Whilst a memorial headstone is a tribute to someone who has passed away, it can actually form a significant historical marker for future generations. When it comes to deciding exactly what information is included on the headstone and what information is left off, however, many people become stuck. This guide should help you to design the memorial to your liking.
- Include the complete name of the person who has passed away, including their first, middle and last names. Some people also like to include the maiden name of a married woman.
- If the person had a nickname that most people knew them by, you might like to include this on the memorial headstone. It should be included in quotation marks after the first name.
- Include the person’s full date of birth and date of death. Some people choose to leave off the month and day, however, either because they do not know or the person valued their privacy.
- Include information regarding who the person was in life. You could write ‘beloved father of’ or ‘devoted husband of’ and include the names of important people in their life.
- Include a line that you feel captures the life of the person who has passed away. This may be a line from a poem or a novel that they loved, a religious passage or anything you like.
Once you have decided exactly what you want the memorial headstone to say, you will need to arrange how it will look on the grave. Often, the name and dates of birth and death will be centred with any other information provided in smaller font below. You may also like to include an image that you feel describes your loved one or that will protect them.