departed loved one. Crafting an obituary that captures the essence of their personality, achievements, and impact requires careful consideration of format and content.
Understanding Obituary Format
An obituary typically follows a structured format, encompassing key elements to ensure clarity and coherence. While variations exist, a standard obituary format often includes:
Introduction: Begin with a brief announcement of the individual’s passing, including their full name, age, and date of death.
Biographical Information: Provide essential details about the individual’s life, such as their date and place of birth, parents’ names, and significant life events.
Achievements and Contributions: Highlight the individual’s accomplishments, career milestones, community involvement, and any honors or awards received.
Family Information: Mention surviving family members, including spouses, children, siblings, and other relatives. You may also include information about predeceased family members.
Funeral or Memorial Service Details: Share information about the upcoming funeral or memorial service, including date, time, location, and any special instructions for attendees.
Crafting a Meaningful Obituary
While adhering to the standard obituary format is essential, the true essence of a tribute lies in its personalization and heartfelt expression. Here are some tips for crafting a meaningful obituary:
Capture the Individual’s Personality: Infuse the obituary with anecdotes, quotes, or stories that reflect the unique personality and character of the departed.
Focus on Impactful Memories: Highlight significant memories, experiences, or contributions that showcase the individual’s impact on others’ lives.
Celebrate Life Achievements: Recognize the individual’s accomplishments, passions, and interests, whether in their career, hobbies, or community involvement.
Express Gratitude and Love: Convey gratitude for the time shared with the departed and express love and appreciation for their presence in your life.
Seek Feedback and Collaboration: Consider collaborating with family members or friends to gather memories and insights that can enrich the obituary’s content.
Obituary Format Examples
To provide inspiration and guidance, let’s explore some obituary format examples:
Traditional Obituary Format Example
[Include a sample obituary following the standard format, highlighting key elements such as biographical information, achievements, family details, and funeral arrangements.]
Personalized Obituary Format Example
[Share an obituary that incorporates personal anecdotes, memories, and reflections, showcasing the individual’s unique personality and impact.]
Creative Obituary Format Example
[Present a creative obituary that deviates from the traditional format, perhaps incorporating poetry, artwork, or unconventional storytelling methods.]
Collaborative Obituary Format Example
[Demonstrate an obituary crafted through collaboration with family members or friends, capturing a collective perspective on the departed’s life and legacy.]
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This is a poem I wrote for my grandma’s funeral, my sister had to read it for me, so I wouldn’t cry and mess it up, but she did worse than I would’ve.
In this section we have a number of traditional and contemporary funeral poems and readings plus a few that we have found and like. We hope that they provide you with some inspiration and some solace. Please do not hesitate to contact us to recommend any other poems or readings that you have found helpful or comforting to you. Thank you.
Funeral poems for Grandmother
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can go no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Christina Rossetti
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightening they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas
Book of Ecclesiastes – A Time For Everything
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
The Bible, King James Version
Epitaph Upon A Child That Died
Here she lies, a pretty bud,
Lately made of flesh and blood:
Who as soon as fell fast asleep
As her little eyes did peep.
Give her strewings, but not stir
The earth that lightly covers her.
Robert Herrick
My Precious Son
Unendingly I mourn my precious son
Too early yet this earthly home he left,
Perfidious sleep confounded nature’s order
To leave his loves perpetually bereft.
Those golden dreams and aspirations,
The seed of yesterday a withered bloom,
Those baubles which are cause to celebrate
In death now mock us gently from his tomb.
How treacherous death does steal on youth’s exuberance,
To wreak such havoc from the ecstasy of life,
Where once was only joy and future promise
Tormented hearts endure eternal strife.
Pamela Davies
Look for me in Rainbows
Time for me to go now, I won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, way up in the sky.
In the morning sunrise when all the world is new,
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.
Time for me to leave you, I won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.
In the evening sunset, when all the world is through,
Just look for me and love me, and I’ll be close to you.
It won’t be forever, the day will come and then
My loving arms will hold you, when we meet again.
Time for us to part now, we won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, shining in the sky.
Every waking moment, and all your whole life through
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.
Just wish me to be near you,
And I’ll be there with you.
Music and lyrics: Conn Bernard (1990). Vicki Brown
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!
