I am a native-born Californian (second generation). I 'discovered' Find A Grave in the course of my genealogical research and thanks to the contributors here I finally located some of my ancestors. I joined in order to help others do the same.

I have been a history buff since I was a kid, and strange as it may seem helping with Find A Grave brings history to life. My friends may think it macabre when I spend my lunch hour 'haunting' the local graveyard. As I note the names and inscriptions, I don't see ghosts - I see real lives and loves, hopes and tragedies, families and faith.

*** A Note about Names: You may find that the spelling of the departed's first and/or last name is different than the one your family uses now. Anyone who has done any amount of genealogy is familiar with these variations.
If there is a marker I will use the spelling on the marker. If there is no marker (not uncommon in older cemeteries) I will use the predominant spelling I find in the available records. I make every effort to use the spelling as the person used it during their lifetime, as evidenced by birth and death records, census records, cemetery records, or other contemporary sources.

I am a native-born Californian (second generation). I 'discovered' Find A Grave in the course of my genealogical research and thanks to the contributors here I finally located some of my ancestors. I joined in order to help others do the same.

I have been a history buff since I was a kid, and strange as it may seem helping with Find A Grave brings history to life. My friends may think it macabre when I spend my lunch hour 'haunting' the local graveyard. As I note the names and inscriptions, I don't see ghosts - I see real lives and loves, hopes and tragedies, families and faith.

*** A Note about Names: You may find that the spelling of the departed's first and/or last name is different than the one your family uses now. Anyone who has done any amount of genealogy is familiar with these variations.
If there is a marker I will use the spelling on the marker. If there is no marker (not uncommon in older cemeteries) I will use the predominant spelling I find in the available records. I make every effort to use the spelling as the person used it during their lifetime, as evidenced by birth and death records, census records, cemetery records, or other contemporary sources.