What is a memorial map?
A memorial map is a map of one person's places: where they lived, where they worked, where they took you, where they liked to sit. Each pin holds a memory of them at that spot, written by someone who was there. An obituary summarizes a life. A memorial map keeps the small, specific things, in the places they happened.
Which places belong on it?
Start with the places you would point out if you drove someone through town.
- The homes they lived in, and the one you think of as theirs
- Where they worked, and how they got there
- Where they took you: the lake, the ball field, the diner
- Their regular spot: a bench, a pew, a bar stool, a chair on the porch
- Where you last had a proper conversation
- The garden, workshop or kitchen where they made things
- Where they are buried, or where the ashes were scattered
Dad's bench by the boat ramp. He came here most mornings after he retired, with coffee in the green thermos. He'd have hated the new railing.
She taught me to drive in this parking lot on Sunday mornings when the store was closed. She never once raised her voice, which is more than I managed with my own kids.
How do you make one?
- Begin with three places. Nobody needs to finish a map like this in one sitting, or ever.
- Put the pin on the exact spot. Choose "Add a story" and move the map until the pin is where it should be.
- Write the memory plainly, the way you would tell it to a friend. Two or three sentences are enough.
- Add a date and a photo if you have them. A rough year is fine.
- Invite the family by email. They can read every pin. Only you can change the map.
- Ask for their memories. When a brother or cousin sends one, add it at its place and begin with who told it.
Can you share it at a funeral or an anniversary?
Yes. Switch on the public link and anyone with the link can open the map in a browser without an account, so you can send it to relatives or print it in an order of service. A public link shows every pin, story and photo on the map, so read through it first. You can switch the link off again afterwards and the map returns to being private.
Can a memory be left to be read at the place?
Yes. Any story can be marked "Only readable at this place." The family sees a locked pin on the map, and the story opens only for someone standing there. It suits the words you would want read at a graveside, at their bench, or where the ashes were scattered, on the day people gather. How location-locked stories work.
What if you find them on Street View?
Many people have come across a parent or grandparent in an old Google Street View image, standing in the yard or sitting on the porch. If that happens to you, save a screenshot. Street View imagery is replaced as new photos are taken. Then add it as the photo on the pin for that house.
Questions about memorial maps
Can I keep a memorial map separate from my own map?
Yes, with a second account. Each Here My Story account has one map, so make an account for the memorial map with another email address and keep your own map in your usual account.
Can the whole family add memories?
Only the owner of the map can add stories. Family members you invite can read. Ask them to send you their memories and add each one at its place, starting with their name, so one map holds everyone's.
Who can see a memorial map?
Only you, until you invite people by email or switch on the public link. People you invite sign in with a free account at the address you invited. How privacy works