09 JUL 2006 [Singers Glen, VA] 

 I'm just starting on this site. I hope to be able to fulfill some photo requests for Rockingham Co. VA and to start a virtual cemetery for my family. My brother, sister & I have taken over the family history project that my mother, Agatha Bradburn, started in 1940 and continued until her death in 2004. It is a little overwhelming! We are researching the ancestors and collateral lines of my grandparents, Malcolm Gordon Lilly &  Lucy Garriett Leake and Thomas Conn Bradburn & Omega Viola Hinegardner. Mom's goal was to record the information for others to use, so you are welcome to copy photos.  I simply ask that you include the source of the photo so that others researching this line can contact me.

I would also like to invite you to view the memorial that I created for my first husband, David Wampler. He was a very special person. I encourage everyone to enter those who were special in their lives too. I have come to realize that we all are only two generations, three if we are lucky, away from being forgotten. This site will help extend our memories in the minds of others for many years to come.

The purpose of this site is to add names that have known burial sites (hence the name, Find A Grave) but I have added one that is "unknown". It is my great-grandfather,  Garrett Scott Leake. He is believed to have died on April 04, 1897, just two months before my grandmother was born. This is our "great family mystery" as we do not know the circumstances surrounding his death or where his final resting place is. I'm hoping to uncover some clues that will help me fill in the pieces of this puzzle!

02 NOV 2006 [Singers Glen, VA]

At this point, I've added three additional virtual cemeteries; two for my husband's family (Earhart & Wiseman) and the last for friends of the family who have passed on.

The remainder of the names that I have entered are unknown to me, but certainly friends, relatives, and loved ones of others. I have entered them in hopes of helping someone else who may be looking for their final resting place. If you would like to take over one of these memorials just ask!  Simply click on "Suggest Edit" and then scroll to the bottom of the page & select "Contact Manager". Once transferred, you can add (or delete) anything you like and others will have a more knowledgeable contact person. 

02 JAN 2013 [Singers Glen, VA]

I have hit a dilemma on entering obituaries of those not known to me. I am frequently receiving requests to edit or add additional information to the memorials. I cannot, in good faith, post something that I can't document. There have also been updates made to the site that allows more information to be added initially (which is a good thing) but it increases the number of requests to add additional information, which can be very time-consuming.  

Technology has also changed a lot since I started here and the site has grown tremendously. Originally my goal was to simply enter the obits that were in our local paper, as only a few were being added to this site.  My focus has changed and others are doing this daily. From this point on, I will be entering only friends and family. My goal is to be able to provide more than just a name and a date for each. As I said back in 06' when I started on Find A Grave, it is important that the memories of those who came before us live on.

18 AUG 2019 [Singers Glen, VA]

With the advances in DNA, I encourage anyone interested in researching their family tree to take a DNA test. The cost has dropped considerably (and they often run specials several times a year). By entering your results into the free GEDmatch.com website, it really doesn't matter which company you use when seeking basic results. It is also very helpful to get your oldest living direct line ancestor to test also (the kits make great gifts!). Also, please consider supporting this site by sponsoring a memorial of a loved one.

06 JUN 2025 [Singers Glen, VA]

I have now retired and we just moved into the Levi May homestead, which started out as a two-story log cabin in 1837.  My first husband, David, was the sixth generation to live here. Last fall I began taking some genealogy classes and I have since joined the local and National Genealogy Society to improve my skills.  In doing so, I learned that some of the information in my tree came from questionable sources and most of my sources were undocumented.  I had no idea of how to write a proper citation, what a research log was and I had never heard of the GPS - the Genealogy Proof Standard!  So, with some newly acquired skills, I am now restarting my tree! That's not a decision that most would make, but I am taking the project on as an enthusiastic challenge.  I still have mother's original notes and documents, but I am now able to look at it with a new set of skills and make better decisions as to the quality of the information and how to find the original sources, not just citing the index or notes.  I am starting with the most recent generation and working my way backwards. As I do so, I will add additional information to the Find A Grave profiles of my ancestors.