In Memory of One of Our Own
Today is a rather rough day for those of us who are regular contributors and visitors to Find a Grave: we have lost one of our own, and now she has become one of the names on our main site. It is rather sad to realize that she will not be around anymore to chat with us, share our jokes, or enter more names from her local cemeteries.
Betty Hanson was a good friend to many people at Find a Grave, as well as those who knew her in her hometown in Washington State. She loved to walk through cemeteries, taking pictures and recording information to post on the Find a Grave site. She was a very prolific contributor, recording 29,916 names, and taking 27,061 pictures. For people new to the site, they found in Betty someone who was willing to help them, polite and always cheerful.
Betty chatted with many of us regularly on the Find a Grave forums, and her absence from the boards was noted by many of us. A friend informed us that Betty had become ill. Being the supportive group that we are, many people started sending her cards and letters to cheer her up. It was a shock to log onto the forums today to discover that Betty had passed away yesterday from her illness. But the first thought was to do something for her in her honor.
First, someone posted a memorial page for Betty and we all contributed virtual flowers. But the urge to do something more for this wonderful lady was overwhelming. Right and left, people started looking at the tens of thousands of names that Betty had entered, placing flowers on the pages. The cemeteries that she went to often were adopted by people who went through and made sure they were tended to.
All this, plus the funeral for Senior Corporal Mark Nix of the Dallas Police Department, killed last Friday, made me stop and think: how will you be remembered? I told my son that you want to be remembered for the good things you did with your life. Betty and Mark Nix certainly did many good things in their lives, and they will not be forgotten.
Betty, I hardly knew you, but the things you did, the people whose names you have entered onto the Find a Grave site, and the lives of those of us at Find a Grave as well as where you lived are truly blessed by the time you gave of yourself. You leave a hole in our hearts, a tear in our eyes, but with a deep wish in our hearts to do something special for you. God bless you, friend. We will miss you, but you will always be with us.
Published by Teresa Watson
I am a wife and a mother of a 12-year-old. I have been writing since I was in the fifth grade. I love looking at life with a sense of humor, because laughter is the best medicine in the world! I also write f... View profile
- A Day of Remembrance in Colorado for Signing of WWII Order Leading to Japanese Int...Japanese-Americans and others in Denver, Colorado gathered in memory of Camp Amache in Colorado, and those Americans who were relocated there during WWII.
- In Memory of a St. Jude BoyThis is an attempt at a poem with the subject of the death of a little boy. It is unfortunately very true.
- In Celebration of a LifeThese are my thoughts after attending the memorial service for a neighbor of mine who died after a courageous battle with cancer.
- History, Memory, and Sign in The Name of the RoseUmberto Eco's The Name of the Rose uses semiotics, narrative frames, and generification to create an "open text," or a text that resists stable interpretations or explanations.
- Semantic Memory of the United States PresidentsA college research paper, written in Spring 2004, as required by an experimental psychology course. Study discusses how well we can remember items in a list, as well as the frequency and distribution thereof.
- Arek Religa-In Memory of the Greatests
- Charitable Contributions in Memory of Mom
- Being a Prisoner in North Korea and the Psychological Impact If One Survives
- My Best Friend's House: in Memory of Memories
- Today's Mexican Earthquake and One of My Own
- Phra Hans; In Memory of the Addict's Friend
- In Memory of Love
15 Comments
Post a CommentBetty introduced my to findagrave and gave me an interest in geneology. Years ago I was surfing the web and I stumbled across findagrave, and much to my surprise I found an onsite memorial for my father who had died within the past year. I contacted the contributor, who I learned was Betty, and learned that she wasn't a relation or even an acquaintance of my father. Betty had simply seen my father's obituary and took it upon herself to post his information on findagrave. This touched me deeply, and for that I remain very appreciative to Betty and all that she did for the findagrave community. She is missed.
My wishes for sweet dreams for a sweet lady. Rest in God's loving arms, Betty.
Thanks. We sure miss Betty.
Beautifully done, a wonderful memorial to a great,sweet lady. I'll miss you Betty.
This is very sad. Thanks for sharing the story.
Great memorial
This is so sad and I understand the loss and the deep connections that can be made online. Also, for someone like Betty who contributes much to the world, it makes the loss even more profound. You did well by her in this article.
A very sad and touching article, also very nicely written!
Thank you all very much for the kind words! Just a small token to remember such a wonderful lady.
touching article, well written.