Cemeteries are filled with plaques, photographs, flowers, and QR codes?
At Cobram Cemetery, families can now memorialise their loved ones by attaching a unique ‘qRIP Memories’ medallion to their plaque, headstone or urn.
When scanned, it leads to a personally customised online tribute of verbal, visual and audible memories.
According to Rachel McKay, secretary and treasurer of Cobram Cemetery Trust, she was intrigued by the idea after receiving an information brochure about qRIP Memories.
“I presented it at our trust meeting, and everyone agreed it was a fantastic idea,” she said.
“I think it’s a magnificent way to store historical information about people – what they did, where they lived, things they’d experienced during their life.
“You don’t have to go back to old historical books. You can take a picture with your camera and find out about a person’s life, and all the information has been included by family members who can update, change and add more or less details at any time.”
On behalf of the trust, Ms McKay said they would love to see more qRIP Memories medallions at Cobram Cemetery.
However, it is something that the family must initiate, and it comes at a price.
“Since it’s very new, we are looking into options to lower the cost, like applying for historical grants to subsidise that,” she said.
On Thursday, July 4, the first qRIP Memories medallion will be added to the gravestone of Zaidee Turner, who died from a cerebral aneurysm in 2004 at the age of seven.
It’s a fitting tribute to the notable local hero.
Her decision to become an organ and tissue donor at the end of life saved and improved the lives of seven people, and her legacy lives on through Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation, a charity established in her honour.
Like Zaidee, each person at Cobram Cemetery has a story to tell.
“For some people, words aren’t enough. Photos, music, footage of them dancing or whatever it was that made their heart sing can truly capture who a person was,” Ms McKay said.
“We’re really trying to show people that qRIP Memories is now an option for their loved ones.”
The Turner family, qRIP Memories, and the Cobram Cemetery Trust will place the first QR code at Zaidee Turner’s grave in Cobram Cemetery, Cemetery Rd, Cobram, on Thursday, July 4, at 1pm.
To find out more about qRIP Memories, visit https://qripmemories.com.au/
To learn more about Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation and organ and tissue donation in Australia, visit https://www.zaidee.org/