Most family historians have known the joy of finally finding an ancestor’s burial site, only to have their joy dampened by an unreadable inscription. Or a sparing one that reduces your ancestor’s life to mere birth and death dates. How many times have you wished a tombstone could talk to you—or even better, show you photos, videos and life stories of your deceased relative?
Cemeteries don’t often see technological advances (there are only so many ways to inter a body), but technology is helping to solve an age-old problem: how to share important life details about the dearly departed in a limited space that’s also exposed to all manner of weather.
Quick Response (QR) codes can provide a solution. Even if you’ve never used a QR code, you’ve probably seen one. These patterned black-and-white squares are showing up on advertisements, business cards, store shelves, signs, packaging and more.
Created in 1994 by Denso Wave for the automobile industry, a QR code is a matrix or two-dimensional barcode whose contents can be decoded at high speed. Think of it as the younger, smarter brother of a UPC code. QR codes are more user-friendly and typically readable even if damaged. And they hold lots of data: scan one with a smartphone camera to access information about the product, person or event—typically, a video, coupon or web page.
Now, the QR code is a sort of graveside storyteller. Glenn Toothman III, CEO of Memory Medallion, was a district attorney when his 79-year-old father showed up unexpectedly at his office one morning. “He told me he’d spent the last several days in the cemetery visiting family. He said, ‘As I come into the twilight of my life I hate to think that all that’ll be left of our family is the dash between the dates of birth and death. Please make sure the family history lives on so we can all stay connected.’”
The directive was a little overwhelming. Still, Toothman says, “I knew how much this meant to my dad.”
Scanning a QR code in a cemetery could take the user to an online burial database or a website about the person or family. Visitors who don’t have smartphones can photograph a QR code and download it to a PC for reading.
Within a month and a half of his dad’s surprise visit, Toothman had a functioning prototype of the Memory Medallion, a 1½ inch stainless steel disc with a laser-etched QR code. He started the company in 2001, charging from $99 to $199 for a medallion and the service that goes along with it. “It allows for interactive remembrance and memorialization at graveyards, mausoleums—really, anywhere,” Toothman says.
When cemetery visitors scan the QR codes on headstones, they can access information already provided by the client. That can include unlimited written content, up to 999 images of photos or documents, five videos, and links to online family trees. A password allows the client to change the information included on the medallion, for example, to honor an anniversary or other special occasion. You could even be prepared by purchasing a QR code for your own future tombstone and assemble the biography you want survivors to be left with.
Most QR code emblems come with a strong adhesive backing you can stick onto a monument. Applying all-weather caulk around the edge helps maintain the seal. You also can have a monument company embed it flush with the stone. Family Tree Magazine recommends first contacting the cemetery office or caretaker about any regulations governing attachments to headstones.
Toothman estimates Memory Medallions has sold tens of thousands of medallions since 2010. Most are on tombstones or mausoleums, but others are affixed to historical monuments or significant buildings. “It’s never been about the money or the business,” says Toothman, whose father lived long enough to see the Memory Medallion invented. “The mission is about finding an affordable and easy way to help people remember.”
Since this article was first published in the December 2012 issue of Family Tree Magazine, QR code emblems have exploded in popularity. Now, some companies, such as Our Tributes and Living Legacy, even have their products available on Amazon.com. Other companies that specialize in QR code emblems for headstones include: Turning Hearts, ForeverQR and Life’s QR. Many cemeteries and headstone manufacturers have also partnered with companies.
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This article was first published in the December 2012 issue of Family Tree Magazine. Last updated: October 2025