Mary Frye (1932)
Turn Again To Life
If I should die and leave you here a while,
be not like others sore undone,
who keep long vigil by the silent dust.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine
and I perchance may therein comfort you.
Mary Lee Hall
Funeral Blues
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead,
Put crépe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song,
I thought that love would last forever: ‘I was wrong’
The stars are not wanted now, put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
WH Auden
Epitaph on a Friend
An honest man here lies at rest,
The friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,
Few heads with knowledge so inform’d;
If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.
Robert Burns
By Herself and Her Friends
If I should go before the rest of you
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone,
Nor when I’m gone speak in a Sunday voice
But be the usual selves that I have known.
Weep if you must, Parting is hell,
But Life goes on, So sing as well.
Joyce Grenfell
So go and run free
So go and run free with the angels
Dance around the golden clouds
For the lord has chosen you to be with him
And we should feel nothing but proud
Although he has taken you from us
And our pain a lifetime will last
Your memory will never escape us
But make us glad for the time we did have
Your face will always be hidden
Deep inside our hearts
Each precious moment you gave us
Shall never, ever depart
So go and run free with the angels
As they sing so tenderly
And please be sure to tell them
To take good care of you for me
For Katrina’s Sun Dial
Time is too slow for those that wait,
Too swift for those that fear,
Too long for those that grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love, time is Eternity.
Henry Van Dyke
Inside Our Dreams
Where do people go to when they die?
Somewhere down below or in the sky?
‘I can’t be sure,’ said Grandad, ‘but it seems
They simply set up home inside our dreams.’
Jeanne Willis
Where do they go to?
Where do they go to, the people who leave?
Are they around us, in the cool evening breeze?
Do they still hear us, and watch us each day?
I’d like you to think of them with us that way.
Where do they go to, when no longer here?
I think that they stay with us, calming our fear
Loving us always, holding our hands
Walking beside us, on grass or on sand.
Where do they go to, well it’s my belief
They watch us and help us to cope with our grief
They comfort and stay with us, through each of our days
Guiding us always through life’s mortal maze.
KevF – 21st August 2007
Happiness
Happiness is silent, or speaks equivocally for friends,
Grief is explicit and her song never ends,
Happiness is like England, and will not state a case,
Grief, like Guilt, rushes in and talks apace.
Stevie Smith
Dead Woman
If suddenly you do not exist, if suddenly you are not living, I shall go on living.
I do not dare, I do not dare to write it, if you die. I shall go on living.
Because where a man has no voice, there shall be my voice
Where blacks are beaten, I can not be dead. When my brothers go to jail I shall go with them. When victory, not my victory, but the great victory arrives, even though I am mute I must speak: I shall see it come even though I am blind.
No, forgive me, if you are not living, if you, beloved, my love, if you have died.
Pablo Neruda
I will wait for you…
I will wait for you…
Though we never had a chance to say goodbye,
Remember me…
When winter snows are falling through a quiet sky
I’ll remember you
When, in our darkest hour,
You held my hand and prayed I wouldn’t go,
But a silent voice called out to me;
My time had come, and I had to travel Home…
Since then, I know your life has never been the same,
For I visit you each day:
So many times I’ve felt your pain:
I’ve watched you cry:
And I’ve heard you call my name…
But now, further along life’s road I stand
In a timeless world, just beyond your sight,
Waiting for the day when I can take your hand and bring you across
to this land of Golden Light…
Till then, remember me, you understand-and try not to cry.
But if you do:
Let your tears fall
For the happiness and joy we knew,
And for the special love we shared,
For love can never die.
Stephen O’Brien
The Final Flight
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free, I’m following the path God laid for me.
I took his hand when I heard his call, I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day, To laugh, to love, to work, to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way, I’ve found that peace at the end of the day.
If my parting has left a void, Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss, Ah, yes, these things too I will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow, I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My Life’s been full, I savoured much, Good friends, good times, a loved one’ touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief, Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me, God wanted me now, He set me free.
Not In Vain
If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
Emily Dickinson
To The Glory of Phil
I wonder if there are many slightly mad people. Who would think me so?
Yet I can sit on the floor in my study sorting my papers, saying to myself,
“I am going to succeed in what I do for the glory of Phil.
I will tell no one but hug the knowledge to myself.”
