I reside in Greece, NY, and slowly, over the years, I have become more and more interested in my history and also that of others.

My father, George B. Stone, was killed in a car accident before I was born. My mother, Leona, was in the same accident and pregnant with me at the time., and for a great number of years, I had no idea where his grave was located. Finding it early in my adult life was one of the best moments for me.

My father is buried at Mount Albion Cemetery, located in Orleans County, NY. One day on a weekend, I made the long drive there in the hopes of finding his grave. The cemetery was extremely large, and unless there was a directory to get access to, there would be no possible way of finding him. I was just about to leave and was crushed, thinking that I had come all that way to leave with no answers. This was all before the computer age, cell phones, etc. Just as I was getting in my car, a very old gentleman pulled up in a work truck for the cemetery. He looks at me and asks if I am trying to find someone. I said yes, my father. He stated that the office was closed and that he did not have access to any information. But then he asked who my father was. I stated, George B. Stone. He quickly smiled and said, "You mean the man with the flying machine?". I said yes!!. You see, my father was a pilot and did crop dusting for local farms. He was also a Marine Corps veteran and was around planes for much of his life. The old man knew my father and told me he had a very large group of family and friends at his funeral. He then showed me exactly where my father's grave was, and I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. Our family plot, "STONE" is very large within that cemetery. The history of those buried there goes way back in time. And many of those same members stood right where I was standing for other members that died before them. There is so much history and so many shadows. I am hoping to pass this down to loved ones when I am gone as well.

I started to realize that perhaps there are others out there who live a great distance from family and loved ones and do not have the option to visit and see their graves. I would, when able, like to help those same people by providing what I wish I could have had. And that is the means of taking pictures and finding the locations within area cemeteries.

I love the outdoors and spending time with my grandkids.

When they get older, I will sit down and show them where they came from in history.

Note: The profile picture you see is that of my brother, "Georgie" Stone. He died very young, and that was after the loss of his father and his mother. His memorial number is 188205957. He was not buried in the Stone family plot and is all alone in Lockport, NY. Please visit his memorial and leave him a flower.

The saddest thing for me is to see overgrown or forgotten graves. To think that many years ago, family members, perhaps friends, once visited those graves. Tears were shed, and I am sure happy memories were had by those same visitors. And slowly, one by one, the visitors stopped coming, and they themselves have passed away. I always feel the shadows of those people when I visit cemeteries. To see an old oak tree nearby and to know it was there when only horses and buggies were used to get there is amazing. I sometimes spend several hours, if not days, researching a random grave I come across just to find out who the person was, where they came from, and what family they left behind. The next time you visit the cemetery, take an extra moment just to think that where you may be standing is the same place that others have stood who have since turned into shadows and are now gone.