Family records
How to handle deceased relatives respectfully in a family directory
A good family directory can preserve deceased relatives without confusing current household, marriage, and parent-child relationships.
Quick answer
A good family directory can preserve deceased relatives without confusing current household, marriage, and parent-child relationships. The practical workflow is to define the list, collect only the fields needed, review submissions before committing changes, and export or print from the reviewed source of truth.
Keep the person record
A deceased relative often still belongs in family history, parent-child relationships, anniversaries, memorials, and printed keepsake output.
Record death and memorial dates clearly
Store a death date on the person profile and memorial or remembrance dates where they help the family understand the record.
Represent current relationships with care
If a surviving parent remarries, preserve the deceased spouse and biological parent relationship while separately recording the current spouse or step-parent relationship.
Practical checklist
- Define the exact scope before collecting or exporting data.
- Keep people and households separate so shared addresses are not duplicated.
- Collect missing information with a short mobile-friendly request.
- Review submissions before changing shared records.
- Choose print and export fields based on the audience and privacy risk.
FAQ
Should deceased relatives appear in printed directories?
It depends on the output. A keepsake directory may include them; a practical contact list may hide or separate them.