And I usually look as I pass the cemetery on my way home from work because, one day,
long after I am dead, I will see him walking down the sloping driveway,
away from the circle of flowers, towards the road.
Geoffrey Davies
Angel Moms
We have shared our tears and our sorrow,
We have given encouragement to each other,
Given hope for a brighter tomorrow,
We share the title of grieving mother.
Some of us lost older daughters or sons,
Who we watched grow over the years,
Some have lost their babies before their lives begun,
But no matter the age, we cry the same tears.
We understand each others pain,
The bond we share is very strong,
With each other there is no need to explain,
The path we walk is hard and long.
Our children brought us together,
They didn’t want us on this journey alone,
They knew we needed each other,
To survive the pain of them being gone.
So take my hand my friend,
We may stumble and fall along the way,
But we’ll get up and try again,
Because together we can make it day by day.
We can give each other hope,
We’ll create a place where we belong,
Together we will find ways to cope,
Because we are Angel Moms and together we are strong!
Judi Walker
Don’t Cry for me
Don’t cry for me now I have died, for I’m still here I’m by your side,
My body’s gone but my soul’s is here, please don’t shed another tear,
I am still here I’m all around, only my body lies in the ground.
I am the snowflake that kisses your nose,
I am the frost, that nips your toes.
I am the sun ,bringing you light,
I am the star, shining so bright.
I am the rain, refreshing the earth,
I am the laughter, I am the mirth.
I am the bird, up in the sky,
I am the cloud, that’s drifting by.
I am the thoughts, inside your head,
While I’m still there, I can’t be dead.
She Shall be Praised
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth no the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Richer Then Gold
by Strickland Gillilan
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be –
I had a mother who read to me.
The Watcher
by Margaret Widdemer
She always leaned to watch for us
Anxious if we were late,
In winter by the window,
In summer by the gate.
And though we mocked her tenderly
Who had such foolish care,
The long way home would seem more safe,
Because she waited there.
Her thoughts were all so full of us,
She never could forget,
And so I think that where she is
She must be watching yet.
Waiting ‘til we come home to her
Anxious if we are late
Watching from Heaven’s window
Leaning from Heaven’s gate.
I Never Saw Your Wings
by Michele (last name unknown)
How is it that I never saw your wings
when you were here with me?
When you closed your eyes and soared
to the Heavens I could hear the
faint flutter of you wings as you left.
Your body no longer on this side
your spirit here eternally I see your halo shine.
I close my eyes and see the multicolored wings
surround me in my saddest moments and my happiest times.
Mother my angel God has given you your assignment
always my mother forever my angel.
You fly into my dreams and when I am asleep
I feel your wings brush against my face wiping away
the tears I shed since I can no longer hold
you in my arms but in my heart.
You earned those wings dear mother
and you will always be me angel eternal.
The Watcher
by Margaret Widdemer
She always leaned to watch for us
Anxious if we were late,
In winter by the window,
In summer by the gate.
And though we mocked her tenderly
Who had such foolish care,
The long way home would seem more safe,
Because she waited there.
Her thoughts were all so full of us,
She never could forget,
And so I think that where she is
She must be watching yet.
Waiting ‘til we come home to her
Anxious if we are late
Watching from Heaven’s window
Leaning from Heaven’s gate.
Your Mother Is Always With You
by Unknown Author
Your mother is always with you…
She’s the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street.
She’s the smell of bleach in
your freshly laundered socks.
She’s the cool hand on your
brow when you’re not well.
Your mother lives inside
your laughter. She’s crystallized
in every tear drop…
She’s the place you came from,
your first home.. She’s the map you
follow with every step that you take.
She’s your first love and your first heart
break….and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, Not space…
Not even death….
will ever separate you
from your mother….
You carry her inside of you….
In Memory Of My Mother
by Patrick Kavanagh
I do not think of you lying in the wet clay
Of a Monaghan graveyard; I see
You walking down a lane among the poplars
On your way to the station, or happily
Going to second Mass on a summer Sunday–
You meet me and you say:
‘Don’t forget to see about the cattle–’
Among your earthiest words the angels stray.
And I think of you walking along a headland
Of green oats in June,
So full of repose, so rich with life–
And I see us meeting at the end of a town
On a fair day by accident, after
The bargains are all made and we can walk
Together through the shops and stalls and markets
Free in the oriental streets of thought.
