In addition to being a graver I belong to four main groups. The Ohio Valley Civil War Association, (an educational, & not a reenactor group), The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Clinton County, Ohio History Center, & the Blanchester Area Historical Society.
I have been fascinated by the past for about as far back as I can remember. Cemeteries are full of human-interest stories about the people of a local area, or town. They are the history & foundation of any local area. It's usually all there to be found with perseverance & the desire to know about the life behind the name displayed between the dates on the stone. One can also learn of the many small communities that used to be that time has either completely erased,or that exist only as a local name remembered by a few local historians. Many interesting stories, relationships, & information are within these cemeteries waiting to be brought back into the light.
All the memorials I have created are pretty much an on going work in progress as I find new sources, & especially photographs of the deceased to add. I always hope to help enlighten others searching for ancestors & welcome any information they are willing to share. I have added photos to share with others that they may have never had, or seen. Most of them come from the files of the local historical society that have been donated & collected over the years. Its a real joy to add a face to a name, especially one that has been deceased for a century or more. One of my happiest moments was finding the story behind a name with only the birth & death dates of a nineteen year old girl & then finding her photo & death notice to complete the memorial (#186049782). Her tragic story is only one of several run across.
If you have photos of your ancestors then please post them. Sitting in a drawer collecting dust does no one any good, plus what happens if a natural disaster, or fire destroys the only copies known. Also identify them for the future generations. Its sad to see old photos that a family had with no idea as to who they were.
I use death certificates for several reasons.
One, that date of death is final according to genealogists because it is filled out at the exact time of death & not from memory. The other information may be subject to debate, but I find it accurate more often than inaccurate.
Two, the cause of death gives an insight into the medical history of a family.
Three, the name of the parents are usually recorded, & the name of the informant is also a relationship clue in some cases, such as a married daughter, etc.
I have enjoyed helping others living out of the local Clinton County, Ohio area. I have the local home advantage &; have access to several local resources not available elsewhere. I am not a magician, but occasionally I am able to pull a rabbit, or two out of the hat.
I don't have any relation buried in Clinton County, will transfer to those who do & have better information to add to a memorial.

In addition to being a graver I belong to four main groups. The Ohio Valley Civil War Association, (an educational, & not a reenactor group), The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Clinton County, Ohio History Center, & the Blanchester Area Historical Society.
I have been fascinated by the past for about as far back as I can remember. Cemeteries are full of human-interest stories about the people of a local area, or town. They are the history & foundation of any local area. It's usually all there to be found with perseverance & the desire to know about the life behind the name displayed between the dates on the stone. One can also learn of the many small communities that used to be that time has either completely erased,or that exist only as a local name remembered by a few local historians. Many interesting stories, relationships, & information are within these cemeteries waiting to be brought back into the light.
All the memorials I have created are pretty much an on going work in progress as I find new sources, & especially photographs of the deceased to add. I always hope to help enlighten others searching for ancestors & welcome any information they are willing to share. I have added photos to share with others that they may have never had, or seen. Most of them come from the files of the local historical society that have been donated & collected over the years. Its a real joy to add a face to a name, especially one that has been deceased for a century or more. One of my happiest moments was finding the story behind a name with only the birth & death dates of a nineteen year old girl & then finding her photo & death notice to complete the memorial (#186049782). Her tragic story is only one of several run across.
If you have photos of your ancestors then please post them. Sitting in a drawer collecting dust does no one any good, plus what happens if a natural disaster, or fire destroys the only copies known. Also identify them for the future generations. Its sad to see old photos that a family had with no idea as to who they were.
I use death certificates for several reasons.
One, that date of death is final according to genealogists because it is filled out at the exact time of death & not from memory. The other information may be subject to debate, but I find it accurate more often than inaccurate.
Two, the cause of death gives an insight into the medical history of a family.
Three, the name of the parents are usually recorded, & the name of the informant is also a relationship clue in some cases, such as a married daughter, etc.
I have enjoyed helping others living out of the local Clinton County, Ohio area. I have the local home advantage &; have access to several local resources not available elsewhere. I am not a magician, but occasionally I am able to pull a rabbit, or two out of the hat.
I don't have any relation buried in Clinton County, will transfer to those who do & have better information to add to a memorial.