REMEMBER A LOVED ONE

FLOWERS FADE.
STORIES LIVE FOREVER.

Want to honor the life and immigration journey of someone who has passed away? You can help preserve their story by sharing what you remember about them, the experiences they shared with you, and the life they built in America.

Use our guided questions to reflect on their journey, traditions, accomplishments, and the memories that have stayed with you. From there, you can use your responses to write their story yourself, or submit them to the Immigrant Hall of Honor and let an IHH storyteller help craft the story for you. You can also share photographs, letters, or other keepsakes to help bring their story to life.

10 QUESTIONS TO HELP JOG YOUR MEMORY

How would you describe them to someone who never met them?
What do you remember them saying about their immigration experience?
What did you learn about their homeland from them?
Did they tell you why they came to the U.S.?
What work did they do when they arrived?
Did they ever talk about the difficulties of starting over?
What did they work hard to build or achieve in the U.S.?
What was family life like?
What traditions did they bring from their homeland to the U.S.?
What will they be remembered for?

PRO TIPS FROM OBITUARY WRITERS

Start With “the Tombstone”

Begin their story with a one-sentence summary of your loved one’s life. Obituary writer and enthusiast Marilyn Johnson calls this “the tombstone” — the sentence near the beginning of an obituary that quickly tells readers who the person was and why their life mattered.

Example: William Witte, great-grandfather of Immigrant Hall of Honor board member Jim Witte, was a farmer, father and businessman who immigrated to the United States from Germany as a teenager in 1884.

Follow With “the Song and Dance”

After the tombstone, obituary writers often move into what Johnson calls “the song and dance” — a vivid moment, scene or turning point that draws readers into the story before returning to the beginning. For an immigration story, this might be the circumstances that led them to leave, the journey itself, their first moments in the United States, or a defining challenge or accomplishment.

Example: By the time Konstanti Cybulski entered the world on August 24, 1892, the Russian, Prussian and Austrian empires had carved Poland off the map, dividing its lands among themselves.

Then Tell the Story Chronologically

After your opening, return to the beginning and tell your loved one’s story chronologically. You might describe what life was like before immigration; the circumstances surrounding their journey; their arrival and adjustment; and their family life, work, community, traditions, challenges and accomplishments.

Conclude With Their Legacy

Bring the story to a close by reflecting on what made your loved one special and how they will be remembered. Think about the qualities that defined them, the traditions they passed down, the people they influenced, or the opportunities they created for future generations. A favorite saying, a familiar habit or a small, vivid memory can make the ending especially meaningful.

Example: The Faigens left Talachyn. Fannie found a new home in Brooklyn. And generations later, her family still remembers her—not simply as an immigrant who crossed an ocean, or a seamstress, but as a grandmother who loved baseball, celebrated her family and made cinnamon cookies that nobody could quite make the same way.

READY TO SHARE THEIR STORY?

HOW TO SHARE YOUR LOVED ONE’S STORY WITH IHH

There’s more than one way to share their story with the Immigrant Hall of Honor. Whether you’ve already written your loved one’s story or are just beginning to piece it together, we’re here to help you bring it to life.

Option 1: You wrote your Loved One’s story and are ready to share it with the Immigrant Hall of Honor

You can submit your existing story, notes, or a combination of both via our freeform story submission pathway. We’ll review your materials and follow up if we need additional information.

Option 2: You Answered Our Questions. We’ll write the story.

Have you considered the questions above and gathered details of your loved one’s life? Share your answers in the form below, and one of our professional storytellers will work with you to shape them into a compelling 300–1,000-word narrative.

We’ll send the draft to the email address you provided when you submitted the form for review. You are in control of the final story. Add to it, take something out, correct anything that doesn’t feel right, or make any other changes you’d like. We’ll work with you until you’re happy with the story and ready to give your final approval for publication.

COMPLETE THE FORM

Company

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Your Contact Info (For Follow-Up on Your Story)

Your Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Phone

Who referred you to the Immigrant Hall of Honor?

Please enter the name of the person who encouraged you to connect with us so we can thank them for the referral.

Consent

Consent to share a loved one's story(Required)

I consent to the following.

I am submitting a story about a deceased loved one to the Immigrant Hall of Honor’s Storytelling Project (the “Project”). I confirm that I am sharing information based on my own memories, knowledge, or experiences, and/or information shared with me by others. I understand that I should distinguish what I personally remember from information I learned from other sources and avoid presenting uncertain details as fact.

I understand that the Immigrant Hall of Honor may edit, reproduce, publish, display, distribute, archive, and otherwise use the story, in whole or in part, for historical, educational, museum, archival, outreach, promotional, fundraising, and research purposes. These uses may include the Immigrant Hall of Honor’s website, social media, printed materials, exhibitions, and other public-facing communications.