O you are not lying in the wet clay,
For it is harvest evening now and we
Are piling up the ricks against the moonlight
And you smile up at us — eternally.
Mother to Son
by Langston Hughes
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So, boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps.
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
if there are any heavens my mother will
by E. E. Cummings
if there are any heavens my mother will(all by herself)have
one. It will not be a pansy heaven nor
a fragile heaven of lilies-of-the-valley but
it will be a heaven of blackred roses
my father will be(deep like a rose tall like a rose)
standing near my(swaying over her silent)
with eyes which are really petals and see
nothing with the face of a poet really which
is a flower and not a face with
hands which whisper
This is my beloved my(suddenly in sunlight he will bow& the whole garden will bow)
Mother o’ Mine
by Rudyard Kipling
If I were hanged on the highest hill,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose love would follow me still,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
If I were drowned in the deepest sea,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
I know whose tears would come down to me,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
If I were damned of body and soul,
I know whose prayers would make me whole,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!
My Mother
by Claude McKay
Reg wished me to go with him to the field,
I paused because I did not want to go;
But in her quiet way she made me yield
Reluctantly, for she was breathing low.
Her hand she slowly lifted from her lap
And, smiling sadly in the old sweet way,
She pointed to the nail where hung my cap.
Her eyes said: I shall last another day.
But scarcely had we reached the distant place,
When o’er the hills we heard a faint bell ringing;
A boy came running up with frightened face;
We knew the fatal news that he was bringing.
I heard him listlessly, without a moan,
Although the only one I loved was gone.
II
The dawn departs, the morning is begun,
The trades come whispering from off the seas,
The fields of corn are golden in the sun,
The dark-brown tassels fluttering in the breeze;
The bell is sounding and the children pass,
Frog-leaping, skipping, shouting, laughing shrill,
Down the red road, over the pasture-grass,
Up to the school-house crumbling on the hill.
The older folk are at their peaceful toil,
Some pulling up the weeds, some plucking corn,
And others breaking up the sun-baked soil.
Float, faintly-scented breeze, at early morn
Over the earth where mortals sow and reap–
Beneath its breast my mother lies asleep.
Mom and Me
By Unknown Author
Best friends forever mom and me
picking flowers and climbing trees.
a shoulder to cry on secrets to share
Warm hearts and hands that really care.
When God thought of mother
by Henry Ward Beecher
When God thought of mother,
He must have laughed with satisfaction,
and framed it quickly –
so rich, so deep, so divine,
so full of soul, power, and beauty,
was the conception.
Only One Mother
by Unknown Author
Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of birds in the sunny weather.
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
We had a wonderful Grandmother/grandfather
by Unknown Author
We had a wonderful grandmother/grandfather,
One who never really grew old;
Her/his smile was made of sunshine,
And her/his heart was solid gold;
Her/his eyes were as bright as shining stars,
And in her/his cheeks fair roses you see.
We had a wonderful grandmother,
And that’s the way it will always be.
But take heed, because
She’s/he’s still keeping an eye on all of us,
So let’s make sure
She/he will like what she/he sees.
Weep not for me though I am gone into that gentle night
by Unknown Author
Weep not for me though I am gone into that gentle night.
Grieve if you will, but not for long upon my soul’s sweet flight.
I am at peace, my soul’s at rest
There is no need for tears.
For with your love I was so blessed.
For all those many years.
There is no pain, I suffer not,
The fear now all is gone.
Put now these things out of your thoughts,
In your memory I live on.
Remember not my fight for breath
Remember not the strife.
Please do not dwell upon my death,
But celebrate my life.
A reminder that your Gramps/Grandma has not always been old!
by Unknown Author
Grandma/Grandpa, you were just a girl/boy,
So many years ago.
You had your loves and had your dreams,
You watched us come and go.
You watched us make the same mistakes,
That you had made before,
But that just made you hold us tight,
And love us all the more.
We haven’t always thought about
The things that you have seen.
To us you’ve just been ‘Grandma/Grandpa’,
No thought of who you’ve been.
But we remember now in love,
Your life from start to end,
And we’re just glad we knew you,
As Grandma/Grandpa, and as Friend.
