Not everyone leaves a legacy for the history books to teach... but everyone deserves a place in history.
Here's what we hope that you will be able to provide for us... sections 1 thru 3 below
(1) A Eulogy/Statement
For those classmates who have left us to carry on life without them, we would like to obtain a written eulogy or statement from family or a close friend that tells us a bit about our deceased classmate's activities, awards, accomplishments, family, education, and employment after they graduated from, or otherwise left, Pullman High. We will certainly accept a newspaper obituary in place of, or in addition to, a statement, and we will use any such statement and/or obit (verbatim and with author's credit) to populate a bio at the class reunion website, and for a bio in an online memorial-in-perpetuity at Find-a-Grave, the World's largest searchable visual database of those who have passed on.
The eulogy/statement and/or orbituary should be written on a separate piece of paper and returned with the data collection form, and family contact information (which is never released to the public). There is some space on the data collection form for basic information in case a separate statement isn't to be enclosed. Neither a eulogy/statement or an obituary is required (please see Family Genealogy Data section below).
There is no "wrong" way to write a eulogy or statement, as long as all of the information is factual, and any guesses made on dates or the spelling of names are noted as such (we can add footnotes). Any statement should "stand the test of time" and not use words that will lose their meaning with the passing of time. A statement saying that a memorial service was held "last week" or "next Thursday", or refers to a person without a last name included will mean nothing to a 4th generation descendant in one hundred years.
By it's very nature, an obituary will contain statements that do not "stand the test of time", and that's where the deceased's family genealogy data - asked for on the form - is very useful.
(2) Family Genealogy Data
Along with a eulogy/statement and/or obituary filled with emotion and memories, or in lieu of such a statement or obit if no one can or will subject themselves to the process, we would like to collect family genealogy-specific information that will allow us to provide the basic information for the reunion bio, and allow for the creation of a factual bio in the Find-a-Grave memorial that will provide historians and descendants of the deceased a link to family history. For many this process may seem unimportant... until one enters the world of genealogy the need to provide as many clues as possible for future researchers remains an elusive concept.
Find-a-Grave memorials may contain the full names, birthdates, and birthplaces of living relatives and their relationship to the deceased, but not the relative's location, contact information, or any other information about them.
We have created a data collection form (see link below) that asks for information specific to the deceased and their parents, siblings, spouse(s) and offspring - none of the information asked for is personal security-sensitive, but all of it is critical to genealogy research. Certain information is required, without it a memorial in-perpetuity cannot be set-up. The remaining information gathered by the form will allow for the population of a factual bio.
Display & Print: DATA COLLECTION FORM
(2.5) Gathering Family Genealogy Data on Living Classmates
In addition to collecting this information on those classmates we've lost, we would like to have this basic genealogy information for all classmates, male and female. In particular, the search for information on female classmates who may or may not have changed their surnames, is particularly difficult, if not impossible. The more basic family information we have now, the easier it will be to research their history and create a memorial in-perpetuity when the time comes.
Please include a separate piece of paper with family contact information... none of this information will ever be released for public viewing.
If a living person is the primary subject of the data collection form, no information on the form will be released for public viewing until the primary subject is deceased.
Display & Print: DATA COLLECTION FORM
(3) Photos
In all cases we would appreciate your submission of photos of our classmate - your loved one - that we can use in the reunion bio and online memorial. Good clear headshots are preferable. In many cases we have scanned photos from the PHS Kamiakin senior annual that are not of high quality and would like to replace them with a better quality senior photo (there are also cases where there is no yearbook or senior yearbook photo at all). We would also appreciate one or two photos taken later in life, and any photos you may have of their grave marker, monument, or vault, or the location where their ashes were scattered.
We have the ability to resize and crop digital photos for size, shape, or to exclude background or other people in the photos. Be sure to identify all of the people in the photo(s) - if they are not to be cropped out of the photo - and provide a description of the location for the photo caption.
If your photos aren't already digital, you can have paper print photos digitally scanned or reprinted - please don't send an original print. Digital photos can be attached to an email (refer to the "Contact Us" menu), and reprinted photos can be included with the data collection form.
(4) Cenotaphs
IF there is a grave plate, grave marker, headstone, or monument in a cemetery, we need to know if your loved one was actually interred there, or if the marker is a "cenotaph". Examples of cenotaphs: Click on Peter Collins' name on the "Online Memorials" menu, or Gary Oman's name on the "Class of 1969" page, via the "Other PHS Classes" menu.
A "cenotaph" is a metal plate, marker, headstone, or monument on a grave space* that honors the memory of someone who's remains were lost, buried, or scattered somewhere else.
*The grave may contain other remains - usually relatives - that otherwise have nothing to do with the cenotaph.
(5) Learn About Find-a-Grave Memorials
Link: Learn about Find-a-Grave
(about Find-a-Grave, navigation & search, corrections & additions)
Link: Removing banner ads from Find-a-Grave memorials
If you have any questions regarding the Find-a-Grave memorials, please contact this website's Webmaster from the "Contact Us" menu above.
Searching For Find-a-Grave Memorials
Thousands of memorials on Find-a-Grave are not linked to a specific physical cemetery, either because that information is not available, or because the deceased was cremated and scattered, placed in an urn, or their remains were never found. A search for classmates for which there is no linked cemetery will not yield any valid results on Find-a-Grave unless your search excludes the state in the search criteria - states are specifically linked to physical cemeteries in search results. Use the links on this website to view those memorials already created.
Display & Print: DATA COLLECTION FORM
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