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Memorial Services Postponed

Created on Feb 18, 2021 by Kathy Pinna

At a certain point in my life, I began reading the obituaries in my local paper. At first, I read to see which of my friends' parents had died.

Now I peruse the obits to see when my friends have died. I've come to terms with officially being classified as "elderly".

So I have seen thousands of obits over the decades. And just recently, after 30+ years of reading obituaries, I've noticed a big change in them. Ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 just about every one ends with a common sentence: Memorial To Be Held At Later Date.

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Memorials Delayed Due to COVID-19

It's a human need to gather with friends and family when our loved ones die. We physically gather together to share our memories about the person and how they impacted our lives. And when we listen to other peoples' stories we learn more about the person we lost.

With COVID-19, a pandemic we haven't seen since the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu, came 'shelter in place' which restricts our ability to physically join together.

Today we aren't able to visit the funeral home then follow the hearse to the cemetery for final burial. We can't physically be together with our family & friends and share memories to learn more about our dearly departed.

We can't physically be together, but we can still share, learn, and celebrate their lives.

Biographies are a place for us all to remember & share memories together.

I can just grab my phone, anytime and anywhere, and navigate to a loved one's bio to share my fondest memories of special moments.

By sharing I relive the experiences in my mind and show that their life mattered. Turns out I'm not alone either. After a while, I find that others update the bio and discover new details about the life of my loved one.

As a founder of AncientFaces, I see everyday truly meaningful connections made just by sharing memories:

a descendant sees the images of their g-g-grandparents for the first time,

a cousin who lost contact with family members is reunited,

adopted individuals finds his or her biological family,

'orphan' photos find their way from antique shops back to their families,

and so much more.

I am so grateful that with technology people's legacies can live on forever. People live on after their death through our memories of them. Now our loved ones have a home online where our memories paint a portrait of who these people really were.

A place where everyone today, regardless of location, can share & discover more about the people important to them. A place where future generations can learn about who their ancestors really were.

Moments in Time

AncientFaces 350k+ followers 399 favorites

05/07/2023

What AncientFaces Does

AncientFaces is a 100% free and family-friendly community where we share memories and connect with others to remember and discover more about the people from our past. By sharing our memories, family stories, and information we uncover while digging for our roots, we unlock meaningful connections with others today, and the possibilities of new discoveries tomorrow. See first hand the power of sharing and what you can discover about a sibling, spouse, grandparent, friend, coworker, or ancestor...

AncientFaces 350k+ followers 399 favorites

05/09/2023

Community Standards

Welcome to AncientFaces! A 100% free community where we remember people from our past. At AncientFaces, we believe in the power of remembering together. Through Collaborative Biographies we connect with others who know the person, and discover more together. As you participate in the AncientFaces community, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our Community Standards. These guidelines are in place to ensure that AncientFaces remains a safe and respectful place for everyone, worthy of preserving the memories of the people we remember.

AncientFaces 350k+ followers 399 favorites

04/27/2023

We All Deserve to be Remembered: AncientFaces - 20 years in 2020

How in the world is it that when our loved ones die we have only their social media accounts to remember them by? Why is it all that’s left online is a memorial page consisting of a tombstone and an obituary, and if you’re fortunate enough to have a writer in the family, MAYBE there is an obituary consisting of three paragraphs about who the person was? People are important in life and in death. How our loved ones and ancestors lived their lives, what they did with their time, and who they impacted - is important.
We all Deserve to be Remembered, and it is up to us, the people that knew them, to show & tell their stories before our memories get lost in history. AncientFaces is Where We Remember Over the last 20 years we've seen tens of millions of people show that they agree that Everyone Deserves to be Remembered (EDtbR). It is up to each and every one of us to share our memories & family stories of those people important to us. Through storytelling & sharing who these people really were, we unlock meaningful connections with people today, and the potential of new discoveries tomorrow. In 2020, to celebrate our 20 year milestone & to share this mission with the world we've released our first video. If you live in our neighborhood in Silicon Valley you might have noticed the spot on your favorite television channels ;) Thank you - each and every one of you - for your role in making AncientFaces a family-friendly community and the place to remember & celebrate the lives of people who matter to us.

AncientFaces 350k+ followers 399 favorites

05/03/2023

Lost & Found Family Photos

These Lost & Found photos may have been found in dumpsters, in the walls or attic when remodeling old homes, inherited from a distant family member, or sold at flea markets or antique stores. They may have been in treasured family albums, with or without names, but no one knows who they are and how they fit into the family. The one thing that all of these photos have in common is this: They all are orphan photos that have lost their families. The AncientFaces Community is full of people who invest their time to reunite these photos with family members. These photos below are just a few of the thousands of Lost & Found photos waiting to be re-united.

AncientFaces 350k+ followers 399 favorites

05/03/2023

Success Stories - Making Connections

"Thank you for helping me find my family & friends again so many years after I lost them. I get the chance to remember them all this time later." Highlights of just a few of the many successes of sharing memories within the AncientFaces Community. From reuniting Lost & Found or 'orphan' photos with their families, seeing faces of relatives for the first time, to the many connections made with family & friends, and the profound discoveries about our loved ones and ancestors. Special moments like these are why it's important we share.

AncientFaces 350k+ followers 399 favorites

05/03/2023

D-Day World War II: June 6th 1944

With Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 World War 2 began. The United States didn't enter the war until 1941 when Germany's ally Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The war was challenging not only on the military, but also for civilians. Incessant bombing of cities like The Blitz on London and other cities in Great Britain lasted around 8 months, every night, all night long. Rationing of foodstuffs and other goods needed for the war effort, victory gardens, nights spent in the Tube, blackouts, and sending your children to the countryside for safety. By 1944, the need to end the many years' long war became desperate. And so came D-day in 1944 - a plan to reclaim occupied ally France from the Nazis and to gain a platform from which to invade, and destroy, Nazism in Germany.