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PRACTICAL TOOLS · FOR THE WEEKS THAT NEED THEM

Tools for the hard weeks.

Free, no account, nothing saved or sent anywhere. These exist because a family in its worst week shouldn't have to figure everything out from scratch — someone should have written it down. We did.

In the first days
interactive checklist
The interactive what-to-do checklist for the hours, days, weeks, and months after a death — with scripts for the hard calls and honest flags for what's actually time-sensitive.
The obituary writer
writing tool
Guided prompts and three voices — traditional, warm, plainspoken — compose a draft you can copy anywhere. Nothing is saved or published; the words are yours.
The eulogy helper
guide + worksheet
Four forgiving structures, a worksheet that turns memories into an outline, delivery advice for grieving speakers, and readings for those who can't write one.
Funeral costs, explained
consumer guide
What things cost, what's actually optional, your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule, and where help exists. The talk a directory funded by funeral homes won't give you.
The digital legacy checklist
checklist
What happens to accounts, photos, and passwords — planning your own digital estate, and closing a loved one's, platform by platform.
The question banks
8 collections
Hundreds of questions worth asking while you can — for a parent, a grandparent, a spouse, a veteran, someone with memory loss, a child, and the holiday table.

If you are in crisis, or grief has you thinking about ending your life: call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7), or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). You matter, and this feeling is survivable. More crisis and support lines.

DearestEllie — because their story is our legacy

A private family memory archive — built to preserve love, and kept free for every family.

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© 2026 DearestEllie · because their story is our legacy · An independent, supporter-funded serviceNo ads · No selling data · Export always free
DearestEllie is an independent service operated by Michael Davis in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is not a 501(c)(3) organization. Contact: [email protected]