History matters!

I do my best to provide complete and accurate information on all my postings. Corrections are encouraged.

Helpful hints from Juanice Hess, Contributor # 48080005:
1. The CA. Death Index will never list '1900' as a death date. Something in the program always lists it as '1901'.
2. Veteran's markers - If there is a state listed on the marker, it is where that person enlisted, not necessarily where they were born.

"Grief only exists where love once lived." - Francesca Cox

"Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity." - John Milton

Helpful Tips to Make a Crayon Rubbing: "I have found that crayons made from beeswax work the best. My preferred transfer medium is Pellon's lightweight interface." - (Shared by Cassidy099, Contributor #49782629)

Helpful Tips to Make a Foil Rubbing (awesome trick when crayon rubbings on paper don't do the trick - shared by KMS, Contributor #50485258)
1. If the stone is dirty, brush it off carefully before putting the foil on it.
2. Use the cheapest foil you can find to cover the surface. I know it runs counter to what you think but the thicker foil won't go into the engraving. It needs to be thin.
3. Use painter's tape to hold it on the stone even if you have a helper. If you don't tape it the foil will move and the image doesn't come out as well. Painter's tape doesn't leave a sticky film behind so you don't have to worry there.
4. Some people use brushes (makeup or paint) to rub the foil. They say it protects the stone from wear. Watching for cracks and making sure the stone is sturdy, you can rub it with your hand, using your fingers to go over numbers or areas that aren't showing up very well.
5. Generally putting the shiny side towards you gives you more information.
6. Don't try it on a windy day. You need to avoid as many wrinkles as you can when you're putting it on.
7. Bright sunlight can be your enemy as it's very reflective. If you do try it on a really sunny day, try to shoot the picture from the side and if you have a dark shirt on try to stand close to the stone to make it reflect the darker color-make contrast. If you wear a really colorful shirt it will reflect in the foil and you may not be able to see as well.
8. Sometimes, if you carefully peel the foil off you can see some of the information better off the back of the foil.
9. Use the viewfinder on your camera to look at the foil while it's still taped to the stone. Sometimes that enhances the image enough for you to see what you need even if you don't think you got anything usable.

According to early naming conventions the second born daughter would be named after her father's mother. For example, Frances B. Gregg: The "B" could stand for Bonar. (This is only speculation not a statement of fact.)
Contributor: Derrel Bryant, #47921692

The following helpful resource was provided by 'Shiver' (Contributor #46539565): "Whenever possible, I try to add value to my Find A Grave listing by including a headstone photo, obituary, or other information. I have a special affinity for obituaries and have developed a web page to help people find obits in So. California." The URL is as follows:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~socalobituaries/

Other cool tricks:
For instructions on how to make Italicized print, Bold print, Bold Italics and Links to other memorials, copy and paste this link:
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~drane/genealogy/HTMLForFindAGrave.html#:~:text=Bold%20%26%20Italics,tags%20are%20in%20reverse%20order.

WILDCARD SEARCH SUGGESTIONS: (FROM KAREN BOEHNER IN KANSAS) 
A "?" replaces 1 letter. 
A "*" (shift 8) replaces several 1 or more. 
Barrowman. "B?r*n"  can find Beriman, Barrowman, Baroman, etc.

HOW TO EASILY COMPUTE AGES: Check out the website Ann Hamlin & Richard Jordan shared with me:
Ancestor Search Birthday Calculator. See
http://www.searchforancestors.com/utility/birthday.html

"If you wonder about your 'roots', you have 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents and 16 great-great-grandparents, and by the time you go back 10 generations - 300 years or so- you have 1,024 people from whom you are directly descended. --Mady Castro & Richard Jordan

Regarding obituaries added to memorials, shared with permission from Sherlock's Cousin, Contributor #47232933:
I contacted Findagrave and this was their response." "Greetings... Since the move to Ancestry and the new website, newspaper obituaries, death certificates and other scanned documentation are allowed. We encourage members to move the images down to the bottom of the photo display so that they are not the first thing you see when viewing a memorial page.
Thank you, Find a Grave Administration"

"LIKE A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE"
Essentially, every entry on Findagrave is like a message in a bottle; not the old fashioned kind that was tossed hopefully into the vast and briny sea, but the high tech one that floats out on the ether and can be accessed by thousands of searchers every day. May we make our connections with our ancestors and others like ourselves who are searchers, sentimental rememberers, and guardians of past lives and times."
Author (shared with her permission): Little Orange in the Big Apple - Contributor #46817308
I love this one! :-D

Everyone who knows me knows that I love getting to know my ancestors and have spent the better part of the last thirty-five years devoted to it. I enjoy walking through cemeteries and looking at memorial stones. I find it relaxing and peaceful and have met some of the nicest people through Find A Grave!

It makes me happy to help someone add a page to their history and keep the person's memory alive. I also feel that it may give a family a type of closure to know where a loved one is located.
If I'm being honest though, I have to say my least favorite transfer request is: "Please transfer my relative." The result is less than satisfying. No information or photos are added; no family connections made; they do not respond to edit requests, and I wonder why the person thought they wanted to maintain the memorial page in the first place.

If I took a photo you'd like for your own personal use or to post to Ancestry.com, I would be honored if you displayed it. Please credit me with "Chloe on Find A Grave". I'd appreciate a note letting me know you have copied them.

