I descend from the:

- ULRICHs of Baden-Wurttemberg and Hesse, Germany; Berks County, Pennsylvania; Sidney, Ohio; and Sturgis, Burr Oak, Harrietta, and Dearborn Heights, Michigan

- BENFIELDs, FAUSTs, and KELLERs of Berks County, Pennsylvania

- SHAFFERs and BOYERs of Shelby County, Ohio

- SAGERs of Savanna, New York and Branch/St. Joseph Counties, Michigan

- KRIBS of Ontario, Canada and Sturgis, Michigan

- BAKERs of Somerset/Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Ontario, Canada; and Sturgis, Michigan

- ADAMS of Sturgis/St. Joseph County, Michigan

- STATZERs of Bristol/Washington County, Virginia and Detroit, Michigan

- HOCHSTADTs of Detroit, Michigan.

I decided to get more involved in Find a Grave after a long, frustrating attempt to locate ancestral grandparents who had eluded every municipal database. If only someone had made a Find a Grave memorial for them it would have saved a great deal of time and effort. I hope the memorials I've created here on Find a Grave will facilitate the search for others seeking to learn more about their family history.

Also, as I've traveled the country visiting the graves of my ancestors I've witnessed first-hand the physical decline of many older tombstones, some to the point of illegibility. I've also experienced the destruction of an ancestral family cemetery. In this respect I think the efforts of those Find a Grave contributors have a valuable place in documenting those graves before they become lost forever.

With few exceptions all of the memorials I've created were the result of a photograph I took. I'm always a little uneasy when creating a memorial for the recently deceased. Please understand the creation of a memorial for them is meant only to honor, respect, and document their final resting place. If you are family to any of the memorials I've created and wish to assume management, nothing pleases me more than transferring a memorial to a loved one.

I am also a photo volunteer. I try my best but I'm no Ansel Adams. When satisfying a photo request I sometimes take and post more than one photo especially if the grave is in a particularly nice setting. Having served over 20 years myself, the graves of my fellow veterans hold special meaning and I'll often try to include the flag if one is present. But if I've posted more photos than you want to see on a memorial you're managing, send me an email and let me know. My wife tells me I sometimes try too hard.

Finally, if I've done something on Find a Grave that's helped you in some way, a brief "thank you" is always appreciated.

I descend from the:

- ULRICHs of Baden-Wurttemberg and Hesse, Germany; Berks County, Pennsylvania; Sidney, Ohio; and Sturgis, Burr Oak, Harrietta, and Dearborn Heights, Michigan

- BENFIELDs, FAUSTs, and KELLERs of Berks County, Pennsylvania

- SHAFFERs and BOYERs of Shelby County, Ohio

- SAGERs of Savanna, New York and Branch/St. Joseph Counties, Michigan

- KRIBS of Ontario, Canada and Sturgis, Michigan

- BAKERs of Somerset/Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Ontario, Canada; and Sturgis, Michigan

- ADAMS of Sturgis/St. Joseph County, Michigan

- STATZERs of Bristol/Washington County, Virginia and Detroit, Michigan

- HOCHSTADTs of Detroit, Michigan.

I decided to get more involved in Find a Grave after a long, frustrating attempt to locate ancestral grandparents who had eluded every municipal database. If only someone had made a Find a Grave memorial for them it would have saved a great deal of time and effort. I hope the memorials I've created here on Find a Grave will facilitate the search for others seeking to learn more about their family history.

Also, as I've traveled the country visiting the graves of my ancestors I've witnessed first-hand the physical decline of many older tombstones, some to the point of illegibility. I've also experienced the destruction of an ancestral family cemetery. In this respect I think the efforts of those Find a Grave contributors have a valuable place in documenting those graves before they become lost forever.

With few exceptions all of the memorials I've created were the result of a photograph I took. I'm always a little uneasy when creating a memorial for the recently deceased. Please understand the creation of a memorial for them is meant only to honor, respect, and document their final resting place. If you are family to any of the memorials I've created and wish to assume management, nothing pleases me more than transferring a memorial to a loved one.

I am also a photo volunteer. I try my best but I'm no Ansel Adams. When satisfying a photo request I sometimes take and post more than one photo especially if the grave is in a particularly nice setting. Having served over 20 years myself, the graves of my fellow veterans hold special meaning and I'll often try to include the flag if one is present. But if I've posted more photos than you want to see on a memorial you're managing, send me an email and let me know. My wife tells me I sometimes try too hard.

Finally, if I've done something on Find a Grave that's helped you in some way, a brief "thank you" is always appreciated.