When Obituaries Go Viral: The Power of Personal Stories
How Heartfelt Obituaries Draw Attention, Build Trust, and Expand your Business
A recent obituary went viral after TikTok creator @sabercierra featured it in a video that has now been viewed over 2.4 million times.
The tribute, published by Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Niles, MI, honored Sheryl Pol, a 77-year-old from Indiana, and struck a chord thanks to its heartfelt and humorous storytelling.
Some standout lines include:
“Having battled Polio as a child, the world made her a fighter from the start. Polio set Sheryl off on her journey of life with a crooked ankle and a crooked sense of humor.”
“Her ultimate joy came from playing Dominoes, Qwirkle, Skip-Bo, Uno, and Aggravation with family and friends—regardless of the score. Except with Ella. She really wanted to knock that girl down a few pegs… Unfortunately for Nana, Ella lucked out in the grandmother department—and in games.”
“In lieu of flowers, please flirt with a stranger much younger than yourself!”
This viral moment is a reminder of just how powerful personalized obituaries can be.
At Tribute Technology, we’ve seen firsthand how obituaries are among the most viewed and shared content on funeral home websites. In fact, for some firms, up to 80% of total website traffic comes from obituary pages.
Our recent webinar, Why Obituaries Should be Your #1 Focus This Year, covered how to turn this attention into lasting engagement — helping you connect with families, build trust, and drive preneed growth.
See how personalized obituaries more than honor lives can do — they can grow your business, too.
