If you have been asked to write a tribute to your late mother, you may not know where to begin. She was there before your first memory. This guide gives you sample tributes to a late mother that you can copy and adapt, short ones for when space is tight, and a simple way to write your own for the funeral programme, the service or a post online.
What a tribute to a mother is
A tribute is a short piece, written by someone who loved her, that says who she was and what she meant to them. It is printed in the funeral programme, read at the service, or both.
It is not the same as the biography. The biography gives the facts of her life in order: where she was born, her schools, her work, her marriage and her children. The tribute is personal. It is what you would say to her if you had one more hour.
How to write a tribute to your late mother
Ask the person putting the programme together how long it should be and when it is needed. Then follow these five steps.
- Start with the name you called her. Mummy, Mama, Mum, Maami, Mom. Use the real one.
- Give one picture of her. Something she did every day that only her children would know.
- Say what she taught you. One or two lessons, each with a small example.
- Say what she gave up. Most mothers went without so that their children could have.
- Say thank you, and goodbye. A promise, a prayer, or a plain farewell.
Write to her directly, as "you". It is easier, and it reads more warmly. One true detail, such as the song she hummed or the food she cooked on Sundays, is worth more than a line of praise.
Sample tributes to a late mother
Replace the words in brackets with your own details. Each sample is between 120 and 180 words, which fills about half a page of a programme.
Tribute to my late mother from her daughter
My dear Mummy,
I still reach for my phone to call you in the morning. For (number) years yours was the first voice I heard each day, asking if I had eaten and if the children were well.
You taught me how to keep a home, how to pray and how to hold my head up. You sold (goods) at (market, shop) so that we could go to school, and you never once made us feel poor. When I had my first child, you came and stayed for three months, and I learned to be a mother by watching you.
Thank you for your love, your discipline and your prayers. Everything good in me began with you. I will raise my children the way you raised us.
Rest well, Mummy. Till we meet again.
Your daughter,
(name)
Tribute to my late mother from her son
Mama,
You were the strongest person I have known. When Daddy (died, travelled, lost his work), you carried the whole house and did not complain. You woke before all of us and slept after all of us.
You never let me leave home without a prayer and a word of advice. "Remember whose child you are," you would say. I have remembered. Whatever I have become, I owe to your sacrifice.
I wish you had stayed longer to enjoy the fruit of your labour. But I thank God that you saw (your grandchildren, my wedding, the house). I will look after the family as you asked.
Sleep on, Mama. Your son loves you.
(name)
Tribute to our mother from all her children
To our dear mother,
You gave each of us the same love and made each of us feel like your favourite. Your home was open to everyone, and nobody left it hungry. You taught us to fear God, to work hard and to stay united.
We thank God for your long life and for the years we had with you. We promise to stay together as you taught us, and to pass on what you gave us to our own children.
Rest in perfect peace, Mummy.
Your children,
(names in order of birth)
Tribute from the first child
Mummy,
I was the one who made you a mother, and you never let me forget that it made me responsible for the others. You trusted me with the keys, with the younger ones and, in the end, with your wishes.
I watched you stretch a small salary to feed many mouths. I watched you forgive people who did not deserve it. I learned from you that the head of a family serves first and eats last.
I will keep this family together. That is my promise to you. Thank you for the honour of being your first.
Good night, Mummy.
(name)
A Christian tribute to a mother
Mummy,
You were a woman of prayer. Before the sun rose, we heard you calling each of our names before God. You served at (church) for (number) years as (role), and you never missed a Sunday when you were well.
You have fought a good fight, you have finished your course, you have kept the faith. We do not mourn as those who have no hope. We know where you are, and we know we shall see you again.
Rest in the bosom of the Lord, Mummy, until the resurrection morning.
(name)
20 short tributes to a late mother
Use one of these when the programme gives each person only a few lines, or for a wreath card, a WhatsApp status or a post online.
From a daughter
- Mummy, you were my first teacher and my best friend. Thank you for every sacrifice. I will love you all my days. Rest in peace.
- You taught me how to be a woman by being one. Everything I do in my home, I learned in yours. Sleep well, Mum.
- I have your hands, your laugh and your stubborn heart. I will carry them proudly. Good night, Mama.
