My mother was the genealogist and grave hopper in the family, but she died and everything was terribly neglected. I'm handicapped so the cemeteries are difficult for me, but I wanted to complete what she started to the best of my abilities. Rather than moving further back in her genealogy I have attempted to document and elucidate all the notes, records, photographs and old stories and bring them together into a cohesive whole such that the next generation can move forward or backward as the case actually is. When I visit my family's graves I also take photos of the other headstones in the area and check Find A Grave to see if they are represented. If there is no memorial page I add one, but I firmly believe that the best person to care for a page is a member of the family and will turn over any memorial I created to any family member. I have no interest in "owning" them.

When I take photos of headstones and monuments I attempt to clean it as much as possible with just water and clippers to remove surrounding grass and a very gentle cloth broom to brush away grass and other debris. Sometimes they are too buried to get a good shot. I will take the photo and work with it in Photoshop to make it the best image I can. I also photograph tall memorials a piece at a time and bring them together in Photoshop so viewers can get more than just information; they can get a feel for the monument and the grave site.

I have met some terrific people on Find A Grave and hope to be one of them.
shi m