History matters!

I do my best to provide complete and accurate information on all my postings. Corrections are encouraged.

Helpful hints from Juanice Hess, Contributor # 48080005:
1. The CA. Death Index will never list '1900' as a death date. Something in the program always lists it as '1901'.
2. Veteran's markers - If there is a state listed on the marker, it is where that person enlisted, not necessarily where they were born.

"Grief only exists where love once lived." - Francesca Cox

"Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity." - John Milton

Helpful Tips to Make a Crayon Rubbing: "I have found that crayons made from beeswax work the best. My preferred transfer medium is Pellon's lightweight interface." - (Shared by Cassidy099, Contributor #49782629)

Helpful Tips to Make a Foil Rubbing (awesome trick when crayon rubbings on paper don't do the trick - shared by KMS, Contributor #50485258)
1. If the stone is dirty, brush it off carefully before putting the foil on it.
2. Use the cheapest foil you can find to cover the surface. I know it runs counter to what you think but the thicker foil won't go into the engraving. It needs to be thin.
3. Use painter's tape to hold it on the stone even if you have a helper. If you don't tape it the foil will move and the image doesn't come out as well. Painter's tape doesn't leave a sticky film behind so you don't have to worry there.
4. Some people use brushes (makeup or paint) to rub the foil. They say it protects the stone from wear. Watching for cracks and making sure the stone is sturdy, you can rub it with your hand, using your fingers to go over numbers or areas that aren't showing up very well.
5. Generally putting the shiny side towards you gives you more information.
6. Don't try it on a windy day. You need to avoid as many wrinkles as you can when you're putting it on.
7. Bright sunlight can be your enemy as it's very reflective. If you do try it on a really sunny day, try to shoot the picture from the side and if you have a dark shirt on try to stand close to the stone to make it reflect the darker color-make contrast. If you wear a really colorful shirt it will reflect in the foil and you may not be able to see as well.
8. Sometimes, if you carefully peel the foil off you can see some of the information better off the back of the foil.
9. Use the viewfinder on your camera to look at the foil while it's still taped to the stone. Sometimes that enhances the image enough for you to see what you need even if you don't think you got anything usable.

According to early naming conventions the second born daughter would be named after her father's mother. For example, Frances B. Gregg: The "B" could stand for Bonar. (This is only speculation not a statement of fact.)
Contributor: Derrel Bryant, #47921692

The following helpful resource was provided by 'Shiver' (Contributor #46539565): "Whenever possible, I try to add value to my Find A Grave listing by including a headstone photo, obituary, or other information. I have a special affinity for obituaries and have developed a web page to help people find obits in So. California." The URL is as follows:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~socalobituaries/

Other cool tricks:
For instructions on how to make Italicized print, Bold print, Bold Italics and Links to other memorials, copy and paste this link:
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~drane/genealogy/HTMLForFindAGrave.html#:~:text=Bold%20%26%20Italics,tags%20are%20in%20reverse%20order.

WILDCARD SEARCH SUGGESTIONS: (FROM KAREN BOEHNER IN KANSAS) 
A "?" replaces 1 letter. 
A "*" (shift 8) replaces several 1 or more. 
Barrowman. "B?r*n"  can find Beriman, Barrowman, Baroman, etc.

HOW TO EASILY COMPUTE AGES: Check out the website Ann Hamlin & Richard Jordan shared with me:
Ancestor Search Birthday Calculator. See
http://www.searchforancestors.com/utility/birthday.html

"If you wonder about your 'roots', you have 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents and 16 great-great-grandparents, and by the time you go back 10 generations - 300 years or so- you have 1,024 people from whom you are directly descended. --Mady Castro & Richard Jordan

Regarding obituaries added to memorials, shared with permission from Sherlock's Cousin, Contributor #47232933:
I contacted Findagrave and this was their response." "Greetings... Since the move to Ancestry and the new website, newspaper obituaries, death certificates and other scanned documentation are allowed. We encourage members to move the images down to the bottom of the photo display so that they are not the first thing you see when viewing a memorial page.
Thank you, Find a Grave Administration"

"LIKE A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE"
Essentially, every entry on Findagrave is like a message in a bottle; not the old fashioned kind that was tossed hopefully into the vast and briny sea, but the high tech one that floats out on the ether and can be accessed by thousands of searchers every day. May we make our connections with our ancestors and others like ourselves who are searchers, sentimental rememberers, and guardians of past lives and times."
Author (shared with her permission): Little Orange in the Big Apple - Contributor #46817308
I love this one! :-D

Everyone who knows me knows that I love getting to know my ancestors and have spent the better part of the last thirty-five years devoted to it. I enjoy walking through cemeteries and looking at memorial stones. I find it relaxing and peaceful and have met some of the nicest people through Find A Grave!

It makes me happy to help someone add a page to their history and keep the person's memory alive. I also feel that it may give a family a type of closure to know where a loved one is located.
If I'm being honest though, I have to say my least favorite transfer request is: "Please transfer my relative." The result is less than satisfying. No information or photos are added; no family connections made; they do not respond to edit requests, and I wonder why the person thought they wanted to maintain the memorial page in the first place.

If I took a photo you'd like for your own personal use or to post to Ancestry.com, I would be honored if you displayed it. Please credit me with "Chloe on Find A Grave". I'd appreciate a note letting me know you have copied them.