For more information on features of the new obituary, see our earlier post, “Introducing the Next Generation of Obituaries.”

We encourage our newspaper partners to contact marketing@legacy.com for more information.

Photo submitted to Lois Purdum’s Guest Book, published in Baltimore Sun

The best mothers do more than raise us and nurture us – they teach us, too. Of course, there are the early basics: Mom teaches Baby how to eat, how to get dressed, how to talk. As we get to school age, Mom is there to help with homework and to teach us good manners. We move out of the house and Mom is at the other end of the phone reminding us how she makes our favorite foods or giving us advice on handling a big job interview. As long as we have our mothers with us, they are there to teach us… and when they’re gone, we spend the rest of our lives wondering who to go to for advice.

As Mother’s Day approaches, we share 5 condolences that detail the many things learned from Mom.

1. Mom taught me how to be a good mother, how to include God in daily life, how to clean, how to shop, how to overcome shyness, the importance of further education, the importance of being reliable ,the importance of volunteerism AND… how to be a best friend. I thank God for the gift of Mom. [Published in Fort Wayne Newspapers]

2. My Mom taught me right from wrong. How to live in today’s society. Life is an endless game we must all play. She taught all of us to be very strong individuals as she was herself. I miss you Mom. [Published in Norwich Bulletin]

3. My Mommom taught me so much, and I know she will always be with me. Thanks to her I know how to properly make chicken noodle soup, and I know that the best cleaning tools are baking soda, vinegar and walnuts. Being with her and helping care for her in the last weeks have been an absolute honor, some of the most calm and peaceful times we’ve had together, one of the most soulful experiences I have ever had, and memories I will cherish forever. [Published in Baltimore Sun]

4. Thank you GOD for giving me 53 years with this wonderful woman that was my Mother. Never a day will go by that I will not think of her. My mom taught me the most important lessons in life. She always said that Love and Family always come first and that even if the person was not related to you by blood as long as there was Love they were Family. Thanks Mom for helping me became the woman that I am today. [Published in El Paso Times]

5. Some women have to work so hard for grace and beauty. Not her, she was it all without even trying. My mom taught me to trust myself, trust my instincts, dance like no one is looking, sing loudly in the car, laugh a lot and mostly at myself, cry and be open with my feelings, sacrifice your needs for the needs of your children, but most of all she taught me the power of love and the power of forgiveness. She gave me strength because she believed in me. I love you and I miss you so much mom. You were always the wind beneath my wings. [Published in Contra Costa Times]

Legacy.com reviews one million condolence messages each month. In our “5 Condolences” series, we highlight messages with a common theme.

If you’ve lost your mother, or if you are a mother who’s lost a child, May can be a difficult month. We invite you to visit our grief support community at LegacyConnect, where we offer advice from grief experts, support groups, resource recommendations,  a special Remembering Mothers section, and much more.

When saying good-bye to a loved one, we at Legacy.com understand the important role our products can play in helping families honor a life well lived. This is a job we do not take lightly. With that in mind, we asked ourselves: How can we elevate our newspaper obituary offerings? How can we continue to help families honor their loved ones? Over the past year we challenged our team to develop an innovative new online obituary experience that answered those questions.

Introducing the next generation in online newspaper obituaries, designed with more emphasis on honoring the deceased and features families seek, including:

• Prominent obituary placement, larger photo/font
• Redesigned Guest Book remains online permanently
• Video and photo gallery with upload capabilities
• Video condolences
• Integrated social sharing features, including Facebook
• Funeral home and service information with calendar functionality
• Audio obituary function
• Easy access to send flowers or make a donation
• 24-7 quality management of the obituary and Guest Book provided by Legacy.com

Included in this online enhancement, funeral homes receive exclusive access to Legacy.com’s obituary Content Management System. With this tool, funeral homes can enhance the online newspaper obituary for their families — free of charge — including uploading videos & photos used at the service, updating service information, and linking to videos and obituaries that appear on the funeral home’s website.

Check out our new design by viewing an obituary on the Chicago Tribune’s obituary page.

From its opening line, it instantly draws readers in: “Harry Weathersby Stamps, ladies’ man, foodie, natty dresser, and accomplished traveler, died on Saturday, March 9, 2013.” Written by his daughter, Amanda Lewis, the obituary shares Harry’s greatest loves (BLTs on Bunny Bread) as well as his many dislikes (sorry, Martha Stewart!).

Harry is relatable and loveable. He’s not a man who focused on a laundry list of impressive academic or career accomplishments. He’s a guy who ate Vienna sausages on Saltines and considered it a splurge to get a campsite with a creek view. We all know someone like Harry, or perhaps we are a “Harry” ourselves.

The honesty and humor found in Harry Stamps’ obituary is rare. And I think that’s a big part of why this story connects with so many people. Simply put, people love Harry Stamps’ obituary. And they have shared that love in his obituary Guest Book. This Guest Book message from one reader sums up how many feel:

“Rest in peace, Harry. I never met you, but you sound like such a fun man! This was the best obituary I have ever read, and after reading it, I feel as though I knew this man my whole life of 30 years. Thank you for sharing your dad with the world.”

For her efforts in chronicling her father’s life, ABC News declared Amanda Lewis their “Person of the Week” last week. And we agree. Well done, Amanda! We’re sure your dad would be proud of you.

Photo submitted to Julia Mahon’s Guest Book, published in The News & Advance

Stopher was recognized for his passion for creating a vehicle to tell every person’s story. Through our partnerships with more than 800 newspapers in North America, Europe and Australia, as well as our partnerships with funeral homes, Legacy.com brings obituaries to life and helps users create complete social media-enabled memorial sites with photos and videos.

Here is a video that shares more about Stopher and our work at Legacy.com:

about Vistage
Founded in 1957, Vistage International, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, is the world’s leading peer advisory membership organization, serving more than 16,000 CEOs and senior level executives in 15 countries. Vistage members participate in monthly Chair-led peer advisory group meetings, receive one-to-one coaching, learn from expert speakers, and interact among an international network of business leaders from a broad range of industries.

We encourage you to visit our Legends & Legacies blog to read the amazing story of one grieving family who set off a chain reaction of kind acts.

Photo submitted to Daphne LaGasse’s Guest Book, published by Forest Lawn Funeral Home.

One shocking fact: each year, 7.6 million people die of cancer. Many of those deaths are preventable, and the more we know about cancer, the better we can fight it. We encourage you to arm yourself with knowledge by visiting the World Cancer Day website and share what you learn there.

Our hearts are with each and every family that has lost a loved one to cancer, and we wish strength and healing to those who are living with cancer today.