Found Find A Grave many years ago and was proud to create a memorial page for my dad, Richard George Hackstock. As a member of the FAG family of contributors [Pat S contributor #45875943 in 2001 and now Patsy1945 #48212232 currently] it has been my pleasure to maintain the memorials that are now with me. As I look back over the last 18 years with findagrave.com I have seen many changes as they have become a tool used by many family researchers.

All that I ask is that we all do a little "fact checking" before we create a new memorial. After all, our goal should be to create and maintain an accurate account of the loved one buried within the grave that the memorial is created for. For generations to come, this site may be the only way a family member can honor their departed ancestors.

My grandparents and aunts were of the old school of family historians, long before the internet made it so easy. "Grave Walking", as we called it, was a big part of their research. I spent many a summer or week-end walking old cemeteries with an aunt or grandparent. Each headstone or monument told stories that collectively had a story of lives over decades of time. I was amazed at the stories contained within these old cemeteries. Famine, disease and war taking the lives of so many of the same family, stories told ONLY on the amazing grave markers.

Now retired, I am able to spend my time fulfilling the wishes of my great aunts, great grandparents by continuing their research and making sure our children and theirs know our "stories".

I am no longer able to "Grave Walk" through an old cemetery but am fortunate to be able to let my fingers do most of the walking for me, especially with the help of the internet.

All of us family researchers have the same goal. It would be selfish not to record our families history in some way, either through our own research or that of others creating a memorial at Find A Grave.

"From a purely practical standpoint, if you don't pass on your life experience by leaving a legacy, the wisdom you've gained through decades of difficult learning will disappear as your physical body wears out. (unknown author)"

Found Find A Grave many years ago and was proud to create a memorial page for my dad, Richard George Hackstock. As a member of the FAG family of contributors [Pat S contributor #45875943 in 2001 and now Patsy1945 #48212232 currently] it has been my pleasure to maintain the memorials that are now with me. As I look back over the last 18 years with findagrave.com I have seen many changes as they have become a tool used by many family researchers.

All that I ask is that we all do a little "fact checking" before we create a new memorial. After all, our goal should be to create and maintain an accurate account of the loved one buried within the grave that the memorial is created for. For generations to come, this site may be the only way a family member can honor their departed ancestors.

My grandparents and aunts were of the old school of family historians, long before the internet made it so easy. "Grave Walking", as we called it, was a big part of their research. I spent many a summer or week-end walking old cemeteries with an aunt or grandparent. Each headstone or monument told stories that collectively had a story of lives over decades of time. I was amazed at the stories contained within these old cemeteries. Famine, disease and war taking the lives of so many of the same family, stories told ONLY on the amazing grave markers.

Now retired, I am able to spend my time fulfilling the wishes of my great aunts, great grandparents by continuing their research and making sure our children and theirs know our "stories".

I am no longer able to "Grave Walk" through an old cemetery but am fortunate to be able to let my fingers do most of the walking for me, especially with the help of the internet.

All of us family researchers have the same goal. It would be selfish not to record our families history in some way, either through our own research or that of others creating a memorial at Find A Grave.

"From a purely practical standpoint, if you don't pass on your life experience by leaving a legacy, the wisdom you've gained through decades of difficult learning will disappear as your physical body wears out. (unknown author)"