I confirm that I have the right and any necessary permissions to submit the photographs, artwork, documents, letters, or other materials I provide with the story. I authorize the Project to use these materials in connection with the story for the purposes described above.

I understand that the Immigrant Hall of Honor will provide an opportunity for me to review and approve the story before it is made publicly available. Where appropriate and feasible, the Project may also seek input from the deceased person’s surviving family members or other people with relevant knowledge of their life. Once approved, the Project may make the story available for public access and research.

I understand that I may request that the story be removed from the Project’s website in the future by contacting marketing@immigranthallofhonor.org. Such a request does not require the Project to recall or destroy materials that have already been printed, distributed, exhibited, or otherwise used, or copies that have been shared or reproduced by others.

By submitting this form, I confirm that the information I have provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge, that I have the right and any necessary permissions to submit the accompanying materials, and that I agree to the terms above.

Today's date

Signature(Required)

Tell Your Loved One's Story

Their Name(Required)

First Last

Date and place of birth (City, State, Country)

Date and place of death (City, State)

How did you know this person?

Their Occupation(s)

College and field of study (if relevant)

How would you describe this person to someone who never met them?

Think about their personality and what made them unique. Were they outgoing or quiet, funny or serious, adventurous or thoughtful? What were they passionate about? Did they have a favorite saying, a distinctive habit, or a quality that people especially loved about them? Share a memory or detail that captures who they were.

What do you remember them saying about their immigration experience?

Did they ever share why they came to the United States, what they left behind, or what they hoped to find here? Perhaps they talked about the journey, the challenges of starting over, the people they left behind, or their feelings about their new home. Share anything you remember them saying, even if it was just a small detail or a story they told more than once. If you learned about their experience from someone else, you can share that, too.

What did you learn about their homeland from them?

Did they share stories about the place where they grew up or the country they left behind? Perhaps they described their childhood, the people they loved, the food they ate, the holidays they celebrated, or what everyday life was like. What did you learn about their homeland through their memories, stories, traditions, or experiences? Even a small detail can help bring that part of their life to life.

What did they work hard to build or achieve in the United States?

Think about the life they built after arriving in the United States. What kind of work did they do? Did they start a business, pursue an education, raise a family, serve their community, or overcome obstacles to reach a goal? Consider what they were proud of, the opportunities they created for others, and the lasting difference they made in the lives of those around them. Their achievements don’t have to be famous or extraordinary to be meaningful.

What was family life like?

Tell us about the people who were closest to them and the life they shared. You might describe how they met a partner or spouse, what they were like as a parent or grandparent, special family gatherings or traditions, or everyday moments that capture what family meant to them. What memories best reflect the relationships they built and the role they played in their family?

What traditions or parts of their culture did they pass down or share with others?

Think about the ways they kept their heritage alive in the United States. Did they cook foods from their homeland, celebrate traditional holidays, speak their native language, share music or stories, or pass particular values and customs on to their children or others? How did their cultural heritage continue to shape their life and the lives of those around them?

Were they involved in any community groups or organizations?

Did they participate in a cultural association, religious community, neighborhood group, volunteer organization, professional association, or other community activity? Perhaps they helped organize events, supported a cause, volunteered their time, or brought people together. What do you remember about the role they played in their community or the people they connected with?

What did they enjoy doing in their free time?

Did they have any hobbies, passions, or favorite pastimes? Perhaps they loved gardening, cooking, music, sports, traveling, making things, or telling stories. Was there something they were especially known for or something that brought them joy?

What inspired you to share their story?

What did we miss?

These questions can’t capture everything that makes up a life. Is there something about your loved one that you’d like us to know? Tell us anything we didn’t ask about that feels important to their life story. We’d also like to hear what you think of these questions. Is there a question you wish we had asked? Is there something you think we should change, add, or approach differently? Your feedback will help us make this experience better for future storytellers.

Supporting Materials

Share Photos That Help Tell Their Story

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: jpg, png, pdf, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 6.

Family photos, heirlooms, etc. Only share images you are comfortable including, and please make sure you have permission to share photographs of other people, especially children.

Share Their Story by Audio

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: mp3, m4a, Max. file size: 25 MB, Max. files: 5.

You can record their responses and upload the audio files here in one recording or multiple shorter recordings.

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Would you like to consider purchasing a brick in our Immigrant Path of Honor?

Please let us know if you would be interested in purchasing what initially will be a virtual “brick” in our online Immigrant Path of Honor on the website. When we move forward with the building of our museum, we hope to showcase these honorees in that facility as well.

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