I have been fascinated by cemeteries (here, and also in England and France) for many years. My earliest memory of exploring a cemetery was with my parents when I was very young, at Old Shasta, Shasta County, California - had we known to look (and known what names to research) we probably could have found relatives there. I became aware of Find A Grave when I started doing serious research into genealogy and realized that photos of grave stones are an excellent way to clarify names, dates, spellings, and sometimes family relationships.

I have started trying to repay the debt by taking photos of many grave stones when I visit a cemetery (not just those of people I am researching) and posting them with whatever information I was able to develop. I am happy to have researchers copy my photos for their own use in private research, including the photos I have posted of family members whose graves are recorded on Find A Grave; NO commercial use is permitted.

One last thing - which I hope I am entitled to say, because I do try to give back - and that is, there is little that is quite as frustrating to a genalogical researcher as having relied on posted information, only to realize that it really was a guess. This site is very important for the information it makes so widely available, so a suggestion for those who are working from cemetery records, etc., but don't have photos: it would be very helpful to researchers to know the source of your information, when it is not possible to post a photo or when the posted photo does not include all of the information you are putting into the memorial.

Thanks all to who are researching, and keep up the really excellent work.

But to those who are posting memorials based on guesses and speculation when they have no evidence of where a person is buried - PLEASE STOP IT! This is Find A GRAVE. It is not a social media site, or a place to post speculations and hypotheticals. Okay, end of rant.

I have been fascinated by cemeteries (here, and also in England and France) for many years. My earliest memory of exploring a cemetery was with my parents when I was very young, at Old Shasta, Shasta County, California - had we known to look (and known what names to research) we probably could have found relatives there. I became aware of Find A Grave when I started doing serious research into genealogy and realized that photos of grave stones are an excellent way to clarify names, dates, spellings, and sometimes family relationships.

I have started trying to repay the debt by taking photos of many grave stones when I visit a cemetery (not just those of people I am researching) and posting them with whatever information I was able to develop. I am happy to have researchers copy my photos for their own use in private research, including the photos I have posted of family members whose graves are recorded on Find A Grave; NO commercial use is permitted.

One last thing - which I hope I am entitled to say, because I do try to give back - and that is, there is little that is quite as frustrating to a genalogical researcher as having relied on posted information, only to realize that it really was a guess. This site is very important for the information it makes so widely available, so a suggestion for those who are working from cemetery records, etc., but don't have photos: it would be very helpful to researchers to know the source of your information, when it is not possible to post a photo or when the posted photo does not include all of the information you are putting into the memorial.

Thanks all to who are researching, and keep up the really excellent work.

But to those who are posting memorials based on guesses and speculation when they have no evidence of where a person is buried - PLEASE STOP IT! This is Find A GRAVE. It is not a social media site, or a place to post speculations and hypotheticals. Okay, end of rant.