Genealogy researcher since the mid 1990's. It all began when my mother asked me to help find her father's family which came from England. He died when she was 2 years so she knew nothing of her heritage. The internet was in its infancy and most of my research was done by visiting libraries, writing letters, using books and making phone calls. Ah..... the good 'ole days!

My family tree consists of 17,000+ names. My sons are connected to Charlemagne through their French Canadian Ancestors and my granddaughters are descendants of the Mayflower pilgrim William Brewster (their 13th great grandfather).

Now my mini rant ……
PLEASE if you are requesting a photo call the cemetery (unless you are from another country) and provide that important grave location for us volunteers. It is NOT our responsibility to do that. I will not fill a request without a location provided. So, before you request a photo check the memorial and see if a grave location has been added. Most times, memorials are made from obituaries and death records, and no grave location is provided. If YOU need the photo, please provide the location details. Some cemeteries refuse to provide plot information to Find A Grave volunteers and non-family members. PLEASE help US, Help YOU !

I enjoy filling photo requests. Now that I am retired, I am spending 3 to 4 days each week at cemeteries.

A cemetery I frequent has almost 1400 open requests dating back more than 10 years. Why? None of those 1400 requests have a location. I guess they will sit there another 10 years or more.

One More Note to all who make memorials and add Obituaries. PLEASE respect the privacy of living individuals by removing their names from obituaries. I was involved in an issue a while back (not my memorial) by a surviving member whose name was mentioned in the obituary and it caused all of sorts of personal problems for that person and they threatened to sue because of it.
From Find A Grave Guidelines:
"We ask that those who index and memorialize the deceased from newspapers and other third party accounts do so with full respect of copyright, refrain from adding information about living people (e.g. survivors) to protect their privacy, and respond generously to the family of the deceased."

I only make memorials if I have a headstone photo which I have taken myself. First of all because I love walking around cemeteries and seeing the various types of monuments, markers and clever engravings. It's quiet and serene and this is where I get my exercise (usually 1-2 miles in an afternoon). Secondly, too many mistakes are made on FG when some one assigns cemeteries from obits or burial records. It's very frustrating to get them corrected. This is an ongoing issue and especially when the name of a cemetery is the same or similar to another one.

To me Find A Grave means just that - Find the Grave!

I am currently filling requests in the Chicago area (north suburbs) and Phoenix/Scottsdale .

Please feel free to use any photo I have taken for your own personal use if needed. That is why I do this. Hopefully I found someone important to you in one of my afternoon outings. And I will always transfer when asked. I'm not a collector.

It saddens me to see a gravestone of someone who was born in the same year as me and is no longer here. A Big Fat Reality Check.

And lastly, Thank You for all your positive feedback and Thank You's on the photos I take for your requests. Remember that a Stranger took time out of their day to help YOU. It's not difficult to click that link and send a quick note of your gratitude.

Family names: Klimczak, Nawiesniak, Czajkowski, Adducci, Clark, Guimont, Bistodeau, Bambrough

I BRAKE FOR CEMETERIES !

Those We Love Don't Go Away.... They Walk Beside Us Every Day.

Genealogy researcher since the mid 1990's. It all began when my mother asked me to help find her father's family which came from England. He died when she was 2 years so she knew nothing of her heritage. The internet was in its infancy and most of my research was done by visiting libraries, writing letters, using books and making phone calls. Ah..... the good 'ole days!

My family tree consists of 17,000+ names. My sons are connected to Charlemagne through their French Canadian Ancestors and my granddaughters are descendants of the Mayflower pilgrim William Brewster (their 13th great grandfather).

Now my mini rant ……
PLEASE if you are requesting a photo call the cemetery (unless you are from another country) and provide that important grave location for us volunteers. It is NOT our responsibility to do that. I will not fill a request without a location provided. So, before you request a photo check the memorial and see if a grave location has been added. Most times, memorials are made from obituaries and death records, and no grave location is provided. If YOU need the photo, please provide the location details. Some cemeteries refuse to provide plot information to Find A Grave volunteers and non-family members. PLEASE help US, Help YOU !

I enjoy filling photo requests. Now that I am retired, I am spending 3 to 4 days each week at cemeteries.

A cemetery I frequent has almost 1400 open requests dating back more than 10 years. Why? None of those 1400 requests have a location. I guess they will sit there another 10 years or more.

One More Note to all who make memorials and add Obituaries. PLEASE respect the privacy of living individuals by removing their names from obituaries. I was involved in an issue a while back (not my memorial) by a surviving member whose name was mentioned in the obituary and it caused all of sorts of personal problems for that person and they threatened to sue because of it.
From Find A Grave Guidelines:
"We ask that those who index and memorialize the deceased from newspapers and other third party accounts do so with full respect of copyright, refrain from adding information about living people (e.g. survivors) to protect their privacy, and respond generously to the family of the deceased."

I only make memorials if I have a headstone photo which I have taken myself. First of all because I love walking around cemeteries and seeing the various types of monuments, markers and clever engravings. It's quiet and serene and this is where I get my exercise (usually 1-2 miles in an afternoon). Secondly, too many mistakes are made on FG when some one assigns cemeteries from obits or burial records. It's very frustrating to get them corrected. This is an ongoing issue and especially when the name of a cemetery is the same or similar to another one.

To me Find A Grave means just that - Find the Grave!

I am currently filling requests in the Chicago area (north suburbs) and Phoenix/Scottsdale .

Please feel free to use any photo I have taken for your own personal use if needed. That is why I do this. Hopefully I found someone important to you in one of my afternoon outings. And I will always transfer when asked. I'm not a collector.

It saddens me to see a gravestone of someone who was born in the same year as me and is no longer here. A Big Fat Reality Check.

And lastly, Thank You for all your positive feedback and Thank You's on the photos I take for your requests. Remember that a Stranger took time out of their day to help YOU. It's not difficult to click that link and send a quick note of your gratitude.

Family names: Klimczak, Nawiesniak, Czajkowski, Adducci, Clark, Guimont, Bistodeau, Bambrough

I BRAKE FOR CEMETERIES !

Those We Love Don't Go Away.... They Walk Beside Us Every Day.