- There is no one left who calls me by my baby name. I miss you already. Rest well, Mummy.
- You prayed me through every stage of my life. Now I will pray as you taught me. Thank you, Mum.
From a son
- Mama, you gave us everything you had and asked for nothing. I am who I am because of you. Sleep well.
- You believed in me before I had done anything to deserve it. I will spend my life proving you right. Rest in peace, Mum.
- No one will ever worry about me the way you did. Thank you for every phone call I was too busy to enjoy. Good night, Mama.
- You were my first home. Wherever I go, I carry you. Rest well, Mummy.
- A mother like you comes once. Thank you for your prayers, which are still working for me.
From all the children
- Mummy, you held this family together with love and prayer. We will hold it together for you now. Rest in peace.
- You raised (number) children and made each one feel chosen. Thank you. We love you always.
- Your work is done, and it was well done. Rest now, Mama. Your children rise up and call you blessed.
- We were rich because we had you. Sleep on, sweet mother.
- You gave us roots and wings. We thank God for your life. Good night, Mummy.
Short and simple
- Thank you for everything, Mummy. Rest in peace.
- Gone from our sight, never from our hearts. We love you, Mum.
- A good mother, a good wife, a good friend. Rest well.
- Forever in our hearts, Mama. Till we meet again.
- Your love is the best thing we own. Sleep well, Mummy.
When she lived long, and when she did not
After a long life, a tribute can give thanks as well as mourn. Say how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren she lived to see, and what her old age was like.
When she died young, say plainly that it was too soon. Do not force a cheerful ending. One true sentence, such as "I had so much still to ask you", says more than a long paragraph.
When things were not easy between you
Not every child had a simple bond with their mother. You do not need to pretend. Choose the things that were true and good, say them briefly, and stop there. A short honest tribute is better than a long one you do not mean.
Mum, we did not always understand each other, but I never doubted that you wanted the best for me. Thank you for what you gave me. I hope you have found peace. Rest well.
Bible verses to end a tribute to a mother
Many families close a mother's tribute with a verse. These are often chosen. The wording here is from the King James Version, which is free to print.
- Proverbs 31, verse 28. "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."
- Proverbs 31, verse 29. "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."
- Proverbs 31, verse 25. "Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come."
- 2 Timothy 4, verse 7. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
- Psalm 116, verse 15. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."
For more, see Bible readings for a burial service.
What to leave out
- Details of her illness, unless the family has agreed to share them
- Old family quarrels, and anything about property
- Anything that would hurt your father, or your brothers and sisters, to read
- Praise so general that it could be about any mother
Questions people ask
How long should a tribute to my late mother be?
For a printed funeral programme, 150 to 250 words is usual, which is about half a page. If many people are writing, the family may ask for four or five sentences each. A tribute read aloud at the service should take under two minutes, which is about 250 words.
How do I start a tribute to my mother?
Start with the name you called her, then one thing she did every day. For example: "Mummy, yours was the first voice I heard each morning." A plain opening like this is easier to write and more moving to read than a grand one.
Who writes the tribute to a mother?
Usually her children, either one tribute signed by all of them or one from each child. Her husband, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, in-laws, church and friends may each add their own. The family decides how many will fit in the programme.
What is the difference between a tribute and a eulogy?
A tribute is short and personal, and several people may write one. A eulogy is one longer speech given at the service, which tells the story of her life as well as what she meant to people. In many programmes the life story is printed as a biography and the tributes follow it.
Can I post my tribute online?
Yes. A short tribute works well as a caption with a photograph of her. Check with the family first if the burial has not yet been announced.
Before you send it
- Check the spelling of every name.
- List the children in order of birth.
- Read it aloud once. If it will be read at the service, keep it under two minutes.
- Send it as typed text, so that it can go into the programme without errors.
For the facts of her life, see the sample biography of a late mother or father. The grandchildren can use tribute from grandchildren, and her husband can use tribute to a late husband or wife. For a father, see tribute to my late father.
Collect the family's tributes with Homegoing
Homegoing gives the family one link to share on WhatsApp. Each child, wherever they live, can open it on a phone and add a tribute to their mother. The family chooses the order they are printed in, and the booklet is set out for printing. Start a programme