29/2/24 - Thank you for all the well wishes for my husband. All going well with tests. We're getting there!!

I'm retired so decided to help out with taking photographs of graves, especially at the Rookwood Catholic Cemetery. As I'm an avid Genealogist, I started with just my family members and I then wanted to contribute in some way and saw the very, very long list of requests from people, so I felt compelled to help in some way.

I have worked in several sections in the M2 Rookwood Catholic as well as a few in the M1 area. I have also added memorials, so if I've added your family member or friends of the family or someone you know I will willing to transfer the management to you, no problem, just use the proper channels in F-A-G to make the request.

Currently just in the Catholic Section alone, and each day at least half a dozen or so new ones get added. It's all a work in progress. Sections M & P no longer have visible graves so any requests for these two sections will only get fulfilled with a photo of what the whole area looks like today.

Unfortunately, a lot of physical graves have deteriorated so badly and no longer exist and/or there is no headstone. I do still photograph the site and will upload it where I then add a text to the photo marking the plot site. I use the Rookwood Catholic Cemeteries app and search legible graves left or right of the spot to determine that yes, this is the spot. Some people prefer to not have the photo in which case I will remove it.

Some headstones are not legible due to various reasons, throwing water on them doesn't generally help, which I have tried especially in the lawn areas, the paintwork on the inscriptions tend to fade or peel off, and when wet blend in with the background colour of the headstone so it then looks like there is no inscription on it. I don't generally touch them, but I remove any obstructions over inscriptions if I can, like pull out some overgrown grass, move plastic or silk flowers if possible out of the way and then return them. Some vases are stuck down so cannot move.

I tend to go first thing in the mornings, over 3 to 4 days per week as I live within 10 minutes of Rookwood. It is starting to get hot now, so in the summer I may not be able to stay for as long or have to get there earlier.

Generally, I do say a prayer before I start walking around for all those I find during the course of the day and I also place a "Rose" on the website after I submit their photo. I choose the Rose as it is a symbol of Love and that someone has thought of them, not just me, but their descendants who have submitted the request.

Milly

29/2/24 - Thank you for all the well wishes for my husband. All going well with tests. We're getting there!!

I'm retired so decided to help out with taking photographs of graves, especially at the Rookwood Catholic Cemetery. As I'm an avid Genealogist, I started with just my family members and I then wanted to contribute in some way and saw the very, very long list of requests from people, so I felt compelled to help in some way.

I have worked in several sections in the M2 Rookwood Catholic as well as a few in the M1 area. I have also added memorials, so if I've added your family member or friends of the family or someone you know I will willing to transfer the management to you, no problem, just use the proper channels in F-A-G to make the request.

Currently just in the Catholic Section alone, and each day at least half a dozen or so new ones get added. It's all a work in progress. Sections M & P no longer have visible graves so any requests for these two sections will only get fulfilled with a photo of what the whole area looks like today.

Unfortunately, a lot of physical graves have deteriorated so badly and no longer exist and/or there is no headstone. I do still photograph the site and will upload it where I then add a text to the photo marking the plot site. I use the Rookwood Catholic Cemeteries app and search legible graves left or right of the spot to determine that yes, this is the spot. Some people prefer to not have the photo in which case I will remove it.

Some headstones are not legible due to various reasons, throwing water on them doesn't generally help, which I have tried especially in the lawn areas, the paintwork on the inscriptions tend to fade or peel off, and when wet blend in with the background colour of the headstone so it then looks like there is no inscription on it. I don't generally touch them, but I remove any obstructions over inscriptions if I can, like pull out some overgrown grass, move plastic or silk flowers if possible out of the way and then return them. Some vases are stuck down so cannot move.

I tend to go first thing in the mornings, over 3 to 4 days per week as I live within 10 minutes of Rookwood. It is starting to get hot now, so in the summer I may not be able to stay for as long or have to get there earlier.

Generally, I do say a prayer before I start walking around for all those I find during the course of the day and I also place a "Rose" on the website after I submit their photo. I choose the Rose as it is a symbol of Love and that someone has thought of them, not just me, but their descendants who have submitted the request.

Milly