After years spent adding many memorials thru records and/or tombstone photos I took, I am now trying to fill them out with more dates, locations, links to family, obits etc. Thank you to all who submit edits!
To those who get photos of the stones - I am not notified when a tombstone picture is added so I have no way to update the full dates that are shown on the stone. If you could just drop me a short note or make edits I would greatly appreciate it!
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I have seen some disturbing new trends on Find-A-Grave lately. More and more erroneous information is being posted/edited on memorials. Here are a few suggestions before making edits to memorials to ensure accurate information:

1. Do good research, verify data with documents. Don't just copy from trees on Ancestry – too many of them are wrong.

2. The 'Bio' block is for more than just an obit. A biography is a 'description of a real person's life, including factual details as well as stories from the person's life.'

3. 'SUGGESTED RECORDS' on ancestry.com - Those are suggestions a computer has chosen from your search name. Many suggestions are NOT for the person you are searching. Scrutinize them for location, dates etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW TIPS FOR TAKING GOOD TOMBSTONE PICTURES:
1. Take a photo of the entire tombstone first, then get a close-up of the name if it is hard to read on the whole view. Try to fill the frame with the stone and not the surrounding countryside, homes, cars, etc.
2. Look for your reflection or shadow in the tombstone BEFORE you take the picture! Stand to the side to prevent reflection.
3. Squat in order to get on the same level as the tombstone - don't stand and shoot down at a sharp angle.
4. If the stone is vertical, take the picture vertically - it will display on the memorial much larger than horizontally. (Now you can turn the photo upright if it is sideways even if its not your picture or memorial. Thanks to F/G!)
5. Invest in a good camera and an editing program like Photoshop Elements to adjust contrast and crop and straighten the image.
6. Remember that now F/G allows an 8MB size on photos.

We are trying to preserve history so we want the very best pictures possible - it may be all that survives!
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I have seen my ancestor's photographs that I have restored and posted on memorials being used on many Ancestry.com trees without a source on them. Please source me and the F/G memorial number so people will know who to contact for more information. The purpose of this isn't to "bring glory to myself" but to help others contact family members.

NOTE - If you are concerned why I own more memorials than I have added, it is due to having transfers made to me from deceased, ill, or inactive members.
I am open to transfer requests as long as they are your family and not mine.

My photos may be used for any nonprofit purpose IF you give credit by listing the source so others can find it. (Photographer's name and F/G Memorial number.)
***************************************
To Find a Grave Administrators: In the event of my death, please transfer management of all of my memorials to Mark McCrady, member 47714241.

After years spent adding many memorials thru records and/or tombstone photos I took, I am now trying to fill them out with more dates, locations, links to family, obits etc. Thank you to all who submit edits!
To those who get photos of the stones - I am not notified when a tombstone picture is added so I have no way to update the full dates that are shown on the stone. If you could just drop me a short note or make edits I would greatly appreciate it!
-------------
I have seen some disturbing new trends on Find-A-Grave lately. More and more erroneous information is being posted/edited on memorials. Here are a few suggestions before making edits to memorials to ensure accurate information:

1. Do good research, verify data with documents. Don't just copy from trees on Ancestry – too many of them are wrong.

2. The 'Bio' block is for more than just an obit. A biography is a 'description of a real person's life, including factual details as well as stories from the person's life.'

3. 'SUGGESTED RECORDS' on ancestry.com - Those are suggestions a computer has chosen from your search name. Many suggestions are NOT for the person you are searching. Scrutinize them for location, dates etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW TIPS FOR TAKING GOOD TOMBSTONE PICTURES:
1. Take a photo of the entire tombstone first, then get a close-up of the name if it is hard to read on the whole view. Try to fill the frame with the stone and not the surrounding countryside, homes, cars, etc.
2. Look for your reflection or shadow in the tombstone BEFORE you take the picture! Stand to the side to prevent reflection.
3. Squat in order to get on the same level as the tombstone - don't stand and shoot down at a sharp angle.
4. If the stone is vertical, take the picture vertically - it will display on the memorial much larger than horizontally. (Now you can turn the photo upright if it is sideways even if its not your picture or memorial. Thanks to F/G!)
5. Invest in a good camera and an editing program like Photoshop Elements to adjust contrast and crop and straighten the image.
6. Remember that now F/G allows an 8MB size on photos.

We are trying to preserve history so we want the very best pictures possible - it may be all that survives!
----------
I have seen my ancestor's photographs that I have restored and posted on memorials being used on many Ancestry.com trees without a source on them. Please source me and the F/G memorial number so people will know who to contact for more information. The purpose of this isn't to "bring glory to myself" but to help others contact family members.

NOTE - If you are concerned why I own more memorials than I have added, it is due to having transfers made to me from deceased, ill, or inactive members.
I am open to transfer requests as long as they are your family and not mine.

My photos may be used for any nonprofit purpose IF you give credit by listing the source so others can find it. (Photographer's name and F/G Memorial number.)
***************************************
To Find a Grave Administrators: In the event of my death, please transfer management of all of my memorials to Mark McCrady, member 47714241.