February 2026:

As you can see from the dates on my page, I joined Find a Grave a long time ago. I am passionate about genealogy and I just wanted to help other people find their ancestors burial sites and see photos. I wanted to take those cemetery lists I found hidden away in genealogy publications and convert them into a place were people could search on the internet and request photos. My driving force has always been to help others.

But as life changes, so does the time we can dedicate to previous endeavors.

Find A Grave has changed so much since I first joined it. They've addressed problems and created ways to empower others who are picking up the torch. There are ways to add new information, make edits, link families, add bio's. All without the aid of the original creator if they have passed on or gone dormant. When I joined this site, I never thought about how much of a time demand would be spent maintaining a memorial in perpetuity as the numbers grew.

Not everyone wants to be a manager & some want to hold them all. This website's volunteers are made up of all kinds. I personally never want someone to stumble across their ancestors profile and not feel like they could ask to manage it. Or wait on me to see their message in my dumpster fire of an email inbox. So as time allows, I have been one by one going through cemeteries I've added too and transferring any non-family memorials to Find A Grave's management.

Find a Grave now has an automated the way people can ask to manage a memorial they manage. Its no longer a black hole of control. They have relinquished control of the tight relationship guidelines, which I now appreciate and feel like they are now the better steward of these memorials until any family member comes forward.

So empower others to manage their own families memorials and make it their own. Life is short and there is no glory in numbers or control. In the end, we are all here to add value and share what we know in honor of those who came before us.

Happy sleuthing my friends!