I am a retired public agency administrator and now self-employed. My interest in genealogy began at age 8 when I found my great aunt's 100+ year old family photo album and my questions began... When I could no longer memorize all the names, I started collecting bits of information and tucking it away for future documentation. The habit continues today!

As a child I was always looking for something to do or places to go. I found that the shortest way to the public park was to cross a large "spooky" cemetery. When not playing hide and seek, I took time to read many old stones and began noticing patterns in names and death dates. My saga continues and my children and grandchildren can tell you tales of their mandatory cemetery excursions, exploring chigger ridden fields, narrow uncharted roads (paths), and returning home covered with poison ivy, all in an effort to find someone's last resting place. We have met many interesting and wonderful people on our treks. Sadly, we have also seen a few cemeteries disappear due to neglect or lack of knowledge on proper care.

In recent years ago my husband and I took a "cemetery class" on preservation techniques and repair so that we could use the correct methods to care for or repair damaged family stones. It has been a rewarding experience and I would encourage others to seek this knowledge as well. It would also be quite useful for anyone affiliated with the care of private or public cemeteries to seek a class through local adult education programs. Happy hunting!

P.S. You may utilize any photos I have posted on findagrave for genealogy purposes.

I am a retired public agency administrator and now self-employed. My interest in genealogy began at age 8 when I found my great aunt's 100+ year old family photo album and my questions began... When I could no longer memorize all the names, I started collecting bits of information and tucking it away for future documentation. The habit continues today!

As a child I was always looking for something to do or places to go. I found that the shortest way to the public park was to cross a large "spooky" cemetery. When not playing hide and seek, I took time to read many old stones and began noticing patterns in names and death dates. My saga continues and my children and grandchildren can tell you tales of their mandatory cemetery excursions, exploring chigger ridden fields, narrow uncharted roads (paths), and returning home covered with poison ivy, all in an effort to find someone's last resting place. We have met many interesting and wonderful people on our treks. Sadly, we have also seen a few cemeteries disappear due to neglect or lack of knowledge on proper care.

In recent years ago my husband and I took a "cemetery class" on preservation techniques and repair so that we could use the correct methods to care for or repair damaged family stones. It has been a rewarding experience and I would encourage others to seek this knowledge as well. It would also be quite useful for anyone affiliated with the care of private or public cemeteries to seek a class through local adult education programs. Happy hunting!

P.S. You may utilize any photos I have posted on findagrave for genealogy purposes.