What can I say? Like many of you, I’ve found Find A Grave to be a fascinating hybrid.

On one hand, it’s an often touching, online memorial to those who have gone before. On the other, it’s an incredibly useful genealogical resource for researching our ancestors. I respect both aspects of this massive database system / human network.

I’m originally from northeast Ohio, which is not that surprising when you consider my dad was from the Cleveland area. His family were nearly all German immigrants who immigrated between 1872 & 1900. But I do have one Bohemian line (Czech) through him. My mom’s parents both had deep roots in central Pennsylvania – mainly “Pennsylvania Dutch” (German), Swiss-German Mennonites & a few English, Irish (and more remotely) Welsh lines. Most of her ancestors trace back to Colonial America. My most recent maternal line consisted of German farmers who “only” showed up in the 1840s.

I like to see memorials here that thoughtfully give the dead a voice. Family photos in particular, and bit of their life story are always a nice touch, when available. And although I come to this from a passionate, genealogical perspective (15+ years), a careful balancing of the main aspects of Find A Grave should be the goal, I think. I’m not a big fan of posting death certificates, for example.

As long as I’m sharing and doing a bit of broad networking here, my paternal surnames include: Beutel, Bramer(Bremer), Zander(step, not genetic), Kohtz, Gottschalk, Bader & Pokorny (there’s the Bohemian). My maternal surnames include: Brubaker, Dressler, Spicher, Gelnett, Schofield, Hummel, Seyler(Seiler), Laborde, Enhoff(Imhoff), Aikens, Gardner, Miles, Long, Henry, Strawser(Strauser), Blosser, Huffnagel, Harrop, Berkey, Wagner, Rishel, Crumbaugh, May & Burkhart.

A tiny bit about me…
My parents met at Ohio State in the early-1960s. My dad was a veterinarian. I work in an office, but in my downtime enjoy making music (piano, guitar, singing) and working on my family tree. Some of my musical tastes are strangely older as well – ragtime to 1940s pop and jazz. And even singing barbershop.

Best of luck in your Find A Grave endeavors!

What can I say? Like many of you, I’ve found Find A Grave to be a fascinating hybrid.

On one hand, it’s an often touching, online memorial to those who have gone before. On the other, it’s an incredibly useful genealogical resource for researching our ancestors. I respect both aspects of this massive database system / human network.

I’m originally from northeast Ohio, which is not that surprising when you consider my dad was from the Cleveland area. His family were nearly all German immigrants who immigrated between 1872 & 1900. But I do have one Bohemian line (Czech) through him. My mom’s parents both had deep roots in central Pennsylvania – mainly “Pennsylvania Dutch” (German), Swiss-German Mennonites & a few English, Irish (and more remotely) Welsh lines. Most of her ancestors trace back to Colonial America. My most recent maternal line consisted of German farmers who “only” showed up in the 1840s.

I like to see memorials here that thoughtfully give the dead a voice. Family photos in particular, and bit of their life story are always a nice touch, when available. And although I come to this from a passionate, genealogical perspective (15+ years), a careful balancing of the main aspects of Find A Grave should be the goal, I think. I’m not a big fan of posting death certificates, for example.

As long as I’m sharing and doing a bit of broad networking here, my paternal surnames include: Beutel, Bramer(Bremer), Zander(step, not genetic), Kohtz, Gottschalk, Bader & Pokorny (there’s the Bohemian). My maternal surnames include: Brubaker, Dressler, Spicher, Gelnett, Schofield, Hummel, Seyler(Seiler), Laborde, Enhoff(Imhoff), Aikens, Gardner, Miles, Long, Henry, Strawser(Strauser), Blosser, Huffnagel, Harrop, Berkey, Wagner, Rishel, Crumbaugh, May & Burkhart.

A tiny bit about me…
My parents met at Ohio State in the early-1960s. My dad was a veterinarian. I work in an office, but in my downtime enjoy making music (piano, guitar, singing) and working on my family tree. Some of my musical tastes are strangely older as well – ragtime to 1940s pop and jazz. And even singing barbershop.

Best of luck in your Find A Grave endeavors!