You Were There
by Unknown Author
You were there when we took our first steps,
And went unsteadily across the floor.
You pushed and prodded: encouraged and guided,
Until our steps took us out the door…
You worry now “Are they ok?”
Is there more you could have done?
As we walk the paths of our unknown
You wonder”Where have my children gone?”
Where we are is where you have led us,
With your special love you showed us a way,
To believe in ourselves and the decisions we make.
Taking on the challenge of life day-to-day.
And where we go you can be sure,
In spirit you shall never be alone.
For where you are is what matters most to us,
Because to us that will always be home…
Wonderful Mother
By Patrick O’Reilly
God made a wonderful mother,
A mother who never grows old;
He made her smile of the sunshine.
And He moulded her heart of pure gold;
In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,
In her cheeks fair roses you see;
God made a wonderful mother,
And He gave that dear mother to me.
Mother’s Songs
By Unknown Author
Songs my mother taught me,
In the days long vanished.
Seldom from her eyelids,
Were the teardrops banished.
Now I teach my children,
Each melodious measure.
Oft the teardrops flowing,
Oft they flow from my memory’s treasure.
Child and mother
by Eugene Field
O mother-my-love, if you’ll give me your hand,
And go where I ask you to wander,
I will lead you away to a beautiful land,–
The Dreamland that’s waiting out yonder.
We’ll walk in a sweet posie-garden out there,
Where moonlight and starlight are streaming,
And the flowers and the birds are filling the air
With the fragrance and music of dreaming.
There’ll be no little tired-out boy to undress,
No questions or cares to perplex you,
There’ll be no little bruises or bumps to caress,
Nor patching of stockings to vex you;
For I’ll rock you away on a silver-dew stream
And sing you asleep when you’re weary,
And no one shall know of our beautiful dream
But you and your own little dearie.
And when I am tired I’ll nestle my head
In the bosom that’s soothed me so often,
And the wide-awake stars shall sing, in my stead,
A song which our dreaming shall soften.
So, Mother-my-Love, let me take your dear hand,
And away through the starlight we’ll wander,–
Away through the mist to the beautiful land,–
The Dreamland that’s waiting out yonder.
The Last Words Of My English Grandmother
by William Carlos Williams
There were some dirty plates
and a glass of milk
beside her on a small table
near the rank, disheveled bed—
Wrinkled and nearly blind
she lay and snored
rousing with anger in her tones
to cry for food,
Gimme something to eat—
They’re starving me—
I’m all right I won’t go
to the hospital. No, no, no
Give me something to eat
Let me take you
to the hospital, I said
and after you are well
you can do as you please.
She smiled, Yes
you do what you please first
then I can do what I please—
Oh, oh, oh! she cried
as the ambulance men lifted
her to the stretcher—
Is this what you call
making me comfortable?
By now her mind was clear—
Oh you think you’re smart
you young people,
she said, but I’ll tell you
you don’t know anything.
Then we started.
On the way
we passed a long row
of elms. She looked at them
awhile out of
the ambulance window and said,
What are all those
fuzzy-looking things out there?
Trees? Well, I’m tired
of them and rolled her head away.
Mother’s Day Proclamation
by Julia Ward Howe
Arise then…women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
“We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”
From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: “Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace…
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God –
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.
On Receipt Of My Mother’s Picture
by William Cowper
Oh that those lips had language! Life has pass’d
With me but roughly since I heard thee last.
Those lips are thine–thy own sweet smiles I see,
The same that oft in childhood solaced me;
Voice only fails, else, how distinct they say,
“Grieve not, my child, chase all thy fears away!”
The meek intelligence of those dear eyes
(Blest be the art that can immortalize,
The art that baffles time’s tyrannic claim
To quench it) here shines on me still the same.
Faithful remembrancer of one so dear,
Oh welcome guest, though unexpected, here!
Who bidd’st me honour with an artless song,
Affectionate, a mother lost so long,
I will obey, not willingly alone,
But gladly, as the precept were her own;
And, while that face renews my filial grief,
Fancy shall weave a charm for my relief–
Shall steep me in Elysian reverie,
A momentary dream, that thou art she.
My mother! when I learn’d that thou wast dead,
Say, wast thou conscious of the tears I shed?
