about me

The Story Behind After & Always

For over 20 years, I worked in my family’s farm auction business — a job I loved because it connected me to my parents and our community. But after my parents retired, something felt missing. I realized I needed to find a new purpose — something that brought joy and meaning into my life each day.

In 2023, my beautiful grandmother passed away. We shared a very special bond throughout my life. When she left this world, I was holding her hand, telling her it was okay — that we loved her deeply, that she could say hello to Grandpa, and that we’d be alright. After she passed, I often felt her presence, especially during moments when I was struggling to find direction.

We kept her memory alive in our own way. I’d spend evenings digging through bins of her square dancing dresses and layers of crinolines — sometimes even twirling around the living room in them. It helped me keep her close.

Then one morning in May 2025, I felt her beside me again — stronger than ever. At first, it brought comfort. But after a few hours, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was trying to tell me something. So I packed the car with flowers, potting soil, a little tiller, and jugs of water, and drove out to the cemetery.

When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that her and my grandfather’s granite headstone had shifted slightly on its base. My grandmother was very particular about everything, and I smiled — of course she’d notice that. I straightened it, planted flowers, tidied up, and went home. That night, her presence felt peaceful again.

A few days later, my son and I returned to water the flowers. As we walked along the rows of headstones in that small country cemetery, he asked,
“Mom, do you know who these people are?”

I told him I knew some, but not all. Then he said something that stopped me in my tracks:
“Wouldn’t it be cool if we could know who they were?”

That was my lightbulb moment.

Over the next few days, I couldn’t stop thinking about his words. I know for me, whenever I visit a cemetery, I wonder who each person was — their laughter, their stories, their lives. A few words carved in stone can never capture the depth of a life lived.

Our loved ones are so much more than names and dates etched in granite. They leave behind love, laughter, and legacies — and those deserve to be remembered.

That’s when the idea took shape: How can I help share someone’s life story?

Then came yet another lightbulb moment — a QR code could connect us to those stories: photos, videos, and memories that let us see and feel who they were.

Months of testing and refining brought me to this moment — where I get to help families share their loved one’s life, laughter, and legacy with the world.

With my background in websites and sales, I knew I could bring the idea to life. After & Always was born — a way to preserve legacies with love, connection, and heart.

I’m deeply honoured to help families celebrate their loved ones and keep their stories alive — forever connected, always remembered.