Hover’d thy spirit o’er thy sorrowing son,
Wretch even then, life’s journey just begun?
Perhaps thou gav’st me, though unseen, a kiss;
Perhaps a tear, if souls can weep in bliss–
Ah that maternal smile! it answers–Yes.
I heard the bell toll’d on thy burial day,
I saw the hearse that bore thee slow away,
And, turning from my nurs’ry window, drew
A long, long sigh, and wept a last adieu!
But was it such?–It was.–Where thou art gone
Adieus and farewells are a sound unknown.
May I but meet thee on that peaceful shore,
The parting sound shall pass my lips no more!
Thy maidens griev’d themselves at my concern,
Oft gave me promise of a quick return.
What ardently I wish’d, I long believ’d,
And, disappointed still, was still deceiv’d;
By disappointment every day beguil’d,
Dupe of to-morrow even from a child.
Thus many a sad to-morrow came and went,
Till, all my stock of infant sorrow spent,
I learn’d at last submission to my lot;
But, though I less deplor’d thee, ne’er forgot.
Where once we dwelt our name is heard no more,
Children not thine have trod my nurs’ry floor;
And where the gard’ner Robin, day by day,
Drew me to school along the public way,
Delighted with my bauble coach, and wrapt
In scarlet mantle warm, and velvet capt,
‘Tis now become a history little known,
That once we call’d the past’ral house our own.
Short-liv’d possession! but the record fair
That mem’ry keeps of all thy kindness there,
Still outlives many a storm that has effac’d
A thousand other themes less deeply trac’d.
Thy nightly visits to my chamber made,
That thou might’st know me safe and warmly laid;
Thy morning bounties ere I left my home,
The biscuit, or confectionary plum;
The fragrant waters on my cheeks bestow’d
By thy own hand, till fresh they shone and glow’d;
All this, and more endearing still than all,
Thy constant flow of love, that knew no fall,
Ne’er roughen’d by those cataracts and brakes
That humour interpos’d too often makes;
All this still legible in mem’ry’s page,
And still to be so, to my latest age,
Adds joy to duty, makes me glad to pay
Such honours to thee as my numbers may;
Perhaps a frail memorial, but sincere,
Not scorn’d in heav’n, though little notic’d here.
Could time, his flight revers’d, restore the hours,
When, playing with thy vesture’s tissued flow’rs,
The violet, the pink, and jessamine,
I prick’d them into paper with a pin,
(And thou wast happier than myself the while,
Would’st softly speak, and stroke my head and smile)
Could those few pleasant hours again appear,
Might one wish bring them, would I wish them here?
I would not trust my heart–the dear delight
Seems so to be desir’d, perhaps I might.–
But no–what here we call our life is such,
So little to be lov’d, and thou so much,
That I should ill requite thee to constrain
Thy unbound spirit into bonds again.
Thou, as a gallant bark from Albion’s coast
(The storms all weather’d and the ocean cross’d)
Shoots into port at some well-haven’d isle,
Where spices breathe and brighter seasons smile,
There sits quiescent on the floods that show
Her beauteous form reflected clear below,
While airs impregnated with incense play
Around her, fanning light her streamers gay;
So thou, with sails how swift! hast reach’d the shore
“Where tempests never beat nor billows roar,”
And thy lov’d consort on the dang’rous tide
Of life, long since, has anchor’d at thy side.
But me, scarce hoping to attain that rest,
Always from port withheld, always distress’d–
Me howling winds drive devious, tempest toss’d,
Sails ript, seams op’ning wide, and compass lost,
And day by day some current’s thwarting force
Sets me more distant from a prosp’rous course.
But oh the thought, that thou art safe, and he!
That thought is joy, arrive what may to me.
My boast is not that I deduce my birth
From loins enthron’d, and rulers of the earth;
But higher far my proud pretensions rise–
The son of parents pass’d into the skies.
And now, farewell–time, unrevok’d, has run
His wonted course, yet what I wish’d is done.
By contemplation’s help, not sought in vain,
I seem t’ have liv’d my childhood o’er again;
To have renew’d the joys that once were mine,
Without the sin of violating thine:
And, while the wings of fancy still are free,
And I can view this mimic shew of thee,
Time has but half succeeded in his theft–
Thyself remov’d, thy power to sooth me left.
